JPH1196919A - Gas electric discharge display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the driving voltage. SOLUTION: In a gas electric discharge display panel 1 of surface discharge structure in which a plurality of electrodes X, Y extending in row direction out of electrodes corresponding to a matrix screen are arrayed on the inner surface of one substrate 11 of a pair of substrates, which are disposed opposite to each other and hold a discharge space 30 therebetween, and further, are covered with a dielectric layer 17 so as to generate main electric discharge between the electrodes, a portion 71 within an electrode gap range, in which the main, discharge is generated in each cell C in the dielectric layer 17, is formed locally thinner than a portion covering the electrodes X, Y.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gas discharge display panel for performing a matrix display by gas discharge such as a plasma display panel (PDP) or a plasma addressed liquid crystal (PALC), and a pair of cells each covered with a dielectric in each cell. The present invention is applied to a surface discharge structure that causes a discharge along a screen between electrodes.

A PDP is a thin device having a pair of substrates as supports, and is used for public display such as a guide plate at a station or an airport because it has excellent visibility and is suitable for large-screen display. Also, with the practical use of color screens, they have been widely used in consumer applications such as television images and computer monitors.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art As a color display device, an AC type PDP of a surface discharge type has been commercialized. The surface discharge type is a type in which first and second main electrodes, which are alternately anodes or cathodes, are arranged in parallel with one of the substrate pairs in AC driving in which a lighting state is maintained using wall charges. Surface discharge type PD
In P, by providing a phosphor layer for color display on the other substrate opposite to the substrate on which the main electrode pair is arranged, deterioration of the phosphor layer due to ion bombardment at the time of discharge is reduced, and the life is extended. Can be planned. An arrangement in which the phosphor layer is disposed on the rear substrate is called "reflection type", and an arrangement in which the phosphor layer is disposed on the front side substrate is called "transmission type". The reflective type, which has excellent luminous efficiency, emits light on the front surface of the phosphor layer.

In general, a dielectric layer for AC driving is made of a low melting point glass paste sufficiently thicker than a main electrode (20 to 20).
It is formed by printing and firing. The dielectric layer of the conventional PDP is a flat layer having a flat surface that uniformly covers the inner surface of the substrate including the main electrode pair over the entire screen.

[0005]

The above-mentioned surface discharge type cell structure is suitable for prolonging the service life, but has a lower driving voltage than the counter discharge type which generates a discharge in the substrate thickness direction perpendicular to the screen. It requires expensive and expensive circuit components with high withstand voltage. The drive voltage can be reduced by increasing the electric field intensity on the surface of the dielectric layer, and two methods are conceivable as the means. One is a method of reducing the arrangement interval (dimension of the surface discharge gap) between the main electrode pairs, and the other is a method of reducing the thickness of the dielectric layer. However, in the former case, the electric field applied between the main electrodes becomes excessively large, and there is a possibility that the electrodes are destroyed by electromigration. In the latter case, as the dielectric layer becomes thinner, dielectric breakdown due to the incorporation of dust and the generation of air bubbles at the time of formation tends to occur. The problem of dielectric breakdown can be improved to some extent by clean measures and review of manufacturing conditions, but this leads to a significant increase in cost.

On the other hand, in the surface discharge type, it is necessary to prevent the discharge coupling between cells by providing a partition partitioning a discharge space at least in the direction in which the main electrode extends. However, the partitioning of the discharge space impairs the priming effect between cells, narrows the drive voltage margin, and makes it difficult to exhaust the interior and fill the discharge gas during manufacturing. In particular, when grid-like (orthogonal type, honeycomb type, etc.) partitions are provided to partition the discharge space vertically and horizontally for each cell in order to increase the application area of the phosphor and increase the luminous efficiency, the priming effect between the cells is lost. Would.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the driving voltage. Another object is to prevent discharge coupling and secure a moving path of charged particles between cells to facilitate stable driving.

[0008]

In the present invention, the intensity of the electric field related to the surface discharge is increased by locally thinning the dielectric layer, and a moving path of the charged particles is secured if necessary. That is, a dielectric layer having a depression is provided at an appropriate position. To form such a layer, pattern printing of a thick film material or patterning of a solid layer by photolithography may be performed. In either method, a plurality of depressions can be provided simultaneously.

In considering the electric field on the surface of the dielectric layer, it is not possible to disregard the influence of adjacent cells and focus only on the relationship between a pair of electrodes. This is because all adjacent electrodes are capacitively coupled, and the lines of electric force exiting from one electrode are directed to a paired electrode and to another adjacent electrode. Therefore, if the thickness of the dielectric layer between the pair of electrodes is made smaller than the thickness between the adjacent electrodes, the lines of electric force in the pair of electrodes increase, and the lines of electric force to the adjacent electrodes decrease. The electric field strength of the gap increases. That is, the same electric field strength as that of the related art can be obtained with a lower driving voltage than that of the conventional case where the thickness is constant. The electric field intensity becomes stronger as the portion corresponding to the surface discharge gap in the dielectric layer is depressed and the portion corresponding to the space between adjacent cells is made thicker.

[0010] In order to promote the movement of charged particles contributing to the priming effect, it is desirable to have a structure without a partition partitioning the discharge space. However, if the partition is completely eliminated, lighting control of a cell having a common electrode becomes impossible. This is because the charged particles generated in the cell in the lighting state are attracted to the cell in the non-lighting state, become wall charges, and cause erroneous discharge. However,
The electric field intensity on the surface of the dielectric layer differs depending on the position, and the electric field at the intermediate position between adjacent cells is weaker than the electric field of the surface discharge gap in the cell. Therefore, in the present invention, a through hole between cells is provided by depressing a portion of the dielectric layer that overlaps the partition wall at an intermediate position between adjacent cells,
It is a moving path for charged particles. Since the electric field intensity is small in this moving path, the coupling of the discharge is unlikely to occur.

In the panel according to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of electrodes extending in a row direction of an electrode group corresponding to a matrix screen are arranged on one inner surface of a pair of substrates facing each other across a discharge space, and A gas discharge display panel which is covered with a dielectric layer and has a surface discharge structure in which a main discharge is generated between the electrodes, wherein the dielectric layer is formed of the main discharge of each cell constituting the matrix screen. The resulting portion in the range of the electrode gap is locally formed thinner than the portion covering the electrode.

In the gas discharge display panel according to the second aspect of the present invention, the dielectric layer is locally thicker at a portion within an arrangement gap of the electrodes between adjacent cells than at a portion covering the electrodes. It was formed.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gas discharge display panel,
A partition for partitioning the discharge space is provided on the other inner surface of the substrate pair, and a portion of the dielectric layer facing the partition has a recess for communicating the discharge space between adjacent cells. It is provided.

In the gas discharge display panel according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, each of the electrodes protrudes alternately at one end and the other end in the column direction for each of the cells arranged in the row direction, and is adjacent to the protruding portion. It is patterned so that the main discharge occurs between the protruding portions of the electrodes.

5. The gas discharge display panel according to claim 5, wherein the partition walls are formed in an orthogonal grid, and each of the recesses communicates the discharge space between four cells surrounding an intersection of the partition grid. It is provided so that

7. The gas discharge display panel according to claim 6, wherein the electrodes are arranged at equal intervals, the partition walls are formed in a honeycomb lattice, and the depressions are formed between the cells arranged in a column direction. It is provided so as to communicate the space. The honeycomb lattice includes a lattice having a polygonal shape other than a hexagon (such as a square).

[0017]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an electrode matrix of a PDP 1 of a first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a basic structure of the PDP 1 of FIG.

In the PDP 1, a pair of sustain electrodes X and Y as first and second main electrodes are arranged in parallel, and in each cell C, the sustain electrodes X and Y and an address electrode A as a third electrode are connected. PD with intersecting three-electrode surface discharge structure
P. The sustain electrodes X and Y extend in the row direction (horizontal direction) of the matrix display, and one sustain electrode Y is used as a scan electrode for selecting a cell C in a row unit at the time of addressing. The address electrode A extends in the column direction (vertical direction), and is used as a data electrode for selecting a cell C in a column unit. A region where the sustain electrode group and the address electrode group intersect is a display region in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix, that is, a matrix screen (screen) SC.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the PDP 1, a pair of sustain electrodes X and Y are arranged for each row L which is a horizontal cell column on the inner surface of the front substrate 11 which is a glass plate. The sustain electrodes X and Y are each composed of a transparent conductive film 4.
1 and a metal film (bus conductor) 42 and are covered with a dielectric layer 17 made of low melting point glass and having a maximum thickness of about 30 μm. The dielectric layer 17 extends over the entire area of the screen SC, and a protective film 18 made of magnesia (MgO) and having a thickness of several thousand angstroms is provided on the surface thereof. The address electrode A is formed on the underlayer 2 covering the inner surface of the rear substrate 21.
2 and is covered with a dielectric layer 24 having a thickness of about 10 μm. On the dielectric layer 24,
One partition 29 having a height of 150 μm and having a linear band shape in plan view is provided between each address electrode A. These partition walls 29 divide the discharge space 30 in the row direction for each sub-pixel (unit light-emitting region), and define the gap size of the discharge space 30. Then, phosphor layers 28R, 28G and 28B of three colors of R, G and B for color display are provided so as to cover the wall surface on the back side including the upper side of the address electrode A and the side surface of the partition wall 29. ing.

The discharge space 30 is filled with a discharge gas in which xenon is mixed with neon as a main component (filling pressure is 5%).
00 Torr), the phosphor layers 28R, 28G, 28B are locally excited by ultraviolet light emitted by xenon during discharge to emit light. One pixel (pixel) of the display is composed of three sub-pixels arranged in the row direction, and the sub-pixels in each column have the same emission color. The structure in each sub-pixel is a cell (display element) C. Since the arrangement pattern of the partition walls 29 is a stripe pattern, a portion corresponding to each column in the discharge space 30 is continuous in the column direction across all the rows L. Therefore, the dimension of the electrode gap (referred to as an inverted slit) between the adjacent rows L is the surface discharge gap of each row L (for example, a value in the range of 80 to 140 μm).
The value is set to a value that is sufficiently large and can prevent discharge coupling in the column direction (for example, a value within a range of 400 to 500 μm).

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a main part of the PDP 1 according to the first embodiment. A recess 71 is formed in the dielectric layer 17 so that a portion within the electrode gap where the surface discharge occurs in each cell C is thinner than a portion (a portion on the electrode) covering the sustain electrodes X and Y. I have. The portion facing the partition wall 29 is flat, and the depression 71 is divided for each cell C. Therefore, no discharge coupling occurs between adjacent cells in the row direction. As described above, the dielectric layer 17 having the same number of depressions 71 as the number of cells is formed by, for example, printing a low-melting glass paste in a solid film shape, and then overlaying and printing the low-melting glass paste on portions other than the depressions. be able to. Alternatively, the dielectric layer can be formed by forming a mask by photolithography and chemically etching the dielectric layer formed in advance.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a main part of the PDP 2 according to the second embodiment. In the figure, the PDP 1 shown in FIGS.
Are assigned the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 1 to 3 irrespective of differences in shape and arrangement. The same applies to the following drawings.

In the PDP 2, the partition walls 29 that partition the discharge space for each column have a band shape that is meandering in a plan view, and the sustain electrodes X and Y are alternately spaced at a constant interval (surface discharge gap). They are arranged at equal intervals.

That is, each partition wall 29 is waving at a constant period and amplitude in plan view, and the adjacent partition walls 29
Are periodically arranged to be smaller than a certain value along the column direction. The constant value is a dimension capable of suppressing discharge, and is determined by discharge conditions such as gas pressure.
Since the partition walls 29 are arranged apart from each other in the row direction, the space (column space) between the partition walls 29 is continuous across all the lines 1 on the display screen. This makes it possible to arrange the phosphors evenly in the row space using the screen printing method. Here, surface discharge does not occur in a portion of the column space having a small width in the line direction, and a wide portion substantially contributes to light emission. Therefore, cells C are arranged every other column in each row. When attention is paid to two adjacent rows, the columns in which the cells C are arranged are alternately switched for each column. That is, the cells C are arranged in a staggered manner in both the row direction and the column direction. In PDP2, the total number of adjacent RGB is 3
One cell C corresponds to one pixel. That is, the three-color array format of the color display is a triangular (delta) array format. The sustain electrodes X and Y are arranged such that the surface discharge gap corresponds to a wide portion in each column space. However, since the sustain electrodes X and Y extend in the row direction across all column spaces, the surface discharge gap in an adjacent column corresponds to a narrow portion in the column space. Actually, the total number of the sustain electrodes X and Y is several hundred (the number of lines +
1). Of these sustain electrodes X and Y, those excluding both ends in the arrangement direction correspond to two adjacent rows l. The sustain electrodes X (or Y) at both ends correspond to one row. In one row, surface discharge occurs on one side of the sustain electrodes X and Y, and in the adjacent row, surface discharge occurs on the other side. Since both sides of the sustain electrodes X and Y in the column direction are involved in surface discharge, the metal film (bus conductor) 42 is overlapped with the transparent conductive film 41 at the center in the column direction.

In such a PDP 2 as well, the dielectric layer 17 covering the sustain electrodes X and Y has a portion within the electrode gap where a surface discharge occurs in each cell C covering the sustain electrodes X and Y ( The recess 71 is formed so as to be thinner than the portion on the electrode).

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a main part of the PDP 3 according to the third embodiment. In the PDP 3, the arrangement pattern of the partition walls 29 is a stripe pattern that divides a discharge space for each column as in the PDP 1 of FIG. Sustain electrode X, Y
Are alternately extended to one end side and the other end side in the column direction alternately for each column along the row direction, so that surface discharge occurs between the extended portion and the extended portion of the adjacent sustain electrode. It is patterned. Similarly to the above-described PDP2, among the hundred sustain electrodes X and Y, those excluding both ends in the arrangement direction correspond to two adjacent rows l, and the sustain electrodes X (or Y) at both ends are one. Corresponds to a row. Since the overhang direction is changed for each column, the cells C are arranged in a staggered manner in both the row direction and the column direction.

The dielectric layer 17 covering the sustain electrodes X and Y is provided with partition walls such that the portion within the electrode gap where the surface discharge occurs in each cell C is thinner than the portion covering the sustain electrodes X and Y. Depression 7 longer than the 29 spacing
1 is formed. These depressions 71 have a role of increasing the electric field of the surface discharge gap and also have a role of a path for moving charged particles contributing to the priming effect on the cells C adjacent in the row direction. Since cells C are shifted in the column direction between adjacent columns, no discharge coupling occurs between cells C.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a main part of the PDP 4 according to the fourth embodiment. The electrode structure and partition structure of PDP 4 are the same as PDP 1 of FIG. In the PDP 4, the dielectric layer 17 has a bulge 75 such that a portion within the arrangement gap of the sustain electrodes between the cells C adjacent in the column direction is thicker than a portion that locally covers the sustain electrodes X and Y.
Is provided. These bumps 75 together with the depression 71 of the surface discharge gap increase the electric field contributing to the surface discharge.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a main part of the PDP 5 according to the fifth embodiment. The PDP 5 in FIG.
Similarly, a pair of sustain electrodes X and Y are arranged for each row, and partition walls 29 are arranged in a stripe shape. The dielectric layer 17 covering the sustain electrodes X and Y has a surface discharge D
In addition to the dent 71 for making it easier to cause 1, a dent 78 serving as a moving path for charged particles is provided. Depression 78
Are provided one by one in a portion of the reverse slit facing the partition 29, and are separated from each other in the row direction.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a main part of the PDP 6 according to the sixth embodiment. In the PDP 6, a partition 29 having an orthogonal lattice shape is used.
Thus, the discharge space 30 is partitioned for each cell C. The dielectric layer 17 is provided with a depression 71 for facilitating the surface discharge D1 in a portion corresponding to the surface discharge gap in each cell C, and a portion surrounding the lattice point in the portion corresponding to the lattice point of the partition wall 29. A depression 78 is provided for communicating the discharge spaces of the cells C.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a partition structure of the PDP 7 according to the seventh embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a PDP according to the seventh embodiment.
It is a schematic diagram of the principal part of No. 7. Note that the metal film 42 is omitted in FIG.

In the PDP 7, a honeycomb grid-like partition wall 29 is provided.
Thus, the discharge space is partitioned for each cell C. The dielectric layer 17 is provided with a depression 71 for facilitating surface discharge in a portion corresponding to the surface discharge gap in each cell C, and is provided adjacent to the portion corresponding to the lattice point of the partition wall 29 in the column direction. Depression 78 for communicating the discharge space of the cells C
Is provided.

[0033]

According to the first to sixth aspects of the present invention,
Since the electric field related to the surface discharge increases, the driving voltage can be reduced.

According to the third, fifth, or sixth aspect of the present invention, the movement of charged particles contributing to the priming effect between cells is facilitated while preventing discharge coupling, thereby stabilizing the display. be able to.

According to the fifth or sixth aspect of the present invention, even when a partition surrounding the cell is formed for high luminance and high luminous efficiency, it is possible to secure an internal air passage required for manufacturing. In addition, the priming effect between cells can be used for driving.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an electrode matrix of a PDP 1 according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a basic structure of the PDP of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a main part of the PDP according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a main part of a PDP according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a main part of a PDP according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a main part of a PDP according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a main part of a PDP according to a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a main part of a PDP according to a sixth embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a partition structure of a PDP 7 according to a seventh embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a main part of a PDP 7 according to a seventh embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 to 7 PDP (gas discharge display panel) 11 front substrate 17 dielectric layer 29 partition wall 30 discharge space 71 dent (thin portion of dielectric layer) 75 ridge 78 SC screen (matrix screen) provided with dent X, Y sustain electrode (electrode extending in the row direction)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Fumihiro Namiki 4-1-1, Kamiodanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Fujitsu Limited (72) Shigeo Kasahara 4-1-1, Kamiodanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa No. 1 Inside Fujitsu Limited

Claims (6)

[Claims] A plurality of electrodes extending in a row direction of an electrode group corresponding to a matrix screen are arranged on one inner surface of a pair of substrates facing each other across a discharge space, and are covered with a dielectric layer. A gas discharge display panel having a surface discharge structure in which a main discharge is generated between the electrodes, wherein the dielectric layer is a portion within an electrode gap where the main discharge occurs in each of the cells constituting the matrix screen. Wherein the gas discharge display panel is formed locally thinner than a portion covering the electrode. 2. The gas according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer is formed so that a portion within an arrangement gap of the electrodes between adjacent cells is locally thicker than a portion covering the electrodes. Discharge display panel. 3. A partition wall for partitioning the discharge space is provided on the other inner surface of the pair of substrates, and the dielectric layer is provided at a portion facing the partition wall so as to extend the discharge space between adjacent cells. 3. The gas discharge display panel according to claim 1, wherein a recess for communication is provided. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the electrodes protrudes alternately at one end and the other end in the column direction for each of the cells arranged in the row direction, and the electrode extends between a protruding portion and a protruding portion of an adjacent electrode. 4. The gas discharge display panel according to claim 1, wherein the gas discharge display panel is patterned so as to generate a main discharge. 5. The partition wall is formed in an orthogonal lattice shape, and each of the depressions is provided so as to communicate the discharge space between four cells surrounding an intersection of the partition wall lattice. The gas discharge display panel as described in the above. 6. The electrodes are arranged at equal intervals, the partition walls are formed in a honeycomb lattice shape, and the depressions are provided so as to communicate the discharge space between the cells arranged in a column direction. The gas discharge display panel according to claim 3, wherein