Mn-implanted ZnS thin-film electroluminescent device

New low-energy ion-implantation techniques are utilized effectively to fabricate a thin-film electroluminescent (EL) cell. By combining the techniques of implantation of the activator element and the deposited process for substrate material, both the dose distribution of activator elements and the selection of elements can be controlled externally by adjusting ion beam current and accelerating voltage, and by changing ion source units. In this correspondence, the methods to fabricate an Mn-implanted ZnS EL cell and fundamental properties of the cell are reported. Usual Mn-implanted ZnS thin-film EL cells fabricated by thermal processing show little or no emission under dc excitation. But the cells reported here show strong emission under dc excitation. No change of brightness of the cell under dc excitation at constant voltages (25.5 unidirectional pulse of 1/5 duty factor) could be observed during 500 h.