JP2003016939A - Method and device for manufacturing vacuum envelope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a device for manufacturing a vacuum envelope that can manufacture the vacuum envelope maintaining a high vacuum. SOLUTION: After arranging a first member 10 and a second member 12 in a vacuum tank, the vacuum tank is evacuated. In a state where a prescribed region of the inner surface of the first member is covered with a cover member 21, a getter is scattered toward the inner surface of the cover member to form a getter film on the inner surface of the cover member, and secondary exhaust of the vacuum tank interior is performed. While performing the secondary exhaust, the getter is scattered toward a prescribed region of the first member to form a getter film on the prescribed region of the first member, and then the first member and second member are jointed to each other.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for manufacturing a vacuum envelope used for an image display device such as a flat panel display device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An FED (field emitter display), which is being developed as a flat image display device, has a face plate and a rear plate which are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap therebetween. ,
The vacuum envelope is configured by joining the peripheral portions to each other via the rectangular frame-shaped side wall. A phosphor layer is formed on the inner surface of the face plate, and an inner surface of the rear plate is
An electron emission source that excites the phosphor is arranged corresponding to each pixel. In addition, a large number of plate-shaped, columnar, or spacers such as beads are arranged between the plates to maintain a gap between the plates.

In this FED, it is important that the space between the face plate and the rear plate, that is, the internal space of the vacuum envelope is maintained at a high degree of vacuum.
If the degree of vacuum is low, stable electron emission cannot be achieved, and the life of the device will be shortened.

Conventionally, in the case of manufacturing an FED, a face plate and a rear plate are joined to each other through a side wall to form an envelope, and then the inside of the envelope is opened from an exhaust port provided in a peripheral portion of one plate in advance. Is exhausted, then the exhaust port is closed and the inside is vacuum-sealed. In order to maintain the degree of vacuum inside the envelope, before joining the face plate and the rear plate, a getter is provided in advance on the edge of one plate at the position inside the envelope, and after vacuum sealing. ,
By scattering the getter, the residual gas in the space is adsorbed to maintain a high degree of vacuum.

Alternatively, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-135018, a face plate and a rear plate are arranged in opposition to each other in a vacuum chamber, and both plates are aligned and sealed while the vacuum chamber is evacuated. A method is disclosed. Also in this method, after the face plate and the rear plate are sealed, the getter installed in advance in the space between the plates is scattered to adsorb the residual gas in the space to raise the degree of vacuum.

[0006]

However, in the case of the manufacturing method as described above, since the arrangement position of the getter is limited to the peripheral portion of the image display area, the getter and the image display area where gas is liable to be generated during use. Since it is separated from the installation position, it becomes difficult to immediately adsorb the gas released from the inner wall of the image display area. Also, after vacuum sealing, the gap between the face plate and the rear plate is very narrow,
Moreover, a spacer or the like is arranged between both plates.
Therefore, since the conductance is small, there is a problem that the degree of vacuum in the image display region is locally damaged and the display becomes unstable.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a manufacturing method and a manufacturing apparatus for a vacuum envelope which maintains a high degree of vacuum.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a method of manufacturing a vacuum envelope according to the present invention comprises a first member in which a phosphor is arranged and a phosphor excitation for causing the phosphor to emit light. In a manufacturing method for manufacturing a vacuum envelope of an image display device, wherein a second member provided with a means is arranged to face each other, and peripheral portions of the first and second members are joined to each other,
By arranging the first and second members in a vacuum chamber, evacuating the vacuum chamber to a primary vacuum, covering a predetermined region on the inner surface of the first member with a cover member, and scattering the getter inside the cover member. A getter film is formed on a predetermined area on the inner surface of the first member and on the inner surface of the cover member, and the getter film on the inner surface of the cover member secondarily exhausts the inside of the vacuum chamber, and then the first member and the second member are separated in the vacuum chamber. It is characterized by being joined to each other.

According to the method and apparatus for manufacturing the vacuum envelope having the above-described structure, the getter film can be reliably formed in the predetermined region, and the inside of the vacuum chamber is not contaminated with the getter. A getter can be formed in the image display area. Therefore, the getter can immediately adsorb the gas released from the inner wall of the image display area, and the degree of vacuum in the image display area is not locally damaged, and the uniformity of display characteristics is maintained.

Further, since the vacuum envelope is manufactured in the vacuum chamber, the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber has a great influence on the degree of vacuum in the space of the vacuum envelope to be manufactured. Since the getter is formed on the entire inner surface of the cover member in the evacuated chamber, a large getter adhesion surface area can be obtained, and as a result, a large exhaust speed can be obtained, and the first and second members in the evacuated chamber can be obtained. The vicinity can be brought to a high vacuum state. Therefore, a first getter is formed over the entire image display area.
By joining the member and the second member in a vacuum chamber in a high vacuum state, it is possible to manufacture a vacuum envelope in which the high vacuum state is maintained.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A vacuum envelope manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of the FED as a planar image display device including a vacuum envelope manufactured by the manufacturing method and the manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the FED is provided with a rear plate 12 and a face plate 10 made of glass, and these plates are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap. Rear plate 12 and face plate 1
Reference numeral 0 forms a vacuum envelope in which peripheral edges are joined together via a rectangular frame-shaped side wall 11 made of glass.

A phosphor screen 13 is formed on the inner surface of the face plate 10. This phosphor screen 13 is configured by arranging red, blue, and green phosphor layers and a black colored layer side by side. These phosphor layers are formed in stripes or dots. A metal back 16 made of aluminum or the like is formed on the phosphor screen 13.

On the inner surface of the rear plate 12, a large number of electron-emitting devices 14 each emitting an electron beam are provided as electron-emitting sources for exciting the phosphor layer. These electron-emitting devices 14 are arranged in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows corresponding to each pixel. Each electron-emitting device 14 is composed of an electron-emitting portion (not shown), a pair of device electrodes for applying a voltage to the electron-emitting portion, and the like. Also, the rear plate 12
A large number of wirings (not shown) for applying a voltage to the electron-emitting device 14 are provided in a matrix on the top.

The side wall 11 functioning as a joining member is sealed to the peripheral portion of the rear plate 12 and the peripheral portion of the face plate 10 by a frit glass 17 made of, for example, low-melting glass, so that the face plate 10 and the face plate 12 are connected to each other. It is joined.

Further, a large number of spacers 15 are arranged between the rear plate 12 and the face plate 10 at a predetermined interval in order to maintain a gap between these plates. These spacers 15 are each formed in a plate shape or a column shape, for example.

Next, a method and an apparatus for manufacturing the vacuum envelope having the above structure will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the rear plate assembly 20 is formed by forming the electron-emitting devices 14, spacers 15, wirings, etc. on the inner surface of the rear plate 12 in advance and bonding the side wall 11 with the frit glass 17. . Further, the phosphor screen 13 and the metal back 16 are formed on the inner surface of the face plate 10 in advance, and the frit glass 17 is applied to the portion joined to the side wall 11 joined to the rear plate 20.

Then, these plates and assemblies are placed on the carrier 25 so that the rear plate assembly 20 faces the face plate 10 with a predetermined gap. The carrier 25 is provided with a pair of getter containers 21 each having an open lower surface so as to cover the getter film formation region of the face plate 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of getters 22 are provided inside each getter container 21 functioning as a cover member.
a, 22b, getter holder 2 holding these getters
3. A heating electrode 24 for heating the getters 22a and 22b via the getter holder 23 is attached. The plurality of getters include a plurality of first getters 22a for forming a getter film on the inner surface of the getter container 21 and the face plate 10.
A plurality of second getters 22b for forming a getter film in the getter forming region A.

Each getter container 21 is detachably attached to the carrier 25. Then, these getter containers 21 are rotationally driven by a getter container drive mechanism 26 installed in a vacuum chamber 27, which will be described later, to cover a retracted position off the face plate 10 and a getter film formation region on the inner surface of the face plate 10. It can be moved to and from the processing position.

In addition to the carrier 25 and the getter container 21, the manufacturing apparatus also includes a vacuum tank 27 and this vacuum tank 27.
A vacuum exhaust pump 28 that primarily exhausts the inside, a lower heater 30 that moves up and down to heat the face plate 10, and an upper heater 2 that moves up and down to heat the rear plate assembly 20.
9, lifter 31 for pulling up rear plate assembly 20 from carrier 25, rear plate assembly 2
Pressurizing mechanism 3 for pressing 0 toward the face plate 10
4 and a getter container drive mechanism 26 for opening and closing the getter container 21. Further, in the vacuum chamber 27, the power supply connection terminal 32 provided on the carrier 25 is contacted,
A power supply unit 33 that supplies a current to the heating electrode 24 of the getter container 21 is provided.

A manufacturing process for manufacturing the vacuum envelope of the FED using the manufacturing apparatus configured as described above will be described. First, the getter container 21 to which the face plate 10, the rear plate assembly 20, and the getter 22 are attached is placed on the carrier 25 and then conveyed to a predetermined position in the vacuum chamber 27. The inside of the vacuum chamber 27 is evacuated by the vacuum exhaust pump 28. In order to maintain the high degree of vacuum of the processing vacuum tank, it is advisable to provide an antechamber vacuum tank so as not to expose the processing vacuum tank to the atmosphere.

At a predetermined position in the vacuum chamber 27, the power supply connection terminal 32 of the carrier 25 is brought into contact with the power supply unit 33 in the vacuum chamber 27, and current can be supplied to the heating electrode 24 of the getter container 21. .

As shown in FIG. 4, the face plate 10
After the carrier 25 on which the rear plate assembly 20 is mounted is transported to a predetermined position in the vacuum chamber 27, the lower heater 30 and the upper heater 29 are made to face the face plate 10 and the rear plate assembly 20, respectively. In this state, the upper and lower heaters 30 and 29 are operated to operate the face plate 10 and the rear plate assembly 20.
Is heated and gas is discharged. At the same time, the vacuum pump 2
After degassing the inside of the vacuum chamber 27 by 8, the gas is discharged at a predetermined heating temperature, and then the temperatures of the face plate 10 and the rear plate assembly 20 are lowered according to a predetermined temperature profile.

After that, as shown in FIG. 5, the rear plate assembly 20 is lifted from the carrier 25 by the lifter 31 and separated so that the getter container 21 can be inserted between the face plate 10 and the rear plate assembly 20.

In this state, the getter container drive mechanism 26
Thus, the getter container 21 is moved to a processing position that covers the getter forming area A on the inner surface of the face plate 10.
Then, the getter performs secondary vacuum exhaust in the vacuum chamber 27. That is, first, the heating electrode 24 of the first getter 22a is
The getter film is formed on the inner surface of the getter container 21 by supplying an electric current from the power supply portion 33 to the getter to scatter. By forming this getter film, secondary vacuum exhaust is performed inside the vacuum chamber 27, particularly in the vicinity of the inner surface of the face plate 10. Next, the feeding portion 3 is connected to the heating electrode 24 of the second getter 22b.
A getter film is formed on the getter forming region A on the inner surface of the face plate 10 by supplying current from 3 to scatter the getter.

After the getter film is formed, the getter container 21 is moved to the retracted position off the face plate 10, as shown in FIG. Then, the lifter 31 disposes the rear plate assembly 20 at a predetermined position to face the face plate 10 of the carrier 25.

Subsequently, the rear plate assembly 20 is pressed toward the face plate 10 side with a predetermined pressure by the pressing mechanism 34, and the side wall 11 is pressed against the frit glass 17 previously coated on the inner surface of the face plate 10. In this state, heating is performed by the upper heater 29 and the lower heater 30, the rear plate assembly 20 and the face plate 10 are sealed by the frit glass 17, and the temperature is lowered to completely cure the frit glass 17.

Then, the carrier 25 is carried out from the vacuum chamber 27 and the vacuum envelope is taken out. Through the above steps, the manufacturing process of the vacuum envelope is completed.

According to the vacuum envelope manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus configured as described above, the getter film can be reliably formed in a predetermined region inside the envelope, and the inside of the vacuum chamber can be gettered. The getter can be formed in the image display area without being contaminated. Therefore, the getter can immediately adsorb the gas released from the inner wall of the image display area, and the degree of vacuum in the image display area is not locally damaged, and the uniformity of display characteristics is maintained.

Since the vacuum envelope is manufactured in the vacuum chamber, the degree of vacuum in the vacuum chamber greatly affects the degree of vacuum in the space of the vacuum envelope to be manufactured. Since the getter is formed on the entire inner surface of the getter container 21, a large getter adhesion surface area can be obtained. As a result, a large exhaust speed can be obtained, and the vicinity of the face plate and the rear plate in the vacuum chamber can be in a high vacuum state. be able to. Therefore, by bonding the face plate having the getter formed over the entire image display area and the rear plate in the vacuum chamber in the high vacuum state, it is possible to manufacture the vacuum envelope maintaining the high vacuum state.

[0032]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vacuum envelope manufacturing method and a vacuum envelope manufacturing apparatus capable of manufacturing a vacuum envelope maintaining a high vacuum state.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a planar image display device provided with a vacuum envelope.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view schematically showing a vacuum envelope manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a getter container in the manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view schematically showing a baking process by the manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a gettering process by the manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a pressurizing and sealing step by the manufacturing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Face plate 11 ... Side wall 12 ... Rear plate 13 ... Phosphor screen 14 ... Electron emitting device 15 ... Spacer 16 ... Metal back 17 ... Frit glass 20 ... Rear plate assembly 21 ... Getter container 22a ... Getter for forming face plate 22b ... Getter for secondary evacuation of vacuum chamber 23 ... Getter holder 24 ... Heating electrode 25 ... Career 26 ... Getter container drive mechanism 27 ... Vacuum tank 28 ... Vacuum pump 29 ... Upper Heater 30 ... Lower Heater 31 ... Lifter 32 ... Power supply connection terminal 33 ... Power supply unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A method for manufacturing a vacuum envelope in which a first member and a second member are joined to manufacture a vacuum envelope, wherein a first member and a second member are arranged in a vacuum chamber, and Is evacuated, and a getter film is formed on the inner surface of the cover member by scattering the getter toward the inner surface of the cover member in a state where a predetermined region of the inner surface of the first member is covered with the cover member, and the inside of the vacuum chamber is closed. While secondary evacuation, the getter is scattered toward a predetermined region of the first member to form a getter film on the predetermined region of the first member. After the getter film is formed, the first member and the second member are formed. A method for manufacturing a vacuum envelope, wherein the vacuum envelope is bonded to each other. 2. A manufacturing apparatus for a vacuum envelope, wherein a first member and a second member, which are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap, are joined to each other, wherein a vacuum chamber and the first member and the second member are mutually connected. A carrier supported in an opposed state, a vacuum evacuation device for evacuating the inside of the vacuum chamber, and a predetermined region of the first member movably provided between a processing position and a retreat position separated from the first member. Covered
A first getter mechanism having a member and a first getter provided in the cover member, and scattering the getter in the cover member to form a getter film on the inner surface of the cover; and in the cover member. A second getter mechanism that has a second getter provided on the cover member, scatters the getter in the cover member, and forms a getter film in the predetermined region covered by the cover member; A heating and pressurizing mechanism for heating and pressurizing the second member to join the second member, the manufacturing apparatus.