Field-Enhancement Effect of Short Carbon Nanotubes Using an Electrical Aging Treatment on Inorganic Electroluminescence

AC inorganic electroluminescence (EL) devices were fabricated using the emitting layer composed of phosphor-single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) composite (PSC) to utilize the local field enhancement of SWCNTs. In order to enhance the electric field in an emitting layer with minimized current paths, bare long SWCNTs were shortened by cryogenic crushing method. After electrical aging treatment of the PSC device, partly formed short SWCNT networks in the emitting layer were effectively removed during the electrical aging treatment. High performance of 60% and 43% increase in efficiency and luminance, respectively, was achieved. This PSC device with short SWCNTs could lead to high brightness due to increased electron tunneling into phosphor. The PSC device reveals the importance of high electric field by SWCNTs leading to high EL performance.