JP4161817B2 - Plasma display panel - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel that displays an image by exciting and emitting phosphors with ultraviolet rays generated by gas discharge.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A plasma display panel is a display that excites phosphors by ultraviolet rays generated by gas discharge, emits light, and displays an image. The plasma display panel can be classified into an alternating current (AC) type and a direct current (DC) type according to the discharge forming method. .
[0003]
The feature of the AC type is that it is superior to the DC type in terms of luminance, luminous efficiency, and lifetime. Further, among the AC types, the reflective surface discharge type is particularly excellent in terms of luminance and luminous efficiency, and this type is the most common.
[0004]
Next, a conventional AC plasma display panel (hereinafter referred to as PDP) will be described with reference to FIG.
[0005]
FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an electrode arrangement of a PDP for explaining an outline of a panel structure of a conventional PDP as viewed from above.
[0006]
In FIG. 4, a plurality of pairs of display electrodes 4 including scanning electrodes 2 and sustain electrodes 3 are formed on the front substrate 1 in a stripe shape, and a dielectric layer 5 is formed so as to cover the display electrodes 4. Further, a protective layer 6 is formed on the dielectric layer 5 to constitute a front panel 7.
[0007]
The back substrate 8 has a plurality of stripe-shaped data electrodes 10 covered with a base dielectric layer 9 in a direction perpendicular to the display electrodes 4 including the scan electrodes 2 and the sustain electrodes 3 on the front substrate 1. Is formed. On the underlying dielectric layer 9, a plurality of grid-like partition walls 11 are arranged between adjacent data electrodes 10 at a predetermined pitch so as to be parallel to and orthogonal to the data electrodes 10. A phosphor layer 12 is provided on the side surface and the surface of the base dielectric layer 9, and a back panel 13 is constituted by these.
[0008]
The front panel 7 and the back panel 13 are arranged so as to face each other so that the display electrode 4 and the data electrode 10 including the scan electrode 2 and the sustain electrode 3 are orthogonal to each other and form a minute discharge space. Further, the discharge space is filled with a mixed gas of neon (Ne) and xenon (Xe) as a discharge gas. In addition, the discharge space is partitioned into a plurality of sections vertically and horizontally by the partition walls 11 to provide a plurality of discharge cells 14 where the intersections of the display electrodes 4 and the data electrodes 10 are located. The PDP 41 is configured by sequentially arranging the phosphor layers 12 that are excited and emitted in red, green, and blue, respectively, by ultraviolet rays.
[0009]
Each electrode has a matrix configuration of m columns × n rows, m columns of data electrodes D1 to Dm are arranged in the column direction, and n rows of scan electrodes SCN1 to SCNn and sustain electrodes SUS1 to SUS1. SUSn is arranged, an AC voltage of several tens to several hundreds kHz is applied between the electrodes to generate a discharge in the discharge space, and the phosphor layer 12 is excited by ultraviolet rays from the excited xenon (Xe) atoms. Visible light is generated and a known display operation is performed, and an area composed of a plurality of discharge cells 14 where the intersections of the display electrodes 4 and the data electrodes 10 are located, that is, surrounds the entire discharge cells 14. The area surrounded by the barrier ribs 11b, 11c, 11d, and 11e at the outermost peripheral part of the barrier rib 11 around each discharge cell 14 at the outer peripheral part becomes the image display area A of the PDP 41, and the image display area. Image is displayed by performing a well-known display operation in.
[0010]
Further, the PDP 41 is a component of the back panel 13 in the manufacturing process by using alignment marks 42 provided at predetermined positions at a plurality of positions outside the display area B outside the image display area A on the back substrate 8. Alignment for forming a certain data electrode 10, partition wall 11, phosphor layer 12 and the like is performed, and the front panel 7 and the back panel are formed using the alignment mark 43 formed on the front substrate 1. 13 alignments are performed (see, for example, Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, and Patent Document 4).
[0011]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-8-115658 (page 4, FIG. 4)
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-197889 (2nd page, FIG. 1)
[Patent Document 3]
JP-A-8-304780 (page 4, FIG. 1)
[Patent Document 4]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-150243 (2nd page, FIG. 4)
[0012]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described conventional PDP, the alignment marks 42 and 43 are the respective elements in the respective processes in the manufacturing process when the respective elements constituting the PDP are formed by a known method such as a photolithography method or a screen printing method. For example, it is almost impossible to check the accuracy of the partition wall 11 with the alignment marks 42 and 43 after the formation of the partition wall 11 or after the completion of the PDP. Realizing marks that can be combined was a major issue in terms of reducing the number of manufacturing steps and improving product quality.
[0013]
Further, in the conventional PDP, a dimension check at the time of manufacture is performed by a sampling inspection, and it takes time until a result is fed back after a defect occurs, resulting in a decrease in yield. In addition, there is a problem that the cost increases when a dimension measuring instrument is put in the production line and the inspection is performed.
[0014]
An object of the present invention is to provide a high-performance PDP that solves the above-described problems, can easily perform a dimension check inspection at low cost, improves yield, and has high reliability.
[0015]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve this object, a PDP according to the present invention includes a back panel or a display area of a front panel in a PDP having a discharge space sandwiched between a back panel having a partition wall and a front panel facing the back panel. A dimension check pattern is formed outside, and a test pattern portion of the partition is formed outside the display area of the back panel on which the partition is formed.
[0016]
With these configurations, it is possible to easily check the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the grid-like ribs of the barrier ribs, that is, the bottom width and the top width of the vertical and horizontal ribs of the barrier ribs, and the relative relationship between the data electrodes in the discharge cell. The position and the relative position of the display electrode of the front panel with respect to the discharge cell can be easily checked. Therefore, the alignment between the back panel and the front panel can be easily checked. Further, if the correlation between the bottom width and the top width of the partition wall in the image display area and the bottom width and the top width of the test pattern section of the partition wall outside the display area is checked in advance, the test pattern section of the partition wall outside the display area The bottom width and the top width of the partition wall in the image display area can be easily checked by measuring the bottom width and the top width.
[0017]
In addition, the PDP of the present invention has a configuration in which a plurality of dimension check patterns are formed in a predetermined part of the outer peripheral part of the back panel or in the entire peripheral part.
[0018]
With this configuration, the dimension of the partition wall can be easily checked with an optical microscope or the like in a nondestructive manner, and the dimension check inspection can be easily performed without using a special measuring device.
[0019]
In addition, the PDP of the present invention has a configuration in which a plurality of dimension check patterns are formed in a predetermined portion of the outer periphery of the front panel or in the entire periphery.
[0020]
With this configuration, the alignment of the back panel and the front panel can be easily checked, and the dimensions of the partition walls can be easily achieved by non-destructive using an optical microscope or the like with the back panel and the front panel facing each other. Therefore, it is possible to easily check the dimensions without using a special measuring device.
[0023]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0024]
1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining a PDP according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a partially broken perspective view for explaining the structure of a PDP panel, and FIG. 2 schematically shows the structure of the PDP. It is an upper surface conceptual diagram. 1 and 2, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 4 are given to the elements corresponding to those in the conventional FIG.
[0025]
In FIG. 1, on a transparent front substrate 1 such as a glass substrate, a plurality of stripe-shaped display electrodes 4 are formed which are paired with a scan electrode 2 and a sustain electrode 3 arranged in parallel with a discharge gap. Has been. The scanning electrode 2 and the sustaining electrode 3 are, for example, transparent electrodes 2a and 3a made of ITO, tin oxide (SnO ₂ ), and the like, and electrically connected to the transparent electrodes 2a and 3a, for example, silver (Ag ) And the like, and bus electrodes 2b and 3b made of a laminated thin film such as an aluminum (Al) thin film or chromium / copper / chromium (Cr / Cu / Cr). Further, a dielectric layer 5 made of, for example, low-melting glass is formed on the front substrate 1 so as to cover a plurality of pairs of display electrodes 4, and on the dielectric layer 5, for example, magnesium oxide A protective film 6 made of (MgO) is formed, and a front panel 7 is constituted by these.
[0026]
In addition, on the rear substrate 8 opposed to the front substrate 1, a base dielectric layer 9 is covered in a direction perpendicular to the display electrodes 4 including the scan electrodes 2 and the sustain electrodes 3 on the front substrate 1. A plurality of striped data electrodes 10 are formed. On the underlying dielectric layer 9, a plurality of grid-like partition walls 11 are arranged between adjacent data electrodes 10 at a predetermined pitch so as to be parallel to and orthogonal to the data electrodes 10. A phosphor layer 12 is provided on the side surface and the surface of the base dielectric layer 9, and a back panel 13 is constituted by these.
[0027]
The front panel 7 and the back panel 13 are arranged opposite to each other with a minute discharge space so that the display electrode 4 and the data electrode 10 including the scan electrode 2 and the sustain electrode 3 are orthogonal to each other, and the periphery is sealed. Furthermore, the discharge space is filled with, for example, a mixed gas of neon (Ne) and xenon (Xe) as a discharge gas. In an embodiment of the present invention, the discharge gas was filled at a pressure of approximately 66.5 kPa (500 Torr). The type of discharge gas and the filling pressure are not limited to the examples shown here. In addition, the discharge space is partitioned into a plurality of sections vertically and horizontally by the partition walls 11 to provide a plurality of discharge cells 14 where the intersections of the display electrodes 4 and the data electrodes 10 are located. The PDP 15 is configured by sequentially arranging the phosphor layers 12 that are excited and emitted in red, green, and blue, respectively, by ultraviolet rays.
[0028]
In this PDP 15, as shown in FIG. 2, the electrodes have a matrix configuration, a plurality of data electrodes are arranged in the column direction, and a plurality of scan electrodes and sustain electrodes are arranged in the row direction. An AC voltage of several tens of kHz to several hundreds of kHz is applied to generate a discharge in the discharge space, and the phosphor layer 12 is made visible by exciting ultraviolet light from xenon (Xe) atoms in the excited discharge gas. Display operation is performed by generating light.
[0029]
The image display area A is an area composed of a plurality of discharge cells 14 where the intersections of the display electrodes 4 and the data electrodes 10 are located, and an image is displayed in the image display area A.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 2, a partition wall test pattern portion 11a is formed by extending the partition wall 11 in the image display region A outside the display region B outside the image display region A of the PDP 15, and a plurality of predetermined predetermined areas around the partition wall. A dimension check pattern 16 representing the length is formed in the portion C. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to providing both the partition test pattern portion 11a and the dimension check pattern 16, and only the dimension check pattern 16 may be provided. The dimension check pattern 16 may be formed on a mask used when the data electrode 10 is formed, or may be formed on a mask used at the time of rib exposure of the barrier ribs 11 separating the discharge cells 14.
[0031]
By providing the partition wall test pattern portion 11a and the dimension check pattern 16, the dimensions of the partition wall 11 can be checked non-destructively with an optical microscope or the like. That is, grid pattern rib of the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the partition wall 11, i.e., you can check the bottom width w ₁ and the top width w ₂ of the vertical and horizontal ribs of the partition wall 11, by checking the bottom width w ₁ In addition, it is possible to detect the occurrence of bright spots and non-lighting, and the occurrence of rib chipping or peeling of the partition wall 11, and by checking the top width w ₂ It is possible to detect the occurrence of rib chipping or peeling near the top of the partition wall 11 that causes discharge or non-lighting, or it is possible to detect the size of the space of the discharge cell 14 that causes luminance reduction. , Leading to improved reliability. Note that the bottom width w ₁ and the top width w ₂ of the partition wall 11, a bottom width w ₁ and the top width w ₂ of the partition wall 11 in the image display region A, the bottom width w of the partition walls of the test pattern portion 11a in the display region outside B _By checking the correlation with ₁ and the top width w ₂ in advance, the bottom width w ₁ and the top width w ₂ of the test pattern portion 11a of the partition wall outside the display area B are measured, and the inside of the image display area A is measured. The bottom width w ₁ and the top width w ₂ of the partition wall 11 can be checked.
[0032]
Further, using the barrier rib test pattern portion 11a and the dimension check pattern 16, the relative position of the data electrode 10 in the discharge cell 14, that is, the data electrode 10 sandwiched between the barrier ribs 11 crosses substantially the center of the barrier ribs 11 on both sides. You can check that. Further, the relative position of the display electrode 4 to the discharge cell 14 on the front panel 7 can be checked, and the alignment of the back panel 13 and the front panel 7 can also be checked.
[0033]
An example of the dimension check pattern 16 corresponding to the portion C in FIG. 2 is shown in a partially enlarged view in FIG. The dimension check pattern 16 may be a scale scale indicating the length as shown in FIG. 3 (a), or a limit gauge indicating the maximum / minimum width of the standard as shown in FIG. 3 (b). You may put a scale.
[0034]
As shown in FIG. 2, the dimension check pattern 16 may be formed in a predetermined portion at a plurality of locations around the outer periphery of the back panel 13, or the entire periphery around the outer periphery of the display area B. May be provided.
[0035]
Further, although the dimension check pattern 16 is formed on the back panel 13 side, the pattern is not limited to this, and may be formed on the front panel 7 side. Needless to say, the dimension check pattern provided on the front panel 7 side may be formed on the mask for the display electrode 4 in the same manner as the dimension check pattern 16 provided on the back panel 13 side. .
[0036]
Further, the dimension check pattern may be formed on both the back panel 13 side and the front panel 7 side, or the back panel 13 and the front panel may be formed on both the back panel 13 side and the front panel 7 side. 7 alignment can be checked. When forming on both the back panel 13 side and the front panel 7 side, the dimension check pattern 16 on the back panel 13 side and the dimension check pattern on the front panel 7 side are the front side substrate 1 and the back side substrate 8. It is desirable to form it at a position that does not overlap in the direction perpendicular to the plane.
[0037]
As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to easily check the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the ribs in the partition wall, or the dimensions of the discharge cells, and the relative relationship between the data electrodes in the discharge cells. The position and the relative position of the display electrode on the front panel with respect to the discharge cell can be easily checked, and the occurrence of unevenness in light emission intensity and brightness on the display screen can be suppressed. The effect that it can be easily performed is obtained, and therefore the check inspection for the dimension can be easily performed at a low cost. Therefore, even if the sampling interval is shortened and the inspection frequency is increased, it is large. To achieve high-reliability and high-performance PDPs that can improve the yield in PDP manufacturing without requiring cost. It can be.
[0038]
In addition, by providing a dimension check pattern on at least one of the back panel and the front panel, the alignment between the back panel and the front panel can be easily checked, and the sampling inspection interval in the manufacturing process of the PDP can be shortened. Thus, even if the inspection frequency is increased, there is an effect that it is possible to improve the yield in PDP manufacturing without requiring a large cost. In addition, it is possible to realize a PDP in which each discharge cell in the image display region has a stable dimension with little variation, brightness in each discharge cell is uniform, and discharge efficiency is further improved.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the present invention is composed of a front panel and a rear substrate composed of a front substrate, a display electrode, a dielectric layer, and a protective layer, a data electrode, a base dielectric layer, a partition, and RGB phosphor layers. The back panel is arranged so that the display electrode and the data electrode are orthogonal to each other with a minute discharge space interposed therebetween, the periphery is sealed, and the discharge space is filled with a discharge gas. In the PDP, the partition in the image display area is extended outside the display area of the PDP to form a test pattern portion of the partition outside the display area, and a plurality of predetermined patterns around at least one of the back panel and the front panel. The PDP has a configuration in which a dimension check pattern is formed on a part or the entire circumference.
[0040]
By adopting such a PDP configuration, it is possible to check the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the ribs of the partition walls, or the dimensions of the discharge cells, and further check the relative positions of the display electrodes or data electrodes with respect to the discharge cells. It is also possible to check the alignment of the back panel and the front panel. Therefore, since the dimension check inspection can be performed at a low cost, the sampling inspection interval in the PDP manufacturing process is shortened, and even if the inspection frequency is increased, a large cost is not required, and the yield in the PDP manufacturing is increased. It is possible to improve and to achieve a highly reliable high-performance PDP.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating the structure of a PDP panel in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual top view schematically illustrating the structure of a PDP in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged view showing an example of a dimension check pattern in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an electrode arrangement of a conventional PDP as viewed from above.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Front side board | substrate 2 Scan electrode 2a, 3a Transparent electrode 2b, 3b Bus electrode 3 Sustain electrode 4 Display electrode 5 Dielectric layer 6 Protective layer 7 Front panel 8 Back side substrate 9 Base dielectric layer 10 Data electrode 11 Partition 11a Test pattern portions 11b, 11c, 11d, and 11e (outermost peripheral portion) barrier rib 12 phosphor layer 13 back panel 14 discharge cells 15 and 41 PDP (plasma display panel)
16 dimension check pattern 42, 43 alignment mark A image display area B outside the display region w ₁ bottom width w ₂ top width

Claims (2)

In a plasma display panel having a discharge space sandwiched between a back panel in which barrier ribs are formed and a front panel facing the back panel,
A dimension check pattern is formed outside the display area of the back panel or the front panel, and a test pattern portion of the partition is formed outside the display area of the back panel where the partition is formed. Plasma display panel. 2. The plasma display panel according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the dimension check patterns are formed in a predetermined portion of the outer peripheral periphery of the back panel or the front panel or in the entire periphery .

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