Impact ionization mechanism in rare earth activated sulfides
- 8 January 1990
- journal article
- Published by AIP Publishing in Applied Physics Letters
- Vol. 56 (2) , 195-197
- https://doi.org/10.1063/1.103023
Abstract
In this letter we present the theoretical estimation of the 3+■2+ ionization energies of rare earth (RE) ions in sulfides. It is shown that for Yb, Eu, Sm, Tm, and Pr the RE2+ energy level is located in the forbidden gap of wide-gap sulfides [ZnS (except Pr), CaS, SrS, BaS, MgS]. For these RE ions the possibility of a new efficient excitation mechanism (impact ionization) of electroluminescence is indicated. Highly efficient electroluminescence can be obtained if the ionized RE center rapidly recaptures a free carrier either directly or indirectly via the RE3+ excited state. This prediction is confirmed by the recent experimental results for Pr-doped SrS. Further experimental results supporting the presented calculations are discussed.Keywords
This publication has 19 references indexed in Scilit:
- Bright white-light electroluminescence in SrS:Pr,K thin filmsApplied Physics Letters, 1988
- Evidence for recombination-controlled electroluminescence in alkaline-earth sulfidesJournal of Applied Physics, 1987
- Light evolution in alkaline-earth-sulfide thin-film ac electroluminescent devicesApplied Physics Letters, 1987
- Mechanism of electroluminescence in alkaline-earth sulfidesApplied Physics Letters, 1987
- Photoluminescence of Sm3+Ions in MgS, CaS, SrS and BaS PhosphorsJournal of the Physics Society Japan, 1987
- Auger quenching of luminescence in ZnS:MnSolid State Communications, 1981
- Bright green electroluminescence in thin-film ZnS : TbF3Applied Physics Letters, 1979
- Hot-Electron Impact Excitation of Tb3+ Luminescence in ZnS: Tb3+ Thin FilmsJournal of Applied Physics, 1972
- ELECTROLUMINESCENCE OF RARE-EARTH AND TRANSITION METAL MOLECULES IN II-VI COMPOUNDS VIA IMPACT EXCITATIONApplied Physics Letters, 1968
- Electron transfer and 5f?6f transitions in uranium(IV), neptunium(IV), plutonium(IV) hexahalidesMolecular Physics, 1964