Nonlinear characteristics of the Fowler–Nordheim plot for field emission from In2O3 nanowires grown on InAs substrate

Nonlinear characteristics of the Fowler–Nordheim (F–N) plot for field emission from In2O3 nanowires (NWs) is investigated. The field emission from the aligned and nonaligned In2O3 NWs are measured and a stable emission with fluctuations less than 10% was obtained for the aligned In2O3 NWs. It is found that the nonaligned In2O3 NWs with a longer length have higher turn-on and threshold electric fields. Their F–N plots, showing pronounced nonlinear characteristics, are divided into several regions based on physical origins. Field penetration competes with surface states in influencing the field emission of the In2O3 NWs with increasing the electric field, which is responsible for the nonlinear characteristics of the F–N plots.