EP0782169A1 - Dispositif d'affichage à effet de champ - Google Patents

Dispositif d'affichage à effet de champ Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0782169A1
EP0782169A1 EP96309300A EP96309300A EP0782169A1 EP 0782169 A1 EP0782169 A1 EP 0782169A1 EP 96309300 A EP96309300 A EP 96309300A EP 96309300 A EP96309300 A EP 96309300A EP 0782169 A1 EP0782169 A1 EP 0782169A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
substrate
face plate
field emission
seal ring
emission display
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP96309300A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Richard K. Robinson
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
STMicroelectronics lnc USA
Original Assignee
SGS Thomson Microelectronics Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by SGS Thomson Microelectronics Inc filed Critical SGS Thomson Microelectronics Inc
Publication of EP0782169A1 publication Critical patent/EP0782169A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J31/00—Cathode ray tubes; Electron beam tubes
    • H01J31/08—Cathode ray tubes; Electron beam tubes having a screen on or from which an image or pattern is formed, picked up, converted, or stored
    • H01J31/10—Image or pattern display tubes, i.e. having electrical input and optical output; Flying-spot tubes for scanning purposes
    • H01J31/12—Image or pattern display tubes, i.e. having electrical input and optical output; Flying-spot tubes for scanning purposes with luminescent screen
    • H01J31/123—Flat display tubes
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J9/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture, installation, removal, maintenance of electric discharge tubes, discharge lamps, or parts thereof; Recovery of material from discharge tubes or lamps
    • H01J9/24—Manufacture or joining of vessels, leading-in conductors or bases
    • H01J9/26—Sealing together parts of vessels
    • H01J9/261—Sealing together parts of vessels the vessel being for a flat panel display
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J2201/00—Electrodes common to discharge tubes
    • H01J2201/30—Cold cathodes
    • H01J2201/304—Field emission cathodes
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J2329/00—Electron emission display panels, e.g. field emission display panels
    • H01J2329/86—Vessels
    • H01J2329/8625—Spacing members
    • H01J2329/863—Spacing members characterised by the form or structure

Definitions

  • This invention relates to Field Emission Displays (FED,s) and the methods for fabricating FED's and more specifically to methods for attaching a face plate to the substrate of a FED.
  • FED Field Emission Displays
  • FED's Field Emission Displays
  • FED's operate on the principle of cathodoluminescent phosphors excited by cold cathode field emission electrons as shown from a sectional view in Figures 1 and a perspective view in Figure 2.
  • a face plate 2 or anode having a cathodoluminescent phosphor coating similar to that of a cathode ray tube receives patterned electron bombardment which can be seen by a viewer.
  • the face plate 2 is separated from the base plate (substrate 6) or cathode by a vacuum gap of 10 -9 Torr to 10 -6 Torr and outside atmospheric pressure is prevented from collapsing the two plates together either by the tensile strength of each of the two plates or by spacers which are not shown in this figure.
  • Arrays of electron emission sites are typically cone shaped that produce electron emission in the presence of an intense electric field.
  • the substrate of a FED includes arrays of emission sites, and connections for addressing and activating the generation of electron beams from those sites.
  • Many techniques are available for creating the emissions from arrays, addressing the emissions arrays, and activating the emissions sites. These techniques are discussed in the Spindt et al. paper above and in many U.S. patents, such as 5,302,207 and 5,329,207, and are hereby incorporated by reference.
  • FEDs might be used to display images similar to the images displayed on CRT's. It is also known that to display an image using an FED that the volume inside the FED has to be evacuated to permit emitted electrons to freely travel through the volume surrounding the FED and impinge upon the face plate. Therefore, the enclosure for the FED should permit the FED to be sealed in an evacuated volume at a high vacuum level.
  • the invention can be summarized as a field emission display and a method and machine for fabricating a field emission displays.
  • the method includes the steps of arranging a seal ring between a face plate and a substrate, heating the seal ring until the seal ring adheres to the face plate and the substrate, and then applying a separating tension to the face plate and the substrate creating a further separation and decreasing the width of the seal ring and increasing the length such that the vacuum is improved.
  • the seal ring may be constructed from glass and heated with a heating coil made from ni-chrome wire.
  • the elements can be positioned using robotic technology.
  • Figure 3 shows that a seal ring 4 is placed between a face plate 2 and a substrate 6.
  • the face plate 2 is the element containing phosphorus which emits light when struck by electrons.
  • the substrate comprises the emitters and the extraction gates even though they are not shown.
  • the seal ring 4 is shaped such that it will match up with the border of the face plate and substrate. It will be appreciated that the seal ring 4 can take any form such as circular or rectangular, as long as the seal ring 4 matches the shape of the face plate 2 and the substrate 6.
  • the seal ring includes a support member 51 which is of the same material as the seal ring 4.
  • the method for fabricating the field emission display includes the steps for the FED assembly illustrated in Fig. 4.
  • a vacuum must be created between the face plate and substrate that is sufficient enough to prevent Paschen breakdown in the space between the emitter tips and the Cathodoluminescent screen normally greater than 10 -3 Torr.
  • One way is to bake out the face plate and substrate at 400 C degrees. By heating a volume to a high temperature and then sealing the volume, the air is removed in the space between the substrate and face plate.
  • An alternate method is to pump the air out of a vacuum chamber 20 using a vacuum pump 14, as shown in Fig. 4.
  • the seal ring 4 is placed and aligned between the face plate 2 and the substrate 6.
  • Both the face plate 2 and substrate 6 are of glass or glasses that reach a viscosity of 100 poise at a temperature greater than the temperature at which seal ring 4's viscosity reaches 100 poise.
  • Pressure plates 16 move face plate 2 and substrate 6 towards seal ring 4 and apply pressure to the assembly 15.
  • heating elements 18 heat seal ring 4 until the seal ring 4 reaches a melted state where the viscosity of the glass is around 100 poise.
  • the heat source is removed and the pressure plates are slightly moved apart to expand the volume between face plate 2 and substrate 6.
  • the FED is removed and the process can begin anew. It can be seen from Figure 8 that the seal ring 4 thickness narrows (point 61) as a result of this process.
  • Both the face plate 2 and the substrate 6 have exposed glass areas for placement of the seal ring 4.
  • This exposed area can be created during the manufacturing by using masks or by etching techniques commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing processes such as masking and chemically or plasma etching.
  • the seal ring 4 is a box shaped glass seal, however, it also can be a ring shaped glass seal.
  • the manufacturing steps above may be performed manually using the vacuum box with manual manipulators for placement of the seal ring 4 in proper alignment with the face plate 2 and substrate 6.
  • the FED may be pre-assemble and place in the vacuum box 20 in which case the volume 5 between the face plate 2 and substrate 6 must be heated to approximately 400° C to effectively bake out the volume 5, substrate 6 and face plate 2.
  • Figure 4 further illustrates how the method for manufacturing the field emission display may be implemented.
  • the seal ring 4 is placed between the face plate and the substrate which are all in a vacuum chamber 20. Also in the chamber is a heat source 18 shown in close proximity of the seal ring 4, a pressure plate 16A for moving the seal ring 4, and a pressure plate 16B for moving the substrate 6. It will be understood that positioning means can be accomplished by robotics which are common in the semiconductor industry.
  • FIG. 5 Another illustration, in the form of a block diagram, of an automatic apparatus for manufacturing the FED's is provided in Figure 5 in which there is a face plate cassette 36.
  • the cassettes disclosed in figure 5 as well as the articulating arms are similar to those disclosed in U.S. patent 4,891,087 which is incorporated herein by referenced.
  • a vacuum chamber 20 that is evacuated by vacuum pump 34.
  • top and bottom pressure plates (16A not shown) and 16 B respectively position to receive the top face plate 2, the substrate 6 and seal ring 4.
  • Also within the vacuum chamber 20 is a face plate cassette 22, a seal ring cassette 24 and a substrate cassette 26.
  • a articulating arm 38A which is a device similar to that disclosed in US paten 4,891,087 sequentially retrieves a substrate 6 from the substrate cassette 26 and places it on the pressure 16b; retrieves a seal ring 4 from the seal ring cassette 24 and places it in alignment over the substrate 6.
  • the pressure plate 16a lifts the seal ring of off the articulating arm 38a and places it on the previously position substrate 6.
  • the articulating arm 38a retrieves a face plate 2 from the face plate cassette 2 and places it in alignment with the seal ring 4.
  • the motor drive system 50 is control by the control panel 28 that includes a microprocessor (not shown).
  • Each pressure plates 16A and 16B include a heat source 18 (refer to figure 6) for heating the both the substrate 2 and face plate 6.
  • the seal ring 4 receives heat from the pressure plates 16A and 16B as well as heat source 18.
  • each pressure plate has a retention assembly 40 of figure 6 for retaining the face plate 2, seal ring 4 and substrate 6.
  • Temperature sensor 32 monitors the temperate of the chamber 20 and in particular the FED that is being assembled between the pressure plates 16A and 16B.
  • Pressure sensor 30 monitor the temperature within the chamber 25. All of this data is connected to the control and display panel 28 to automatically control the manufacture of a cassette of FEDs.
  • each pressure plate 16 includes a retainer assembly 40 that has a retaining lip 42 that retains the plate (either face 2 or substrate 6) and seal ring 4 in proper alignment.
  • Levers 48 operate in combination with the motor drive system 50 and hinges 47 to lower and separate the side members 46 and end members 44. As the side members 46 separate springs 52 that are connected between the side members 46 and end members 44 causes the end members 44 to also separate.
  • Pins 51 are used to lift the glass plate (either face plate 2 or substrate 6) from the articulating arm 38a following its positioning over pressure plate 16b.
  • the pins 51 arm retracted as the side members 46 and end members 44 close through the operation of the motor drive system 50.
  • the seal ring 4 is lifted from the articulating arm 38a following its positioning over the pressure plate 16b by the pressure plate 16a closing the side members and end members around the seal ring 4 and gripping it with lips 43. After it is position on to the glass plate resting on the pressure plate 16b the side members 46 and end members 44 retract to release the seal ring.
  • the articulating arm 38a retrieves the glass plate that is to be held by the pressure plate 16a and position it over the previously placed seal ring 4.
  • the pressure plate 16a is the lowered and the side members 46 and end members 44 open and grip the previously positioned glass plate by retaining ledges 42.
  • the execution of the automatic manufacture of an FED in the system of figures 5 and 6 are controlled by a microprocessor (not shown) contained within the control and display panel 28 which is programmed to execute the steps of figure 7. These steps include the following: initialization 100, evacuating a chamber containing the elements of the FED to be assembled. Once a the chamber has been evacuated (101) to a point sufficient enough to prevent Paschen breakdown in the space between the emitter tips and the cathodoluminescent screen of an assembled device a bottom plate is locked and loaded for processing 103.
  • the bottom plate can either be the face plate 2 or the substrate 6. However in the event that spacers are included, then it is preferable that the substrate be the bottom plate.
  • the seal ring 4 can be constructed from glass or any material which can be melted and which will adhere to face plates and substrates. The seal ring 4 material must be able to maintain its adherence to the face plate and the substrate while being stretched.
  • the step of heating the seal ring 4 may be accomplished by energizing heating coils in close proximity of the sealing layer.
  • the ni-chrome heating coils may provide sufficient heat to melt the sealing layer.
  • Radio frequency or infrared heating techniques may also be used to heat the sealing layer.
  • the arranging and pulling of the face plate 2, seal ring 4, and substrate 6 may be accomplished by using robotics apparatus which is common in the semiconductor industry.
  • the robotics apparatus can be programmed to place the sealing layer close to the heating coils and between face plate and the substrate. Additionally, the robotics apparatus can sense when the sealing layer is beginning to flow and then pull the face plate away from the substrate. By pulling the face plate away from the substrate, the created volume is increased proportional to the distance which it is pulled apart. If the distance between the face plate and the substrate is doubled, than the volume is approximately doubled, for example. Therefore, the vacuum is doubled since no additional air can enter.
  • Figure 8A illustrates an FED from the perspective view with a cross section mark 8B.
  • Figure 8C is the perspective view of the FED at the cross section mark 8B. From this cross section, the seal ring 4 and the spacers 51 are visible.
  • the spacers 51 may be spherical shaped 71 ( Figure 10) or cylindrical 81 ( Figure 10B) as described in PCT WO 94/15244 application which is incorporated herein by reference.
  • Figure 9 shows a wafer 200 having a plurality of FED assemblies shown in dotted outline form.
  • the sealing rings can be placed between a substrate wafer and a face plate wafer such that the alignment is done on a wafer by wafer basis.
  • the wafer 200 has scribe lines 210 which is where the wafers would be cut to make finished assemblies.
  • the apparatus of Figures 5-7 may be used with size adjustments and using circular pressure plates to manufacture a complete wafer 200 of FEDs.
  • the invention provides a method for fabricating a field emission display which has increased vacuum compared the vacuum chamber where it is assembled and is thus an improved fabrication method for field emission displays.
EP96309300A 1995-12-29 1996-12-19 Dispositif d'affichage à effet de champ Withdrawn EP0782169A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US58086695A 1995-12-29 1995-12-29
US580866 1995-12-29

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0782169A1 true EP0782169A1 (fr) 1997-07-02

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EP96309300A Withdrawn EP0782169A1 (fr) 1995-12-29 1996-12-19 Dispositif d'affichage à effet de champ

Country Status (1)

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EP (1) EP0782169A1 (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1126496A2 (fr) * 2000-02-16 2001-08-22 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Procédé et appareil pour fabriquer un dispositif d'affichage d'images
EP1139376A2 (fr) * 2000-03-23 2001-10-04 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Procédé et dispositif pour fabriquer un appareil d'affichage d'images

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4407658A (en) * 1981-03-02 1983-10-04 Beckman Instruments, Inc. Gas discharge display device sealing method for reducing gas contamination
US4891087A (en) 1984-10-22 1990-01-02 Texas Instruments Incorporated Isolation substrate ring for plasma reactor
US5302207A (en) 1992-04-16 1994-04-12 Jurcisin Gregory D Line striper apparatus with optical sighting means
WO1994015244A1 (fr) 1992-12-29 1994-07-07 Pixel International S.A. Espaceurs pour ecrans plats de visualisation et procedes de mise en ×uvre de ces espaceurs
US5329207A (en) 1992-05-13 1994-07-12 Micron Technology, Inc. Field emission structures produced on macro-grain polysilicon substrates
FR2704672A1 (fr) * 1993-04-26 1994-11-04 Futaba Denshi Kogyo Kk Enveloppe hermétique pour panneau d'affichage d'images, panneau d'affichage d'images et méthode pour la production dudit panneau.
FR2705163A1 (fr) * 1993-05-12 1994-11-18 Pixel Int Sa Procédé de mise en vide et de scellement d'écrans plats de visualisation.
US5448131A (en) * 1994-04-13 1995-09-05 Texas Instruments Incorporated Spacer for flat panel display
EP0732723A1 (fr) * 1995-03-17 1996-09-18 Pixtech S.A. Ecran plat de visualisation à distance inter-électrodes élevée

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4407658A (en) * 1981-03-02 1983-10-04 Beckman Instruments, Inc. Gas discharge display device sealing method for reducing gas contamination
US4891087A (en) 1984-10-22 1990-01-02 Texas Instruments Incorporated Isolation substrate ring for plasma reactor
US5302207A (en) 1992-04-16 1994-04-12 Jurcisin Gregory D Line striper apparatus with optical sighting means
US5329207A (en) 1992-05-13 1994-07-12 Micron Technology, Inc. Field emission structures produced on macro-grain polysilicon substrates
WO1994015244A1 (fr) 1992-12-29 1994-07-07 Pixel International S.A. Espaceurs pour ecrans plats de visualisation et procedes de mise en ×uvre de ces espaceurs
FR2704672A1 (fr) * 1993-04-26 1994-11-04 Futaba Denshi Kogyo Kk Enveloppe hermétique pour panneau d'affichage d'images, panneau d'affichage d'images et méthode pour la production dudit panneau.
FR2705163A1 (fr) * 1993-05-12 1994-11-18 Pixel Int Sa Procédé de mise en vide et de scellement d'écrans plats de visualisation.
US5448131A (en) * 1994-04-13 1995-09-05 Texas Instruments Incorporated Spacer for flat panel display
EP0732723A1 (fr) * 1995-03-17 1996-09-18 Pixtech S.A. Ecran plat de visualisation à distance inter-électrodes élevée

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
SPINDT ET AL.: "Physical Properties of Thin Film Field Emission Cathodes with Molybdenum Cones", J. APPLIED PHYSICS, vol. 47, 1976, pages 5248
VAUDAINE P ET AL: ""MICROTIPS" FLUORESCENT DISPLAY", 8 December 1991, PROCEEDINGS OF THE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRON DEVICES MEETING, WASHINGTON, DEC. 8 - 11, 1991, NR. -, PAGE(S) 91/197 - 200, INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS, XP000342125 *

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1126496A2 (fr) * 2000-02-16 2001-08-22 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Procédé et appareil pour fabriquer un dispositif d'affichage d'images
EP1126496A3 (fr) * 2000-02-16 2004-03-17 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Procédé et appareil pour fabriquer un dispositif d'affichage d'images
US6905384B2 (en) 2000-02-16 2005-06-14 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Method and apparatus for manufacturing image displaying apparatus
US7226335B2 (en) 2000-02-16 2007-06-05 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Method and apparatus for manufacturing image displaying apparatus
CN100430981C (zh) * 2000-02-16 2008-11-05 佳能株式会社 制作图象显示装置的方法和设备
US7628670B2 (en) 2000-02-16 2009-12-08 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Method and apparatus for manufacturing image displaying apparatus
EP1139376A2 (fr) * 2000-03-23 2001-10-04 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Procédé et dispositif pour fabriquer un appareil d'affichage d'images
EP1139376A3 (fr) * 2000-03-23 2004-03-17 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Procédé et dispositif pour fabriquer un appareil d'affichage d'images

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