Synthesis and Field Emission Characteristics of Cadmium Hydroxide Nanowires: A One-Pot Approach for Superior Field Electron Emitter

Cadmium hydroxide (Cd(OH)2) nanowires were successfully synthesized on Silicon (Si) substrates via a facile Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) process. The structural and morphological properties of the nanowires were systematically characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), confirming their crystalline nature and uniform morphology. The field emission characteristics were investigated in a planar diode configuration under a base pressure of 1 × 10−8 mbar. The Cd(OH)2 nanowires exhibited outstanding emission performance, with a low turn-on field of 2.1 V/µm corresponding to an emission current density of 10 µA/cm2, and a maximum current density of 1680 µA/cm2 at an applied field of 3.25 V/µm. Stable emission behaviour was maintained over a continuous operation period of 3 h at a preset current of 10 µA. To best of our knowledge this is first report on synthesis of Cd(OH)2 nanowires on Si substrate for field emission study and it shows excellent field emission behaviour than other reported materials. The combination of a simple synthesis route and superior electron emission properties highlights the potential of Cd(OH)2 nanowires as efficient electron sources for advanced vacuum microelectronic and field emission display applications.