Rare earths in electroluminescent and field emission display phosphors

Monochrome electroluminescent flat panel displays based on ZnS:Mn have commercially been available for several years and now multicolor devices are coming to the market. Colors are usually produced by rare earth activators in ZnS or alkaline earth sulfide matrices. The materials studied include ZnS:Tb, ZnS:Sm, ZnS:Tm, CaS:Eu, CaS:Tb, SrS:Ce and thiogallates (Ca, Sr)Ga2S4 doped with Ce or Eu. The most promising approach to full color devices is that with ZnS:Mn (yellow) and SrS:Ce (blue-green) broad band phophors and color filters. Field emission displays (FED) are based on cathodoluminescence where the electrons used in excitation originate from an addressable array of microtip cathodes. The operation voltage can vary (300 V-8 kV) but green emitting ZnO:Zn is so far the only phosphor which gives applicable luminance efficiency at low voltages. The problems in FED phosphors and the results obtained with rare earth containing phosphors are reviewed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.