Thin film phosphor prepared by physical vapor deposition for field emission display application

We fabricated very thin ZnO:Zn film using rf magnetron sputtering and ZnS:Pr,Ce layer by electron-beam evaporation for color field emission display application. Also, in order to investigate the influence of surface conductive layer onto the phosphor films upon the emission characteristics, we prepared the layered structures having an additional conducting layer of 2–6-nm-thick Sn-doped In₂O₃ film. Cathodoluminescence spectrum of sputtered ZnO:Zn (250 nm) film shows two broad peaks centered around 540 and 600 nm, respectively. The spectra characteristics of ZnS:Pr,Ce,F films show white spectrum that covered a whole visible wavelength. One of the effects of an additional surface layer of indium tin oxide on ZnO and ZnS phosphor is the shift of spectrum toward shorter wavelength as well as low voltage emission, as compared to our phosphor film without the surface conductive layer. © 1997 American Vacuum Society.