Structural and luminescence properties of nanostructured ZnS:Mn

Abstract

We have studied structural and luminescence properties of nanostructured (NS-) ZnS:Mn which has potential applications in thin-film electroluminescence (TFEL) devices. As a NS-ZnS:Mn system, a ZnS:Mn/Si3N4 multilayer having thicknesses of 2.5 nm for ZnS and 0.6 nm for Si3N4 was prepared by a conventional rf-magnetron sputtering method. Grazing incidence x-ray reflectometry and x-ray diffractometry show that ZnS:Mn nanocrystals were formed between the amorphous Si3N4 layers. Photoluminescence intensity associated with the Mn2+ transitions per total thickness of the ZnS:Mn layers is increased in NS-ZnS:Mn in comparison with that of the ZnS:Mn thin film, indicating the effects due to quantum confinement. The TFEL device with NS-ZnS:Mn as an emission layer exhibits a reddish-orange broad band emission with the maximum luminance of 2.8 cd/m2 under the 1-kHz sinusoidal wave operation at a voltage of 20.5 V0−p.