GB1415673A - Gas discharge panel and method of fabrication - Google Patents

Abstract

1415673 Gas discharge display panels OWENS-ILLINOIS Inc 7 Nov 1972 [9 Nov 1971] 51252/72 Heading H1D A gas discharge panel comprises a non- conductive substrate 10, a first conductor array 11 on said substrate, a dielectric layer 12 on the substrate over said first conductor array, a second conductor array 13 located on the opposite surface of said dielectric layer to the first conductor array, cross-points of the conductors in the two arrays defining respective discharge areas, means for confining a gaseous medium to the region of said opposite surface of the dielectric layer, the arrangement being such that the first conductor array 11 is not in contact with the gaseous medium, and means at each discharge area for defining a discharge site which is isolated from discharge sites at adjacent discharge areas. The gaseous medium may be two or more gases selected from Ne, A, Xe, Kr, and Ra with the optional addition of Hg and/or He, and the said means for confining the medium may be a rib of glass frit (not shown) to which is sealed a viewing cover-plate 19. The said means for defining the discharge sites may be either a plurality of depressions 15 or dots of photo-emissive material. The depressions 15 may be formed by photoetching or by laser beam or sonic drilling and may be located over the bottom conductors 11 and adjacent the top conductors 13 as shown, or alternatively need not be in alignment with any of the conductors. The panel may be made either by printing conductors 11 of Au, Ag or Cu or by fastening wires by adhesive on the substrate 10 which may be curved, and then applying a dielectric coating 12, e.g. of lead borosilicate glass. The cavities 15 may be formed either before or after conductors 13 are applied in the same way as conductors 11. A layer 16 which may be either non-conductive or conductive and discontinuous but is preferably a good photo-emitter is then applied by vapour deposition. Suitable non-conductive materials are an oxide of Pb, Si, Al, Ti, Zr, Hf, Mg, Be, Ca, Sr, Ba or rare earth. Suitable conductive materials are Zn, Pb, Au, Cu, Ag. Each conductor 11 may be covered with an etch resistant coating (Fig. 5, not shown) e.g. of alumina or chrome nitride prior to forming the cavities 15 by etching. The layer 16 may be omitted or may be replaced by a phosphor layer. The electrodes may be split longitudinally with the depressions 15 positioned between the two halves of each split electrode.