Electron injection nanostructured semiconductor material anode electroluminescence method and device

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include methods and devices for producing light by injecting electrons from field emission cathode across a gap into nanostructured semiconductor materials, electrons issue from a separate field emitter cathode and are accelerated by a voltage across a gap towards the surface of the nanostructured material that forms part of the anode. At the nanostructure material, the electrons undergo electron-hole (e-h) recombination resulting in electroluminescent (EL) emission. In a preferred embodiment lighting device, a vacuum enclosure houses a field emitter cathode. The vacuum enclosure also houses an anode that is separated by a gap from said cathode and disposed to receive electrons emitted from the cathode. The anode includes semiconductor light emitting nano structures that accept injection of electrons from the cathode and generate photons in response to the injection of electrons. External electrode contacts permit application of a voltage differential across the anode and cathode to stimulate electron emissions from the cathode and resultant photon emissions from the semiconductor light emitting nanostructures of the anode. Embodiments of the invention also include the usage of nanostructured semiconductor materials as phosphors for conventional planar LED and nanowire array light emitting diodes and CFL. For the use in conventional planar LEDs, the nanostructures may take the form of quantum dots, nanotubes, branched tree-like nanostructure, nanoflower, tetrapods, tripods, axial heterostructures nanowires hetero structures.