GB1421916A - Gas discharge apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1421916 Multi-gap cold-cathode tubes; gas discharge display panels FUJITSU Ltd 15 Dec 1972 [15 Dec 1971] 58184/72 Heading HID [Also in Divisions H3-H5] Gas discharge apparatus comprises first support means 1 supporting on a face thereof a first electrode X3 and a control electrode X1 extending parallel to one another, which arrangement is covered by a first dielectric layer 2, and second support means 3 supporting, on a face thereof that confronts the said face of the first support means, a second electrode Y extending transversely with respect to the first and control electrodes, in crossing relationship thereto, and covered with a second dielectric layer 4, there being a discharge gas confined in a discharge space 5 between the confronting faces of the first and second support means, and voltage supply means connected electrically to the electrodes and operable to establish between the first and second electrodes X3 and Y a working voltage such that a discharge can thereby be produced between those electrodes in dependence upon electrical discharge control conditions (applied control voltage or actual discharge) established by the voltage supply means between the control and second electrodes X1 and Y. A second control electrode X2 may be provided. The electrode arrangement may be operated as a logic AND, OR, NOT, NOR or NAND circuit or as a flip-flop circuit (see Divisions H3-H5) in either a discharge or non- discharge mode. Coupling between adjacent gaps by flow of wall charges may be assisted by providing a resistance film on dielectric layer 4 covering electrode Y. A plurality of the above-described electrode arrangements may be combined to form a plasma display panel (Fig. 2) in which electrodes A, B and C correspond to electrodes X1, X2 and X3 respectively. The electrodes are connected in groups as shown to enable n x m discharge gaps to be addressed from n + m terminals. The number of gaps addressed from the same number of terminals can be doubled by using an additional group of C electrodes (shown dotted). In a further embodiment (Fig. 5, not shown) the Y electrodes are connected in the same way as the A and B electrodes in Fig. 2. The gas filling may be 95 % Ne and 5% N 2