Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing of Large Area Electroluminescent Displays and Illuminators

E-Lite Technologies, Inc.最近在轻量化、低功耗光源的制造方面取得了突破性进展，该公司使用聚合物封装的ZnS:Cu/Mn荧光粉材料，大大提高了光源的灵活性，并实现了经济高效的线圈式生产。基于类似的荧光粉（ZnS），采用更严格的全无机ZnS为基础的方法，多色电致发光（EL）平板显示器正在西屋-诺登系统公司制造。该方案旨在开发一种具有环保意识的、无溶剂的大面积ZnS:Cu/电致发光灯具。本技术采用85%的溶剂（甲基乙基酮和n -甲基吡咯烷酮的混合物）分散活性EL成分和聚合粘合剂。随后溶剂的蒸发造成了环境问题。所提出的工艺将基于100%光聚合单体以及静电磷光沉积。这将允许在不需要任何溶剂的情况下制造高质量的EL薄膜。此外，我们建议通过“中等透明”的EL粒子来提高光的外耦合效率（亮度增加50-100%）。这种新工艺将涉及将EL ZnS:Cu/Mn颗粒的折射率与粘合剂聚合物基体的折射率相匹配。在聚合物基体中掺入纳米级高折射率、非发光的无机纳米颗粒，如GaP和A1GaP，可以显著提高聚合物基体的折射率。整个过程可以采用超临界CO2过程，然后进行紫外线固化。提出的工艺不仅可以提高EL灯的亮度和寿命，而且还可以实现平板显示器的像素化。这将增强薄膜电致发光与即将到来的竞争技术（如有机电致发光）的竞争力。此外，新颖、环保、成本效益高的加工技术和高效率结构将提供技术优势，在未来五年内预计将增长超过2000亿美元的大型显示市场中竞争。康涅狄格大学、E-Lite技术公司和西屋诺登系统公司的主要研究人员的背景，以及互补的研究实验室和生产设施的可用性，使拟议的研究成为一种自然的合作努力。＊＊＊

9528731 Papadimitrakopoulos Recent manufacturing breakthroughs in lightweight, low-power light sources made at E-Lite Technologies, Inc., using polymer encapsulated ZnS:Cu/Mn phosphor materials, gave substantially improved their flexibility and allowed a cost-efficient coil-form production. Based on similar phosphor (ZnS), employing a more rigorous all-inorganic ZnS-based approach, multi-color electroluminescent (EL) flat panel displays are being manufactured at Westinghouse-Norden Systems. This proposal seeks to develop an environmentally conscious, solvent-free processing of large area ZnS:Cu/ electroluminescent illuminators. The present technology employs 85 weight % solvent (a mixture of methyl ethyl ketone and N-methyl pyrrolidone) to disperse the active EL ingredients and the polymeric binders. Subsequent evaporation of the solvents poses environmental difficulties. The proposed process would be based on 100% photopolymerizable monomers along with electrostatic phosphor deposition. This would allow the manufacture of high quality EL films without the requirements of any solvent. In addition, we propose to enhance light out-coupling efficiency (with 50-100% increase in brightness) as a result of "medium-transparent" EL particles. This novel process would involve matching the refractive indices of the EL ZnS:Cu/Mn particles with that of the binder polymer matrix. The refractive index of the polymer matrix would be substantially increased by incorporation of nano- sized high refractive index, non-emitting inorganic nanoparticles, such as GaP and A1GaP. The entire procedure can be applied by a supercritical CO2 process, followed by ultra- violet curing. The proposed process would not only increase the brightness and lifetime of EL lamps, but it would also allow pixelation to realize flat-panel displays. This will enhance the competitiveness of thin-film EL against upcoming competing technologies, such as organic EL. In addition, the novel, environmentally friendly and cost effective processing techniques and high efficiency structures would provide the technological edge to compete in the large display market that is forecasted to grow over two hundred billion dollars during the next five years. The background of principal investigators at UConn, E-Lite Technologies Inc. and Westinghouse Norden Systems, as well as the availability of complementary research laboratories and production facilities makes the proposed research a natural collaborative endeavor. ***