Electric lamp and discharge devices – With gas or vapor – Three or more electrode discharge device
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-30
2002-07-02
Day, Michael H. (Department: 2879)
Electric lamp and discharge devices
With gas or vapor
Three or more electrode discharge device
C313S587000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06414435
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel and image display apparatus using the same, which are used as an information processing terminal, for a flat-type or wall-hanging type television, or the like.
The gas discharge type display such as plasma display makes displaying by self-light emission, and thus it has wide field-of-view angle and provides a better easy-to-watch displaying characteristic. In addition, it can be produced to be thin and large-sized. The application of the plasma display has begun to the displays for information terminal equipment and high-definition television receivers. The plasma display can be roughly classified into DC drive type and AC drive type. Of these types, the AC drive type plasma display has developed to the extent that the brightness can be increased by the memory action of the dielectric layer covering the electrodes, and that its life span can be extended enough to bear practical use by forming a protective layer. The result is that the plasma display is now being put to practical use as a multi-purpose video monitor.
The AC drive type plasma display is generally composed of a front plate, a back plate, and a discharge space region that is formed between the front and back plates and that has a great number of cells partitioned by walls. The front plate has formed therein a plurality of pairs of display electrodes. The back plate has formed therein a plurality of address electrodes that are substantially perpendicular to these display electrodes. When a pulse voltage is applied between the address electrodes and display electrodes, an auxiliary discharge is caused in the respective cells formed by the front and back plates and the partition walls. Under this auxiliary discharge, a main discharge is caused by applying a pulse voltage between the display electrodes of the respective pairs of the front plate formed to oppose the respective cells. The ultraviolet light from the main discharge excites the phosphor to emit light. The light from the phosphor is passed through the front plate, thus displaying and light emission being made.
This conventional AC drive type plasma display made displaying and light emission by surface discharge between the display electrodes of each pair. An example of this conventional AC drive type plasma display is described in JP-A-5-190099.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the invention is to provide exactly a novel AC type plasma display panel with the light emission efficiency improved.
A second object of the invention is to provide an AC type plasma display panel with the discharge efficiency improved by producing positive columns.
A third object of the invention is to improve the discharge efficiency in the plasma display panel.
In order to achieve the first object in accordance with the invention, there is provided a plasma display panel having at least a back plate that has a plurality of address electrodes and a plurality of first display electrodes arranged to intersect with the address electrodes, and a front plate that has a plurality of second display electrodes arranged to oppose the plurality of first display electrodes so that discharge can be caused between the second electrode and the first display electrode addressed by use of the address electrodes.
Since the first and second display electrodes are opposed to each other, or employ an opposite electrode structure, the gap length between the first and second display electrodes can be made substantially constant in the display electrode plane. In addition, since the display electrodes of each pair can be respectively formed on the front and back plates for each electrode area to be wide, a stable discharge phenomenon can be caused. In other words, even if wall charge is generated between both the display electrodes, the discharge current can be kept stable (current density maintained constant) since the gap length in the display electrode plane is constant. Moreover, since the electrode area can be made large, the light emission duty can be increased, and thus the light emission efficiency is large enough.
In addition, since the display electrodes employ the opposite electrode structure, the wiring resistance of the second display electrodes formed by transparent electrodes and opaque electrodes (bus electrode) can be easily decreased since each electrode width can be increased in a plane as described above. Similarly, since only the first display electrodes are formed on the back plate, the electrode width can be made wider than those in the surface discharge type, and thus the wiring resistance of the electrodes can be much decreased. Thus, since the wiring resistance can be remarkably reduced, low consumption power can be achieved, leading to high light emission efficiency. Also, since the voltage drop on the driven display electrodes can be remarkably reduced, the operation margin can be increased.
In addition, since the display electrodes employ the opposite electrode structure, partition walls of high aspect ratio can be used, and the partition wall area on which phosphor is coated can be increased to raise the visible light taking out efficiency. In other words, the light emission efficiency of the panel can be improved.
Moreover, in the above structure, if a plurality of first display electrodes are respectively inherent electrodes (Y electrodes), and if a plurality of second display electrodes are a common electrode (X electrode) to those electrodes, the second display electrode can be formed by a single plane electrode to cover the entire surface of the panel. By use of the single plane electrode to cover all panel, it is possible not only to decrease the resistance of the second display electrodes but also to remove the highly precise etching process used so far for making transparent electrodes of a display electrode pattern.
Forming the second display electrodes in a single plane shape makes electric charge to easily move to other display cells, but the partition walls formed in a lattice shape to surround the display cells can suppress the charge movement, and thus prevent erroneous discharge in the other display cells.
Moreover, if the second display electrodes are formed by a transparent plane electrode and a bus electrode deposited thereon, and if the bus electrode is formed in a lattice shape to overlap the lattice-shaped partition walls, the resistance of the second display electrodes can be decreased without decreasing the opening rate as compared with the structure having the line-shaped bus electrode. In other words, if the opaque bus electrode as bus electrode is formed to match the shape of the partition walls of the display cells, the opening rate of the display cells can be remarkably increased to improve the brightness since it does not depend on the shape and size of the opaque electrode.
In addition, if the transparent electrode pattern of the second display electrodes is formed similar to the line-shaped electrode pattern of the first display electrode (opaque electrode), the stability of the repetitive discharge characteristic can be much improved against the generation of the wall charge. Both the display electrodes at this time are arranged parallel or perpendicular to each other. Since the bus electrode formed on the transparent electrode is formed to overlap on the lattice-shaped partition walls, the resistance of the display electrodes can be reduced, the opening rate of the display cells can be improved, and the capacitance between the electrodes can be decreased (openings are made up by forming a line pattern, reducing the electrode area). Particularly, since the effect of the bus electrode shape is little, this feature is advantageous to the highly minute structure of the panel.
In order to achieve the second object in accordance with the invention, there is provided a plasma display panel having at least a back plate that has a plurality of address electrodes and a plurality of first display electrodes arranged to intersect with the address electrodes, an
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Day Michael H.
Hitachi , Ltd.
Williams Joseph
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