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Electroluminescence (EL) is an optical and electrical phenomenon where a material emits light in response to an electric current passed through it, or to a strong electric field.

Electroluminescent Displays (ELDs) are a type of display created by sandwiching a layer of electroluminescent material such as GaAs between two layers of conductors. When current flows, the layer of material emits radiation in the form of visible light.

Contents 1 Mechanism 2 Abbreviations 3 See also 4 External links

[edit] Mechanism

EL works by exciting atoms by passing an electric current through them, causing them to emit photons. By varying the material being excited, the colour of the light emitted can be changed. The actual ELD is constructed using flat, opaque electrode strips running parallel to each other, covered by a layer of electroluminescent material, followed by another layer of electrodes, running perpendicular to the bottom layer. This top layer must be transparent in order to let light escape. At each intersection, the material lights, creating a pixel.

[edit] Abbreviations

• AMEL Active Matrix Electroluminescence
• TFEL Thin Film Electroluminescence
• TDEL Thick Dielectric Electroluminescence

[edit] See also

• Electroluminescence
• Display examples
• Thick-film dielectric electroluminescent technology

[edit] External links

• A site on ELDs

v • d • e Display technology Video Current generation Electroluminescent display (ELD) · Vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) · Cathode ray tube (CRT) · Liquid crystal display (LCD) (LED backlight) · Plasma display panel (PDP) · Digital Light Processing (DLP) · Liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) Next generation Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) (roll-up display · Active-matrix · Phosphorous) · Surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED) · Field emission display (FED) / Carbon nanotube (NED) · Laser TV · Ferro Liquid display (FLD) · Interferometric modulator display (IMOD) · Thick-film dielectric electroluminescent (TDEL) · Nanocrystal display · Quantum dot display (QDLED) · Micro device display (MDDP) · Time-multiplexed optical shutter (TMOS) · Transparent electroluminescent · Telescopic pixel display (TPD) · Liquid crystal lasers (LCL) · High dynamic range imaging (HDRI) Non-video Electromechanical (Flip-dot · Split-flap · Vane) · Electronic paper · Rollable  · Eggcrate · Nixie tube 3D display Stereoscopic · Autostereoscopic · Computer generated holography · Volumetric · Laser beam Static media Hologram · Movie projector · Neon sign · Rollsign · Slide projector · Transparency Related articles Display examples · Free-space display · Large-screen television technology · Optimum HDTV viewing distance Comparison of display technology