Current Filaments in ZnS:Mn DC Thin Film Electroluminescent Devices

We describe an investigation into ‘kinetic electroluminescence’ (KEL) in ZnS:Mn direct current thin film electroluminescent (DCTFEL) devices. KEL consists of regions of anomalously high emission which move non-destructively around the device [1]. We demonstrate that, although KEL appears in widely varying forms, the current invariably flows in filaments, the radii of which are, at most, a few microns, and that the KEL, normally seen, consists of the envelope of many such filaments.