Plasma display device with electrically floated auxiliary...

Details Plasma display device with electrically floated auxiliary... Plasma display device with electrically floated auxiliary...

1999-03-30

2001-07-17

Day, Michael H. (Department: 2879)

Electric lamp and discharge devices

With gas or vapor

Three or more electrode discharge device

C313S492000, C315S169400

Reexamination Certificate

active

06262532

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display device using a surface discharge.
2. Description of the Related Art
A plasma display device having a large display capacity and exhibiting superior brightness, contrast, and viewing angle characteristics is widely noted as a flat panel display which can replace the cathode ray tube. The plasma display devices are divided into a direct current plasma display devices and an alternating current plasma display devices according to operating principles. In the direct-current plasma display device, all electrodes are exposed to a discharge space and charges move directly between the corresponding electrodes. Contrarily, in the alternating current plasma display device, at least one electrode among the corresponding electrodes is surrounded by a dielectric material and discharge occurs due to an electrical field of wall-charges.
FIGS. 1 and 2
show an example of a surface-discharge type plasma display device. Referring to the drawings, the plasma display device includes a rear substrate
10
, first electrodes
11
formed on the rear substrate
10
in a predetermined pattern, a dielectric layer
12
coating on the first electrodes
11
and the rear substrate
10
, a partition
13
on the dielectric layer
12
, defining a discharge space and preventing electrical and optical crosstalk between neighboring discharge cells, and a front substrate
16
coupled to the partition
13
, on the lower surface of which second and third electrodes
14
and
15
having a predetermined pattern perpendicular to the direction of the first electrode
11
are formed.
A dielectric layer
18
is formed on the lower surface of the front substrate
16
such that the electrodes
14
and
15
are embedded. A protective layer
19
can further be formed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer
18
. A fluorescent layer
17
is formed at least one side of the discharge space defined by the partition
13
. The discharge space is filled with a discharge gas.
In the plasma display device having the above structure, when a voltage is applied to the first electrode
11
and the second electrode
15
, a common electrode, a preliminary discharge is generated between the first and second electrodes
11
and
15
and charged particles are formed on the lower surface of the dielectric layer
18
of the front substrate
16
. In this state, as a predetermined voltage is applied between the second electrode
14
and the third electrode
15
, a maintenance discharge is generated on the surface of the dielectric layer
18
of the front substrate
16
. As a plasma is formed in a gas layer, ultraviolet light is emitted therefrom. The ultraviolet light excites fluorescent material of the fluorescent layer
17
and thus an image is formed.
However, the conventional plasma display device operating as above has problems as follows.
First, since the distance between the first and second electrodes is relatively wide, a high voltage, such as 300V, must be applied between the first and second electrodes to perform a preliminary discharge. This becomes the major cause of reduction in the life of a display panel.
Second, since the second and third electrodes are in the same plane, electrostatic capacitance between said second and third electrodes is relatively low and thus a plasma of weak energy is formed. Therefore, the brightness of an image deteriorates.
Third, since the second and third electrodes and the dielectric layer are formed on the front substrate, these electrodes should be formed of a transparent material. This not only limits the choice of materials for an electrode but also lowers the optical transmissivity of the front substrate.
And fourth, since the distance between the second and third electrodes is relatively narrow, in the maintenance discharge, the formation area of plasma is not wide so that the fluorescent material cannot be sufficiently excited.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a plasma display device in which the optical transmissivity of the front substrate is improved by forming the second and third electrodes on the rear substrate, a low voltage is available for initial discharge, and strong ultraviolet light for exciting fluorescent material can be obtained.
Accordingly, to achieve the above objective, there is provided a plasma display device which comprises: a rear substrate; first electrodes formed on the upper surface of the rear substrate in a predetermined pattern; second and third electrodes formed above the first electrodes being separated by a predetermined distance and parallel to each other and perpendicular to the direction of the first electrodes; auxiliary electrodes disposed parallel to each other between the second and third electrodes which are near each other to be electrically floated; a dielectric layer formed on the upper surface of the rear substrate in which the first electrodes, the second electrodes, the third electrodes, and the auxiliary electrodes are embedded and electrically insulated from one another; and a front substrate coupled to the upper portion of the rear substrate to define a discharge space.
It is preferable in the present invention that the dielectric layer comprises: a first dielectric layer in which the first electrodes are embedded; and a second dielectric layer in which the second electrodes, the third electrodes, and the auxiliary electrodes are embedded.
Also, it is preferable in the present invention that each of the auxiliary electrodes is discontinuously formed to have a predetermined width and length.
Further, it is preferable in the present invention that the thickness of the dielectric layer between the first electrode and the second electrode is greater than that of the dielectric layer between the first electrode and the auxiliary electrode, and that a protruding portion is formed on the first electrodes at each position facing the auxiliary electrode.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plasma display device which comprises: a rear substrate; first electrodes formed on the rear substrate in strips and parallel to each other; second and third electrodes formed above the first electrodes being separated by a predetermined distance and parallel to each other and perpendicular to the direction of the first electrodes; auxiliary electrodes disposed parallel to each other between the second electrode and the third electrode which are near each other to be electrically floated; a dielectric layer formed on the upper surface of the rear substrate in which the first electrodes, the second electrodes, the third electrodes, and the auxiliary electrodes are embedded and electrically insulated from one another; partitions formed on the upper surface of the dielectric layer and between the neighboring first electrodes, parallel to the first electrodes; a transparent front substrate coupled to the rear substrate to define a discharge space along with the partitions; and a fluorescent layer formed on the lower surface of the front substrate inside the discharge space.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4638218 (1987-01-01), Shinoda et al.
patent: 4737687 (1988-04-01), Shinoda et al.
patent: 5952782 (1999-09-01), Nanto et al.
patent: 6043605 (2000-03-01), Park
patent: 0135382 (1985-03-01), None
patent: 2129595 (1984-05-01), None
patent: 56149748 (1981-11-01), None
patent: 5767262 (1982-04-01), None
patent: 57103234 (1982-06-01), None

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