Method of forming an amorphous aluminum nitride emitter including a rare earth or transition metal element

A method of fabricating an amorphous luminescent emitter layer comprising aluminum nitride and a transition metal luminescent center by:

• co-sputtering an Al target and a transition metal target over a deposition surface of a semiconductor substrate so as to form an amorphous AlN:TM film on said deposition surface, wherein said RF magnetron sputtering is performed in a nitrogenous atmosphere, at room temperature, under vacuum;
• and
• activating said amorphous film by annealing at or above about 1250 K.

A method of fabricating an alternating current thin film electroluminescent device by:

• preparing an amorphous film emitter layer comprising aluminum nitride and a rare earth luminescent Center by co-sputtering an Al target and a rare earth target in a nitrogenous atmosphere at room temperature under vacuum;
• positioning said emitter layer between a pair of electrode layers;
• connecting an AC power source across said pair of electrode layers, wherein said emitter layer and said pair of electrode layers are arranged such that, upon activation of said AC power Source, an electric field is created between said electrode layers across said emitter layer and wherein said aluminum nitride and said rare earth luminescent center are provided in proportions selected such that said electric field causes emission of visible light of said selected wavelength from said emitter layer.

A method of fabricating an amorphous luminescent emitter layer comprising aluminum nitride and a rare earth luminescent center by co-sputtering an Al target and a rare earth target over a deposition surface of a substrate so as to form an amorphous AlN:RE film emitter layer on said deposition surface, wherein said co-sputtering is performed in a nitrogenous atmosphere, at room temperature, under vacuum.