Performing Accurate Cathodoluminescence Measurements of Phosphor Powders and Screens

ABSTRACTIn the field of display phosphors, the efficiency of the cathodoluminescence process is a characteristic that is often used to assess the potential of a phosphor for use in flat-panel display applications such as field emission displays (FEDs). Cathodoluminescence characterization in a demountable vacuum chamber is important for preliminary evaluation and lifetesting of phosphor powders and screens prior to incorporation into an actual display device. There are many experimental factors that influence accurate measurement and calculation of the cathodoluminescence efficiency. These include electron beam profile (uniform, Gaussian), current density, electron accelerating voltage, secondary electron collection, and optical detection system. This paper will present some methods for achieving improved accuracy of cathodoluminescence measurements in systems at Sandia National Laboratories, using Y2O3:Eu as a representative phosphor.