Grain growth in thin-film strontium sulfide electroluminescent phosphors

A comprehensive study of grain growth in strontium sulfide (SrS) thin-film electroluminescent (TFEL) phosphors is reported. It is suggested that the g rain growth during annealing is influenced by the migration of the dopant i on from the grain boundary into a lattice position. The difference in the f ree energy of formation between SrS and the sulfur compounds of the dopants changes the activation energy for the grain boundary movement and promotes the grain growth. This understanding has successfully been used to explain the grain growth phenomena observed in SrS TFEL phosphors with different d opants, such as Cu, Ag, Mn, and Ga. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)03439-7].