JPS6329924B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (a) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the improvement of display panels that utilize gas discharge, and in particular to improvements in display panels that utilize gas discharge, and in particular, to reduce the cost and extend the life of surface discharge type gas discharge panels. It concerns a new panel structure.

(b) Background of the Technology A type of gas discharge panel known as a plasma display panel is a surface discharge type display panel. In this type of gas discharge panel, the electrodes constituting the discharge cells are disposed on only one of a pair of substrates, which are disposed facing each other with a discharge gas filled space in between, and covered with a dielectric layer. As a result, the requirement for gap accuracy in the gas-filled space between the pair of substrates is significantly relaxed, and an ultraviolet-excited phosphor is provided on the inner surface of the other cover substrate for one substrate constituting the discharge cell. It has the advantage that multicolor fluorescent display can be easily achieved by adding a .
However, since the electrodes forming the discharge cells are buried in the dielectric layer, there are various problems in terms of manufacturing and discharge operation.

(c) Prior art and problems In other words, in the conventional surface discharge type gas discharge panel described above, a thin film technique is used to create a panel on one of a pair of substrates placed opposite each other with a gas-filled space in between. A panel structure in which a Y electrode and an X electrode are arranged to intersect with each other via a dielectric layer, a dielectric layer is further coated on the X electrode, and the surface is covered with a surface layer of MgO. In some cases, because the Y electrode and the This has resulted in inconveniences such as local heating, partial thermal alteration or recrystallization, and in some cases cracking, resulting in fluctuations in operating voltage, lower withstand voltage, and shortened lifespan. Furthermore, in order to suppress thermal damage to the dielectric layer due to local concentration of discharge current as described above, attempts have been made to thicken the dielectric layer using low melting point glass, etc. In this case, for example, Y In the firing process when an X electrode is disposed on a dielectric layer made of low melting point glass on the electrode, and a dielectric layer made of low melting point glass is further provided on the upper surface of the X electrode, the dielectric layer between the XY electrodes is may soften and flow, causing a short circuit between the X electrode and Y electrode at the intersection,
There was also the drawback of wire breakage. In order to further improve this problem, a panel has been proposed, for example, as shown in the plan view of the electrode arrangement in FIG. 1 and the sectional view of the main part of the panel in FIG. In this case, on one of the pair of substrates 1 and 9 facing each other with a predetermined gas discharge space 8 in between,
Comb-teeth protrusions 2a and 3a that are adjacent to each other and form a pair
Discharge sustaining electrodes 2 and 3 are provided, and as shown in the figure, a discharge sustaining cell Sc is constituted by the comb tooth protrusions 2a and 3a that face each other in close proximity.
Further, a write electrode 5 is disposed on the upper surface thereof in a direction intersecting with the discharge sustaining electrodes 2 and 3 via a first dielectric layer 4 made of a low melting point glass mainly composed of PbO, and on top of the write electrode 5, an aluminium oxide film is further disposed. A second dielectric layer 6 made of (Al ₂ O ₃ ) and a surface layer 7 made of MgO are coated. This is to prevent ion bombardment of the electrode by ions at a positive potential when a negative voltage is applied during writing using a repeated positive and negative pulse voltage. In this way, a write discharge cell Wc is formed corresponding to each intersection between one of the discharge sustaining electrodes, for example 2, and the write electrode 5, and the discharge in the selected write discharge cell Wc is controlled by the adjacent one of the write discharge cells Wc. The discharge cell is functionally separated so that the discharge is maintained continuously in the discharge sustaining cell Sc.
This prevents current concentration from occurring on the counter electrode in the discharge sustaining cell Sc. One write discharge cell
As for Wc, since it is composed of crossed electrodes as in the past, local current concentration occurs during discharge, but the frequency of write discharges is lower than the frequency of sustain discharges, so Only by such a write discharge can the write cell be
Although the possibility of damage to the second dielectric layer 6 compatible with Wc is reduced, it is desired to further reduce the cost without impairing the longevity of the second dielectric layer 6.

(d) Purpose of the Invention In view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, the present invention provides a new surface discharge type gas discharge panel which is designed to further reduce costs without impairing the longevity of the surface discharge type gas discharge panel. The purpose is to provide

(e) Structure of the Invention According to the present invention, a plurality of discharge sustaining electrodes are arranged adjacent to each other on one of a pair of substrates facing each other with a predetermined gas discharge space in between. In the panel configuration, the write electrodes are arranged on the dielectric layer in a direction intersecting the discharge sustaining electrodes, and the surface of the write electrodes arranged on the dielectric layer is in the gas discharge space. This is achieved by means of a gas discharge panel exposed to the voltage, with the write potential on the electrode being positive with respect to the sustain voltage pole.

(f) Embodiments of the invention Examples of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are a plan view and a sectional view of a main part of an electrode arrangement showing one embodiment of a gas discharge panel according to the present invention. As is clear from these figures, the comb teeth portions 32 are arranged in pairs adjacent to each other on the lower glass substrate 31 that functions as an electrode support substrate.
Discharge sustaining electrodes 32 and 33 having electrodes a and 33a,
The comb teeth portions 32a and 33a are made of, for example, a thin film of chromium (Cr), so that they are close to each other and face each other.
The three-layer electrode structure of copper (Cu) and chromium (Cr) is arranged as shown in the figure, and each of the comb teeth portions 32 are arranged facing each other.
A and 33a constitute a discharge sustaining cell Sc. A thin film of, for example, chromium (Cr) or copper (Cu) is applied to the upper surface of the dielectric layer 34 in a direction crossing the discharge sustaining electrodes 32 and 33 via a thick dielectric layer 34 made of low-melting glass mainly composed of PdO. A write electrode 35 with a three-layer structure made of
A write cell Wc is formed corresponding to each intersection between one of the discharge sustain electrodes 32 and 33, for example 32, and the write electrode 35. The dielectric layer 34 on which the write electrode 35 is disposed is exposed to the gas filling gap by abolishing the conventional second dielectric layer coating, or is coated with CaO as shown in the figure. The write electrode is covered only with a surface layer 36 of a thin high secondary electron emitting material made of an alkaline earth metal oxide such as MgO. Further, an upper glass substrate 38 for a cover is sealed with a predetermined gas filling gap 37 in opposition to the electrode substrate structure configured in this manner, and a helium containing 1% xenon (Xe) gas is filled in the gap 37. (He)
A discharge gas made of gas is sealed. However, to explain the discharge operation of the gas discharge panel configured in this way, as is clear from the voltage waveform diagram in FIG.
Voltage waveforms shown as Xvs ₁ and Xvs ₂ are applied between 2 and 33. The voltage wave height at this time is, for example, −Vs=150V. On the other hand, OV is normally applied to the write electrode 35. Then, during writing, the write electrode 35
A positive polarity voltage waveform denoted by Yvw, e.g. +Vw
= 50V, a voltage of 200V will be applied between the discharge sustaining electrode 32 and the write electrode 35, and the write cell near the intersection of these electrodes will be
A write discharge occurs in Wc. At this time, the write electrode, which is exposed to the gas filling gap 37 or partially exposed by the surface layer 36, has positive polarity and will not be destroyed by ion bombardment. This write discharge generates a wall charge on the surface of the dielectric layer 34 corresponding to the write cell Wc,
The wall charges are accumulated extending to the surface of the dielectric layer 34 corresponding to the adjacent discharge sustaining cell Sc. Therefore, since a discharge sustaining voltage has already been applied between the pair of discharge sustaining electrodes 32 and 33 constituting the discharge sustaining cell Sc, the write discharge continues in the discharge sustaining cell Sc due to the wall charge. A discharge will be induced and will continue. Thereafter, to erase such discharge, one of the discharge sustaining electrodes 32 is connected to -
This is done by applying a narrow pulse of Vs.

In the above embodiments, the write electrode is exposed or covered with a surface layer made of an alkaline earth metal oxide such as _{MgO .} The surface layer may have a two-layer structure consisting of MgO and MgO, or a surface layer may be coated with a surface layer consisting of, for example, lanthanum hexaboride (LaB ₆ ), which has an appropriate conductivity to the extent that it absorbs the charge on the write electrode. .

(g) Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above explanation, the structure of the gas discharge panel according to the present invention can eliminate the conventional coating on the write electrode without impairing the discharge characteristics and longevity of the panel. The structure eliminates the second dielectric layer, which allows the panel to be manufactured with very high yield and low cost using thick film techniques, and also allows Since the electrodes are separated by exposed write electrodes, the write voltage can be made very low, and the operating voltage range can be widened. Therefore, it is not limited to this type of surface discharge type gas discharge panel described in this embodiment, but also a color surface discharge type gas discharge panel that utilizes fluorescent light emission in which an ultraviolet-excited phosphor or the like is attached to the inner surface of a glass substrate for a cover. It is extremely advantageous to apply it to discharge panels.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are a plan view of the electrode arrangement and a sectional view of the main part of the panel to explain a conventional surface discharge type gas discharge panel, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are surface discharge type gas discharge panels according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is a plan view of an electrode arrangement showing an embodiment of the panel, a sectional view of a main part of the panel, and a diagram showing an embodiment of the discharge drive voltage waveform. In the drawing, 31 is a lower glass substrate, 32,
33 is a discharge sustaining electrode, 32a and 33a are comb teeth,
34 is a dielectric layer, 35 is a write electrode, 36 is a surface layer, 37 is a gas filling gap, 38 is an upper glass substrate, Sc is a discharge sustaining cell, and Wc is a write cell.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. On one of two pairs of substrates facing each other with a gas discharge space in between, a plurality of adjacent discharge sustaining electrodes are arranged in pairs, and the discharge sustaining electrodes are intersected with a dielectric layer thereon. In a panel configuration having write electrodes arranged in the dielectric layer, the surface of the write electrodes arranged on the dielectric layer is exposed to the gas discharge space, and the write potential for the electrodes is controlled relative to the sustain electrodes. A gas discharge panel characterized by having a positive potential.