Method of fabricating a thin film electroluminescent display panel

• US 4,717,606 A
• Filed: 05/21/1986
• Issued: 01/05/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Inventors: Hale, Leonard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kittle, John E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick J.
• Application Number:
  US06/865,498
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 428/1, 428/690, 428/917, 313/503, 313/506
• US Class Current: 428/1.6
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2323/06 Substrate layer characterised by chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/10 Apparatus or processes specially adapted to the manufacture of electroluminescent light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/12 Light sources with substantially two-dimensional radiating surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 33/145 Arrangements of the electroluminescent material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/917 Electroluminescent

Abstract

A thin film electroluminescent display panel is fabricated by using ion implantation at selected locations in a host layer. By this method, strips of electroluminescent material with different dopants can be created, and these different stripes can be addressed by separate electrodes in order to obtain a multicolor display panel.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an alternating current thin film electroluminescent display panel comprising the steps of:

depositing a dielectric layer on a transparent substrate having a transparent electrode;

depositing a host layer on said dielectric layer;

ion implanting dopants into said host layer at a selected location to provide an electroluminescent at said location;

annealing the ion-implanted host layer;

depositing a second dielectric layer on said ion-implanted host layer; and

forming a backside electrode on said second dielectric layer opposite said selected location.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, including a step of photolithographically forming a pattern having an opening on said host layer whereby said selected location is defined by said opening;

and a step of removing said pattern after implanting said dopant ions.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said host layer comprises ZnS.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said selected location comprises stripes on said host layer.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said transparent and said backside electrodes are formed in stripes which cross each other to create rows and columns whereby light emitting pixels are formed between said rows at the crossings.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said host layer is doped with a first dopant to provide a first color during electroluminescence and said selected location is implanted with a second dopant to provide a second color during electroluminescence, whereby a multicolor display panel is formed.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 including the step of implanting second dopant ions in a second selected location, said second dopant ions providing a different color than said first mentioned dopant ions during luminescence, whereby a multicolor display panel is formed.

10. An electroluminescent display panel fabricated by the method as claimed in claim 1.

9. A method of fabricating a direct current thin film electroluminescent display panel comprising the steps of:

depositing a host layer on a transparent substrate having a transparent electrode;

ion implanting dopants into said host layer at a selected location to provide an electroluminescent material at said location; and

forming a backside electrode on said host layer at said selected location.

8. The method as claimed in claim 9 including the step of implanting third dopant ions in a third selected location, said third dopant ions providing a different color than said first mentioned and said second dopant ions during luminescence, whereby a multicolor display panel is formed.

11. An electroluminescent display panel fabricated by the method as claimed in claim 9.

12. An electroluminescent display panel having an active layer with at least two closely spaced regions which have been ion implanted with different dopants to obtain different color electroluminescence, and electrode means for separately addressing each of said regions.

13. An electroluminescent display panel as claimed in claim 12 including dielectric layers on both sides of said active layer, whereby said electroluminescent display panel is an alternating current electroluminescent display panel.

14. An electroluminescent display panel as claimed in claim 12 including a transparent substrate having transparent electrodes.

15. An electroluminescent display panel as claimed in claim 12 including an opaque substrate, and wherein said electrode means comprises transparent electrode means on the side of said panel which is opposite said opaque substrate.