Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Plural power supplies – Plural cathode and/or anode load device
Patent
1998-02-23
2000-03-07
Vu, David H.
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
Plural power supplies
Plural cathode and/or anode load device
3151693, 345 74, 313309, G09G 310
Patent
active
060344806
ABSTRACT:
Methods and apparatus for identifying and disabling shorted electrode pairs (such as field emitter tip electrodes shorted to grid electrodes) in a field emission display by applying a test voltage across the two electrodes in each pair. The magnitude of the test voltage is set below the voltage required to initiate field emission from the emitter tip electrode. Because no field emission occurs at this voltage, the test voltage should produce no current flow through good (non-shorted) emitter tips. However, current will flow through emitter tips which are shorted to their respective grid electrodes. In one embodiment, the current flow vaporizes the bad emitter tips themselves. In another embodiment, the current flow thermally damages a removable link connected in series with either the shorted emitter tip or the shorted grid electrode. Alternatively, rather than disabling the shorted electrodes, the method of the invention can identify shorted electrodes by sensing which electrodes conduct current in response to the test voltage. In one embodiment, the test voltage is applied, preferably simultaneously, to all the electrode pairs in the display, causing a current flow through any shorted electrodes which is high enough to produce resistive heating which can be sensed to locate the shorted electrodes. In another embodiment, the test voltage is applied sequentially to small subsets of the electrode pairs while measuring the resulting current flow. The display can be fabricated with multiple power supply busses to facilitate applying the test voltage to selected subsets of electrode pairs.
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Browning Jimmy J.
Lee John K.
Lowrey Tyler A.
Micro)n Technology, Inc.
Stern Robert J.
Vu David H.
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