Highly efficient cathodoluminescent phosphors and screens for mid- and high-voltage field emission displays

The commercialization of field emission displays (FEDs) has been delayed despite optimistic promises in the mid 1990’s. Apparently, more time is needed to identify optimum solutions to the complex problems associated with fabrication, assembly, and operation of the displays. One of the reasons for this delay is that a majority of the development effort has been focused on the back plate with the traditional cold cathodes or other emitting matrix structures. As a result, the development of light-emitting anodes, i.e., the front phosphor plate or screen, was based on high-voltage cathode ray tube (CRT) phosphors [L. E. Tannas, Jr., Flat-Panel Displays and CRTs (Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York, 1985); V. L. Gerus, Fizicheskiye osnovy ELP (Fizmat Literatura-Nauka, 1993), p. 352]. According to published data, the FED screens are deposited with the photolithography techniques for RGB phosphor screen deposition used in CRTs. In addition, nonoptimized processing is used for aluminizing these standard high...