Abstract:
Electroluminesence (EL) thermal quenching refers a reduction in luminance, concomitant with a
reduction in transferred charge, when an alternating-current thin-film electroluminescent (ACTFEL)
device is operated at an elevated temperature. EL thermal quenching is found to be significant in
SrS:Cu ACTFEL devices operated above ~60-80 °C. Maximum transferred charge-maximum
applied voltage (Qmax-Vmax) and transferred charge capacitance (i.e., dQmax /dVmax vs Vmax)
measurements as a function of temperature in conjunction with ACTFEL device simulation are
employed in order to establish that EL thermal quenching arises from a thermally activated
annihilation of positive space charge and a corresponding increase in the threshold voltage.
