Electric lamp and discharge devices – With gas or vapor – Three or more electrode discharge device
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-24
2004-12-07
Patel, Nimeshkumar D. (Department: 2879)
Electric lamp and discharge devices
With gas or vapor
Three or more electrode discharge device
C313S582000, C313S583000, C313S493000, C313S484000, C313S634000, C445S024000, C445S025000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06828731
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of Korean Application Nos. 00-62873 and 00-21645, filed respectively on Oct. 25, 2000 and Apr. 24, 2000, in the Korean Industrial Property Office, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel and a method of manufacturing partitions thereof, and more particularly, to a plasma display panel in which neon light emission due to mis-discharge in a non-light emitting zone is fundamentally removed, and to a method of manufacturing partitions thereof.
1. Description of the Related Art
A typical plasma display device for displaying an image by using a gas discharge phenomenon is widely noted for its superior display capabilities (display capacity, brightness, contrast, afterimage, and a viewing angle) so as to replace a CRT. In the plasma display device, discharge is generated between electrodes in a gas by direct current or alternating current applied to the electrodes. Then, a fluorescent substance is excited by an ultraviolet ray radiated as the discharge is generated, and a light is emitted.
FIG. 1
is an exploded perspective view showing a panel of a typical alternating current type plasma display device. Referring to the drawing, a first electrode
13
a
, which is a transparent display electrode, and a second electrode
13
b
, which is an address electrode, are formed between a front glass substrate
11
and a rear glass substrate
12
. The first electrode
13
a
includes an X electrode and a Y electrode. A sustaining discharge is generated between a pair of the first electrodes
13
a
during operation of the panel. The first and second electrodes
13
a
and
13
b
are formed in strips, facing to each other, on the inner surfaces of the front glass substrate
11
and the rear glass substrate
12
, respectively. When the front and rear glass substrates
11
and
12
are coupled to each other, the first and second electrodes
13
a
and
13
b
cross each other. A dielectric layer
14
and a protective layer
15
are stacked in order on the inner surface of the front glass substrate
11
. Partitions
17
are formed on the upper surface of a dielectric layer
14
′ formed on the rear glass substrate
12
. A cell
19
is formed by the partitions
17
and is filled with an inert gas such as neon (Ne) and xenon (Xe). A fluorescent substance
18
is coated on a predetermined portion of the inside of each cell
19
. A bus electrode
13
c
is formed on the surface of the first electrode
13
a
to prevent line resistance, which increases as the length of the first electrode
13
a
increases.
In the operation of the plasma display device having the above structure, first, a high voltage (a trigger voltage) is applied to generate a discharge between the X electrode of the first electrode
13
a
and the second electrode
13
b
. When anions are accumulated in the dielectric layer
14
by the trigger voltage, the discharge is generated. When the trigger voltage exceeds a threshold voltage, the discharge gas in the cell
19
becomes a plasma state by the discharge. Thus, a stable discharge state can be maintained between pairs of the first electrodes
13
a
(see FIG.
2
). In this sustaining discharge state, of the discharge lights generated, light in a range of an ultraviolet area collides with the fluorescent substance
18
and emits another light. Accordingly, each pixel formed by a unit of the cell
19
can display an image.
FIG. 2
is a sectional view showing the assembled plasma display panel of
FIG. 1
by cutting the partitions in a widthwise direction. The same reference numerals are used for the same elements shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
.
Referring to the drawing, the front glass substrate
11
and the rear glass substrate
12
are coupled to each other with the partitions
17
interposed therebetween. Such coupling is made by a sealing material having similar properties to those of a substrate material such as a frit glass
22
coated between the front and rear glass substrates
11
and
12
. The frit glass
22
is coated on the inner surfaces of the front and rear substrates
11
and
12
along the edge thereof. The frit glass
22
is heated and melted in a state in which the front and rear substrates
11
and
12
are pressed against each other, and then is solidified so that the substrates
11
and
12
can be combined by being attached to each other.
An outermost partition
23
is positioned at the edge of the substrates
11
and
12
and defines a non-light emitting zone
21
with the frit glass
22
. That is, the non-light emitting zone
21
is defined between the outermost partition
23
and the frit glass
22
. Since the second electrode
13
b
is not formed in the non-light emitting zone
21
, and since the fluorescent substance
18
is not coated thereon, theoretically, no discharge is generated. The non-light emitting zone
21
is also called a dummy and margin zone, and is formed at the outskirts of a display where an image is displayed. Within the dummy and margin zone
21
, the dummy zone prevents an edge effect that may occur in discharge cells
19
at the outermost area of the display, and the margin zone compensates for a limit in accuracy of the manufacturing processes. The dummy and margin zone
21
is designed considering a property of each of the layers of a plasma display panel. However, since the non-light emission zone
21
is actually filled with the discharge gas filled in the discharge cell
19
, when the sustaining discharge is generated between a pair of first electrodes
13
a
, discharge is generated in the non-light emitting zone
21
. Such a mis-discharge phenomenon causes light emission by the discharge gas itself. In particular, a light emission phenomenon of an orange color occurs. Thus, the overall color purity of a display is lowered due to the presence of the non-light emitting zone
21
.
To prevent such a phenomenon, a dummy electrode is used in the conventional technology. For example, a plurality of dummy electrodes is formed parallel to an address electrode at a portion corresponding to the outermost portion of a display area. The dummy electrodes are electrically connected to one another to be connected in common with an external connection terminal. Also, a dummy electrode is formed parallel to an address electrode at a portion corresponding to the outermost portion of a display area. The outermost address electrode and the dummy electrode are electrically connected to each other. Further, a plurality of dummy electrodes is formed parallel to an address electrode at a portion corresponding to the outermost portion of a display area. The outermost address electrode and the dummy electrode are electrically connected to each other. A predetermined voltage is applied to the outermost address electrode during a priming discharge period, an address discharge period, and a sustain discharge period. However, since the above conventional technologies require an additional dummy electrode, the structures thereof become complicated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a plasma display panel which can prevent a mis-discharge phenomenon in a non-light emitting zone.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing partitions of the plasma display panel to prevent a mis-discharge phenomenon in the non-light emitting zone.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
Accordingly, to achieve the above and other objects, there is provided a plasma display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention comprising a front glass substrate and a rear glass substrate coupled to each other by a sealing material coated at edges of the front and rear glass substrates, first and second electr
Kang Tae-kyoung
Kim Ki-jung
McGuireWoods LLP
Patel Nimeshkumar D.
Roy Sikha
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
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