A Field Emission Light Source Using a Reticulated Vitreous Carbon (RVC) Cathode and Cathodoluminescent Phosphors

Author

Cao, Mitchell M. ; Chacon, Rebecca J. ; Hunt, Charles E.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. & Comput. Eng., Univ. of California, Davis, CA, USA

Volume

7

Issue

9

fYear

2011

Firstpage

467

Lastpage

472

Abstract

A field emission light source using cathodoluminescent (CL) phosphors and a reticulated vitreous carbon (RVC) cathode is presented. The flat-format design requires no microfabrication technology and can be easily configured for light emission at different wavelengths, ranging from UV to visible, to infrared. The operation of a visible-spectrum light source was demonstrated by testing both unpackaged devices in a vacuum environment and proof-of-concept packaged lamps. The results exhibited excellent field emission properties with a minimum extraction field of 1.7 V/μm and good uniformity. Luminance characteristics were also excellent, with a white CL phosphor being excited up to approximately 12 000 Cd/m². Lower levels of luminance are applicable to display backlights.

Keywords

brightness; cathodoluminescence; field emission; light sources; phosphors; cathodoluminescent phosphors; field emission light source; field emission properties; luminance characteristics; proof-of-concept packaged lamps; reticulated vitreous carbon cathode; vacuum environment; Anodes; Carbon dioxide; Cathodes; Face; Materials; Phosphors; Carbon; cathodoluminescence (CL); electron sources; light sources; phosphors; vacuum microelectronics;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Display Technology, Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1551-319X

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JDT.2011.2116151

Filename

5959261