Improved brightness, efficiency, and stability of sputter deposited alternating current thin film electroluminescent ZnS:Mn by codoping with potassium chloride

Electroluminescent ZnS:Mn thin films have been codoped with KCl via an ex situ deposition and diffusion process. The brightness, efficiency, and stability of sputter deposited ZnS:Mn alternating current thin film electroluminescent devices have been greatly improved over untreated devices. Potassium chloride doping is shown to have a modest fluxing effect on the grain size of ZnS:Mn films, particularly in the region of the film where nucleation occurs. However, improved electroluminescence is postulated to be strongly influenced by doping control of electric fields and injected charge. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)04410-7].