ION IMPLANTED PHOSPHORS FOR FULL COLOR FLAT PANEL DISPLAYS

A KEY TO HIGH DEFINITION, FULL-COLOR, FLAT PANEL DISPLAYS WITH IMPROVED LUMINANCE, CHROMATICITY, EFFICIENCY, AND LOW MANUFACTURING COST IS REPLACEMENT OF POWDERED PHOSPHORS WITH THIN FILM PHOSPHORS. THE NEW PHOSPHORS ARE NEEDED IN COLOR PLASMA DISPLAYS, FIELD EMISSION DISPLAYS, THIN FILM ELECTROLUMINESCENT BACKLIGHTS FOR LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAYS, AND COULD EVEN BE USED IN A NEW GENERATION OF CATHODE RAY TUBES (CRTS). SPIRE PROPOSED TO DEPOSIT AND ION IMPLANT THIN FILM PHOSPHORS WHICH ARE MORE ROBUST AND ADHERENT THAN POWDERED PHOSPHORS AND WHICH EXHIBIT HIGHER LUMINANCE AND LONGER OPERATING LIFE. IN PHASE I, POWDERED PHOSPHORS WHICH HAVE BEEN USED IN FLAT PANEL DISPLAYS AND CRTS WILL BE DEPOSITED AS THIN FILMS, ACTIVATED BY ION IMPLANTATION, AND EVALUATED BY MEASUREMENTS OF UV PHOTOLUMINESCENCE AND CATHODOLUMINESCENT EXCITATION PARAMETERS WILL BE THOSE USED IN PLASMA, FIELD EMISSION AND CRT DISPLAYS. BASED UPON THESE MEASUREMENTS, MODIFICATIONS TO THE FILM AND ACTIVATORS TO ACHIEVE HIGHEST LIGHT OUTPUT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED. PHASE I RESEARCH WILL LEAD TO DEMONSTRATION OF BRIGHT RED, GREEN, AND BLUE PHOSPHORS IN A FLAT PANEL DISPLAY IN PHASE II. WORKING RELATIONSHIP WILL BE ESTABLISHED WITH AN AMERICAN MANUFACTURER OF DISPLAYS TO FACILITATE TRANSFER OF THE TECHNOLOGY TO AN INDUSTRIAL PARTNER AT THE CONCLUSION OF PHASE II. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS: FLAT PANEL DISPLAYS WITH INCREASED LUMINANCE, GREATER COLOR GAMUT, HIGHER ELECTRICAL EFFICIENCY, AND LONGER OPERATING LIFE CAN REPLACE CATHODE RAY TUBES IN COMPUTER TERMINALS, INSTRUMENT PANELS, AND MANY OTHER GOVERNMENT AND COMMERCIAL DISPLAY APPLICATIONS.