The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government

John Kirton

Alan F Cattell

Cyril Hilsum

Adrian L Mears

Peter A Lloyd

Brian Cockayne

Peter J Wright

A method of electroluminescent panel manufacture in which a doped zinc chalcogenide phospher film--for example manganese doped zinc sulphide, is deposited upon an electrode bearing substrate in the presence of a hydrogen enriched atmosphere--for example a 90%:10% argon:hydrogen atmosphere. This is followed by rapid anneal treatment, the substrate being raised quickly to a temperature of 450.degree. C., or greater, and cooled rapidly. It is preferable that, prior to film deposition, the substrate is pretreated by baking in the hydrogen enriched atmosphere. An additional current density limiting film may be applied--a film of low resistance cermet material--for example silica/nickel 20% Ni in SiO.sub.2, or a film of amorphous silicon.

Electroluminescent device

A method in which a phosphor film of manganese doped zinc chalcogenide is produced by chemical vapor deposition from alkyl zinc vapor and the gaseous hydride of the chalcogen. The manganese dopant is introduced uniformly during deposition by decomposition of tricarbonyl alkylcyclopentadienyl manganese: ##STR1## where here R denotes the alkyl radical. Preferably dimethyl zinc and tricarbonyl methylcyclopentadienyl manganese are used. The phosphor produced may be one of the following manganese doped compounds: zinc sulphide, zinc selenide, zinc sulphur selenide, zinc oxy-sulphide, zinc oxy-selenide or zinc cadmium sulphide.

Electroluminescent panels and method of manufacture

A d.c. electroluminescent panel comprises a transparent substrate, a transparent first electrode film, a phosphor layer, and a second electrode film. Application of a voltage across the phosphor layer causes it to emit light. In this invention the phosphor layer is produced in two layers, a first semi-insulating thin layer of activator doped phosphor and a second electrically conducting layer of phosphor.

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Malvern, United Kingdom

John Kirton