JP2000243292A - Manufacturing device and manufacture of electron source - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide within a short process time an electron source having a plurality of electron emission elements, each having uniform electron emission characteristic. SOLUTION: When a drive method, wherein there are provided that the relationship between a current I and a voltage V in a voltage range causing electron emission from electron emissive elements is expressed as a function of equation I: I=f(V), where f'(V) is differential coefficient of the f(V) at the voltage V, after drive is previously carried out with a preliminary drive voltage V1, normal drive is carried out with a voltage V2 satisfying expression II: f(V1)/ V1*f'(V1)-2f(V1)}>f(V2)/ V2*f'(V2)-2f(V2)} is employed in a manufacturing process of an electron source having a plurality of electron emission elements on a substrate 101, a plurality of the elements are divided into plural groups, voltages are sequentially applied to by each group, and drive for applying the preliminary drive voltage V1 to all the elements of the electron source is performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for manufacturing a multi-electron source having a large number of electron-emitting devices, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for pre-driving a multi-electron source.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, two types of electron emitting devices, a hot cathode device and a cold cathode device, are known. Among them, as the cold cathode device, for example, a field emission device (hereinafter referred to as FE type), a metal / insulating layer / metal type emission device (hereinafter referred to as MIM type), a surface conduction type emission device, and the like are known. .

As an example of the FE type, see, for example, P. D
yke & W. W. Dolan, "Field em
issue ", Advance in Electr
on Physics, 8, 89 (1956) or C.I. A. Spindt, "Physical pr
operations of thin-film figure
ld emission cathodes with
molybdenium cones ", J. App.
l. Phys. , 47, 5248 (1976).

As an example of the MIM type, for example,
C. A. Mead, “Operation of tu
nnel-emission Devices, J. et al. A
ppl. Phys. , 32, 646 (1961).

Further, as a surface conduction type emission device, for example, M.S. I. Elinson, Radio Eng. E
electron Phys. , 10, 1290, (19
65) and other examples described later.

[0006] The surface conduction electron-emitting device utilizes a phenomenon in which an electron is emitted when a current flows in a small-area thin film formed on a substrate in parallel with the film surface. As this surface conduction type emission element, Sn described by Elinson et al.
In addition to those using the O ₂ thin film, those using the Au thin film [G. Dittmer: "Thin Solid Fil
ms ", 9,317 (1972)] and In ₂ O ₃ / S
nO ₂ thin film [M. Hartwell and
C. G. FIG. Fonstad: "IEEE Trans.
ED Conf. , 519 (1975)] and those using carbon thin films [Hisashi Araki et al .: Vacuum, Vol. 26, No. 1,
No. 22 (1983)].

[0007] As a typical example of the element configuration of these surface conduction electron-emitting devices, FIG. Hartwel
1 shows a plan view of an element according to the present invention. In FIG.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a substrate, and reference numeral 3004 denotes a conductive thin film made of a metal oxide formed by sputtering. The conductive thin film 3004 is formed in an H-shaped planar shape as shown. An electron emission portion 3005 is formed by subjecting the conductive thin film 3004 to an energization process called energization forming described later. The interval L in the figure is 0.5 to 1 [mm], and W is
It is set at 0.1 [mm]. For convenience of illustration, the electron-emitting portion 3005 is shown in a rectangular shape at the center of the conductive thin film 3004, but this is a schematic shape, and the position and shape of the actual electron-emitting portion are faithfully represented. Not necessarily.

M. In the above-described surface conduction type electron-emitting device including the device by Hartwell et al., The electron-emitting portion 3005 is formed by applying an energization process called energization forming to the conductive thin film 3004 before electron emission.
It was common to form That is, the energizing form
The term “ming” refers to applying a constant DC voltage to both ends of the conductive thin film 3004, or applying a DC voltage that is boosted at a very slow rate of, for example, about 1 V / min, to conduct electricity.
The electron emitting portion 30 in a state where the conductive thin film 3004 is locally destroyed, deformed or deteriorated, and is in an electrically high resistance state.
05 is formed. Note that a crack is generated in a part of the conductive thin film 3004 that is locally broken, deformed, or altered. When an appropriate voltage is applied to the conductive thin film 3004 after the energization forming, electrons are emitted in the vicinity of the crack.

As described above, when forming the electron-emitting portion of the surface conduction electron-emitting device, a current is applied to the conductive thin film to locally break, deform or alter the thin film, thereby forming a crack ( Energization forming process). Thereafter, by further performing the activation process, it is possible to greatly improve the electron emission characteristics.

That is, the energization activation process is an energization form.
This is a process of energizing the electron-emitting portion formed by the trimming process under appropriate conditions and depositing carbon or a carbon compound in the vicinity thereof. For example, in a vacuum atmosphere having an appropriate partial pressure of an organic substance and a total pressure of about 10 ⁻² to 10 ⁻³ [Pa], a voltage pulse is periodically applied so that a single voltage is applied near the electron emitting portion. Any of crystalline graphite, polycrystalline graphite, and amorphous carbon,
Alternatively, the mixture is deposited to a thickness of 500 [Å] or less. However, it is needless to say that this condition is only an example and should be appropriately changed depending on the material and shape of the surface conduction electron-emitting device.

By performing such processing, the emission current at the same applied voltage can typically be increased by 100 times or more as compared with immediately after the energization forming. It is desirable to reduce the partial pressure of the organic substance in the vacuum atmosphere after the completion of the activation. This is called a stabilization step.

The above-described surface conduction electron-emitting device has an advantage that a large number of devices can be formed over a large area because the structure is simple and the production is easy. Therefore, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 64-31332 by the present applicant, a method for arranging and driving a large number of elements has been studied.

As for the application of the surface conduction electron-emitting device, for example, an image forming apparatus such as an image display device and an image recording device, and a charged beam source have been studied. In particular, as an application to an image display device, for example, U.S. Pat.
As disclosed in SP5, 066, 883 and JP-A-2-257551, an image display device using a combination of a surface conduction electron-emitting device and a phosphor which emits light by irradiation with electrons has been studied. An image display device using a combination of a surface conduction emission device and a phosphor is expected to have better characteristics than other conventional image display devices. For example, compared to a liquid crystal display device that has become widespread in recent years, it can be said that it is excellent in that it is a self-luminous type and does not require a backlight and has a wide viewing angle.

The present applicants have tried to manufacture surface conduction type emission devices having various materials, manufacturing methods and structures, including those described in the above-mentioned prior art. Furthermore, research has been conducted on a multi-beam electron source in which a large number of surface conduction electron-emitting devices are arranged, and on an image display device using the multi-beam electron source.

The present applicants have attempted to produce a multi-electron beam source by, for example, an electrical wiring method shown in FIG. That is, it is a multi-electron beam source in which a large number of surface conduction emission devices are two-dimensionally arranged and these devices are wired in a matrix as shown in the figure. In the figure, 4001 schematically shows a surface conduction electron-emitting device, 4002 shows a row direction wiring, and 4003 shows a column direction wiring. Row direction wiring 4
002 and the column wiring 4003 actually have a finite electrical resistance, but in the drawing, the wiring resistance 4
004 and 4005. The above-described wiring method is called simple matrix wiring.

Although a 6 × 6 matrix is shown for convenience of illustration, the size of the matrix is not limited to this. For example, in the case of a multi-electron beam source for an image display device, a desired image is displayed. Elements that are sufficient for displaying are arranged and wired.

In a multi-electron beam source in which surface conduction electron-emitting devices are arranged in a simple matrix, appropriate electric signals are applied to the row-direction wiring 4002 and the column-direction wiring 4003 in order to output a desired electron beam. For example, to drive a surface conduction electron-emitting device of an arbitrary row in a matrix, a selection voltage Vs is applied to a row-directional wiring 4002 of a selected row, and at the same time, a row-directional wiring 4002 of a non-selected row is applied.
Is applied with a non-selection voltage Vns. In synchronization with this, a drive voltage Ve for outputting an electron beam is applied to the column wiring 4003. According to this method, the wiring resistance 4004
Neglecting the voltage drop caused by Ve and Vs, the voltage of Ve−Vs is applied to the surface conduction type emission element of the selected row, and Ve−V is applied to the surface conduction type emission element of the non-selected row.
A voltage of ns is applied. If Ve, Vs, and Vns are set to voltages of appropriate magnitudes, an electron beam of a desired intensity should be output only from the surface conduction electron-emitting device of the selected row, and a different driving voltage is applied to each of the column wirings. If Ve is applied, each of the elements in the selected row should output a different intensity electron beam. Further, since the response speed of the surface conduction electron-emitting device is high, if the length of time for applying the driving voltage Ve is changed, the length of time for outputting the electron beam can be changed. Therefore, various applications are considered for the multi-electron beam source in which the surface conduction electron-emitting devices are arranged in a simple matrix.
For example, if a voltage signal corresponding to image information is appropriately applied, it is expected that the device can be applied as an electron source for an image display device.

[0018]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present inventors have intensively studied to improve the characteristics of a surface conduction electron-emitting device, and as a result, it has been found that performing a preliminary driving process prior to a normal driving in a manufacturing process is effective. Was found to be a target.

As described above, when forming the electron-emitting portion of the surface conduction electron-emitting device, carbon or a carbon compound is deposited near the electron-emitting portion by the activation process after the energization forming process. . Further, it is preferable to perform a stabilization step after the activation of the current supply. This step is a step of exhausting the organic substance in the vacuum container. It is preferable to use a vacuum-evacuation device that does not use oil so that an organic substance such as oil generated from the device does not affect the characteristics of the element. Specifically, a vacuum evacuation device such as a magnetic levitation type turbo molecular pump, a cryopump, a sorption pump, an ion pump and the like can be mentioned. The partial pressure of the organic component in the vacuum vessel is preferably 1 × 10 ⁻⁶ Pa or less, more preferably 1 × 1 ⁻⁶ Pa, at which the above-mentioned carbon and carbon compounds are hardly newly deposited.
It is particularly preferably ^0-8 Pa or less. Further, when evacuating the inside of the vacuum vessel, it is preferable to heat the entire vacuum vessel to facilitate evacuating the organic substance molecules adsorbed on the inner wall of the vacuum vessel and the electron-emitting device. In an atmosphere in which the partial pressure of organic substances in such a vacuum atmosphere obtained by the stabilization process is reduced,
The energization process performed before the normal driving is the preliminary driving process.

In the surface conduction electron-emitting device, the electric field intensity near the electron-emitting portion during driving is extremely high. For this reason, when driven for a long time at the same driving voltage, there is a problem that the amount of emitted electrons gradually decreases. It is considered that a change with time in the vicinity of the electron emitting portion due to the high electric field strength is caused by a decrease in the amount of emitted electrons.

This will be described. According to Fowler and Nordheim et al., The relationship between the current I emitted from the FE type electron-emitting device and the voltage V applied between the cathode and the gate is:

[0022]

(Equation 5) It is represented by In the above formula, A and B are constants depending on the material and the emission area near the electron emission portion, β is a parameter depending on the shape near the electron emission portion, and the voltage V
Multiplied by β is the electric field strength. Here, the FE type electron-emitting device will be described as an example. In the case of a surface conduction type electron-emitting device, the same equation is applied to a device current or an emission current I with respect to a voltage V applied between a pair of electrodes. This is because they have been found to be expressed in the same way simply by replacing.

When the electrical characteristics plotted in the graph of FIG. 11 are approximated by a straight line (broken line in FIG. 11), a value obtained by dividing the applied voltage V by the slope S of the approximate straight line has a minus sign.

[0024]

(Equation 6) Is proportional to the intensity of the electric field formed between the cathode 23 and the gate 24.

Further, if the above relationship is expressed more generally, the relationship between the emission current I and the voltage V can be expressed as

[0026]

(Equation 7) F ′ (V) is expressed by f
When the differential coefficient of (V) is obtained, the electric field strength at voltage V is given by (Equation 3).

[0027]

(Equation 8) Is expressed as

[0028]

(Equation 9) It turns out that it is proportional to.

A typical value of the electric field intensity in the FE type electron-emitting device is a very high value on the order of about 10 ⁷ V / cm. This point is also applied between the pair of electrodes of the surface conduction electron-emitting device.

If driving is continued for a long period of time under a large electric field intensity by a usual method under the strong electric field, the structural members change irregularly under a strong electric field, and the emission current value becomes unstable. Become. In addition, when the above-mentioned change occurs irreversibly, the emission current is often reduced, and appears as a decrease in luminance in the image display device. The above-described instability of the current during driving can be reduced by performing preliminary driving, which is a driving method performed prior to normal driving.

The preliminary driving according to the present invention is performed, for example, in the following procedure. First, the applied voltage and emission current of at least two different drive voltages of the electron-emitting device to which the preliminary driving is applied, and the derivative of the emission current at each applied voltage are determined. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the emission current value I1 corresponding to the applied voltage of V1 and V1
The amount of change dI in the emission current when the value is slightly changed by dV1
From 1, the derivative I′1 of the emission current is calculated as I′1 = dI1 / d
V1 and similarly, the emission current value I2 corresponding to V2
And the differential coefficient I′2.

Next, f (V) in (Equation 7) corresponding to each applied voltage V1 and V2 is defined as I1 and I2, and f '(V) is defined as I'1 and I'2 (Equation 7). Compare the values obtained from At this time, for example,

[0033]

(Equation 10) Is obtained, V1 is adopted as a preliminary drive voltage (hereinafter, referred to as Vpre), and V2 is adopted as a normal drive voltage (hereinafter, referred to as Vdrv). vice versa,

[0034]

[Equation 11] Is obtained, V2 is adopted as a preliminary driving voltage (hereinafter, referred to as Vpre), and V1 is employed as a normal driving voltage (hereinafter, referred to as Vdrv).

It is desirable that the preliminary driving be performed for a time until the electric field intensity during driving is stabilized. However, if the preliminary driving is continued until the relative change rate of the electric field intensity during the preliminary driving is within 5%. Further, it was found that the fluctuation rate of the electric field intensity was within about 5% even if the driving was continued, and the effect of the preliminary driving was sufficiently realized. Therefore, from (Equation 7), f (V1) / {V · f ′ (V1) −2f (V1)}
The preliminary driving may be performed until the rate of change of the value becomes within 5%.

At the time of the preliminary driving, it is preferable to apply a voltage while monitoring the rate of change of the electric field intensity during the preliminary driving. A pulse voltage can be preferably used as the pre-driving voltage. For example, the change rate of the electric field intensity is calculated during the pulse pause time (between the application of the pulse voltage and the application of the next pulse voltage). The application of the voltage may be performed, and the application of the voltage may be stopped when the rate of change becomes within 5%.

The following method can be used to check the rate of change of the electric field intensity during the preliminary driving. During the pre-driving, the pre-driving voltages V1 and V1 and the voltage V12 different from the very small voltage dV1 are continuously applied, and the currents I1, I12 flowing when the respective voltages are applied and the difference dI1 between I1, I12 are obtained. Here, f ′ (V1) = dI1 / d
V1 and f (V1) = I1 from (Equation 5), the above-mentioned f (V1) / ｛V · f ′ (V1) −2f
(V1)｝

[0038]

(Equation 12) It follows that the rate of change of the value of Epre can be seen.

FIG. 1 shows a voltage waveform in the preliminary driving.
Voltage waveforms as shown in 3 (a), (b) and (c) can be used. FIG. 13A shows that the preliminary drive voltage V1 is set to T.
This is a voltage waveform in which the voltage changes to voltage V12 over T12 hours immediately after application for one hour. FIG. 13B shows that the voltage V12 is changed to T just after the preliminary drive voltage V1 is applied for T1 time.
It is a voltage waveform applied for 12 hours. FIG. 13 (c)
Is a voltage waveform in which the voltage V12 is applied for T12 after the preliminary driving voltage V1 is applied for T1. From the current values at the applied voltages V1 and V12, the rate of change of the value of Epre is determined, and the preliminary driving may be performed until the rate of change is within 5%.

Further, in the electron-emitting device corresponding to (Equation 8) subjected to the stabilization step, the device current If and the emission current Ie have MI characteristics with respect to the device voltage Vf, and have the MI characteristics with respect to the device voltage Vf. The element current If and the emission current Ie are uniquely determined. At this time, the If-Vf characteristics and the Ie-Vf characteristics depend on the maximum voltage Vmax applied after the stabilization step.

With respect to the IV characteristics of this electron-emitting device,
This will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 14 (a)
FIG. 14B is a diagram showing a relationship between If and Vf, and FIG. 14B is a diagram showing a relationship between Ie and Vf.

In FIGS. 14A and 14B, the solid line shows the IV characteristics of the element driven at the maximum voltage Vmax = Vmax1. When this element is driven at an element voltage lower than Vmaxl, I shown by the solid line
It has the same IV characteristics as the -V characteristics. However, Vmax
When driven at a voltage Vmax2 of 1 or more, the device exhibits different IV characteristics as indicated by the broken line in the figure,
When this device is driven with a device voltage of Vmax2 or less, the device has the same IV characteristics as the IV characteristics shown by the broken line. This is probably because the maximum voltage Vmax applied to the electron-emitting device changes the shape of the electron-emitting portion, the electron-emitting area, and the like.

By pre-driving the element with the element voltage V1 in the pre-driving step, as shown in FIG. 15, the electron-emitting element has the lf-Vf characteristic and Ie-Vf uniquely determined by the voltage Vmax = V1. It has characteristics.

Next, the element current at the element voltage Vf1 at the end of the pre-driving is defined as If1, and from the If-Vf characteristic determined by the pre-driving, V is such that If2 ≦ 0.7Ifl.
f2 is selected as the drive voltage (Vf2 in FIG. 15). This is because a decrease in emission current can be suppressed for a long time by setting the drive voltage to satisfy If2 ≦ 0.7If1.

Even if the driving voltage Vf2 that satisfies If2 ≦ 0.7 Ifl is applied to the element that has been preliminarily driven at the element voltage Vf1 as described above, the shape of the electron emission portion and the emission area hardly change. Therefore, during driving, the device is driven with a lower device current If than during pre-driving, while having substantially the same emission area as during pre-driving. Therefore, it is considered that the current density of the device current flowing to the electron-emitting portion during driving can be reduced, the thermal deterioration of the electron-emitting portion can be suppressed, and electrons can be stably emitted for a long time.

In the pre-driving, when driving at a voltage lower than the pre-driving voltage after the pre-driving, the
It may be performed for a time necessary for the -Vf characteristic and the Ie-Vf characteristic not to change, and the pulse width may be several μsec to several tens ms.
ec, preferably by applying a pulse voltage of 10 μsec to 10 msec several pulses to several tens of pulses or more,
It can be carried out.

In the case where V1> V2, there is a relation such as (Equation 9), the preliminary driving voltage Vpre
The normal drive voltage Vdrv becomes higher than
The electron emission portion changed by the voltage of pre (electron emission portion A
) Is applied when the voltage of Vdrv is applied. However, the main electron emission source that determines the amount of electron emission at this point is a different electron emission portion (referred to as an electron emission portion B).
The contribution of the electron emission portion A to the total emission current is small. Even in such a relationship, the preliminary drive is still effective,
By applying the voltage of Vpre in advance, a significant variation factor of the electron emission portion A can be reduced in advance, and the subsequent destructive variation in the drive voltage of Vdrv can be prevented.

The pre-driving method described above is based on the F
It is also effective for electron-emitting devices other than the E-type electron-emitting device and the surface conduction electron-emitting device, for example, MIM-type electron-emitting devices.

When manufacturing an electron source having a plurality of electron-emitting devices, such as a multi-electron source in which a large number of electron-emitting devices are arranged in a simple matrix, all the elements constituting the electron source must be controlled before driving. By performing the preliminary driving process, a multi-electron source having stable electron emission characteristics can be realized.

According to the present invention, such a pre-driving process is applied to an electron source having a plurality of electron-emitting devices so that the electron source can obtain uniform electron-emitting characteristics in a short process time. It is intended to provide.

[0051]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, the relationship between the current I and the voltage V in a voltage range involving emission of electrons from an electron-emitting device is defined.

[0052]

(Equation 13) F ′ (V) is expressed by f
When the differential coefficient of (V) is used, after driving in advance with the preliminary driving voltage of V1,

[0053]

[Equation 14] When applying a driving method of performing normal driving at a voltage V2 in a manufacturing process of an electron source having a plurality of electron-emitting devices on a substrate, the plurality of devices are divided into a plurality of groups, and each group is divided into a plurality of groups. A voltage is sequentially applied, and driving is performed by applying a pre-driving voltage V1 to all the elements of the electron source.

[0054]

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the driving is performed by repeating a voltage application sequentially performed for each group a plurality of times. In addition, a voltage composed of a plurality of voltage pulses is applied to each group, and a voltage pulse is applied to another group between the plurality of voltage pulses. Further, in each group, a plurality of electron-emitting devices are commonly wired, and the driving is performed by:
The voltage is applied from both ends or one end of the common wiring.

In the case where the plurality of electron-emitting devices are connected in a matrix by a plurality of row-direction wirings and a plurality of column-direction wirings, the electron-emitting devices are provided for each of one or more row-direction wirings or column wirings. Set the group of. Alternatively, a block defined by one or a plurality of row-direction wirings and column-direction wirings is set as a group of the electron-emitting devices.

The voltage V1 is a current If2 which is applied to the electron-emitting device when the voltage V2 is applied to drive the electron-emitting device after the voltage applying step. The voltage V1
Is applied to the electron-emitting device when Ifl is applied.
In this case, it is preferable to set the voltage to satisfy If2 ≦ 0.7If1. The driving at the voltage V1 is as follows.
It is preferable to perform the process until the rate of change of the value on the left side in (Equation 2) becomes 5% or less.

[0057]

According to the above arrangement, by pre-driving while simultaneously selecting a plurality of grouped electron-emitting devices, all the devices can be pre-driven in a short time, and as a result, there is little variation in characteristics. An electron source can be realized.
Further, by applying a voltage composed of a plurality of voltage pulses to each group and applying a voltage pulse to another group between the plurality of voltage pulses, the pre-driving time can be further reduced. As a result, a multi-electron source comprising many electron-emitting devices can be uniformly and
It is possible to manufacture in a short process time.

[0058]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples. [Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 shows an example of a pre-driving apparatus which is an apparatus for manufacturing a surface conduction electron-emitting device in this embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 103 denotes a pre-driving power supply unit for generating a pre-driving voltage pulse, 102 denotes a line selection unit for applying a voltage pulse generated by the pre-driving power supply unit 103 to a required line, and 104 denotes a pre-driving power supply unit 103 A control unit 101 for controlling the line selection unit 102 is an electron source substrate in which a plurality of surface conduction electron-emitting devices are preliminarily driven and arranged in a simple matrix of m rows × n columns. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the forming process and the activation process of the substrate 101 have already been completed and the substrate 101 is in a stabilization process. The substrate 101 is connected to a vacuum exhaust device (not shown).
It is evacuated to about ^10-7 Pa or less.

Hereinafter, a method of pre-driving the surface conduction electron-emitting device in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
The pre-driving power supply unit 103 is for generating a voltage pulse necessary for pre-driving. In the present embodiment, the pre-driving power supply unit 103 outputs the above-described voltage waveform shown in FIG. ) = 1 msec, T2 (pulse interval) = 10 msec, and the voltage peak value Vpre was 17V. The voltage waveform and the output on / off are controlled by the control unit 104. The voltage waveform output from the preliminary drive power supply unit 103 is input to the line selection unit 102,
There, it is applied to the selected line.

Here, the line selection unit 102 will be described with reference to FIG. The line selection unit 102 is configured by a switch such as a relay or an analog switch. When the electron source substrate 101 is an m × n matrix,
M switches such as 1 to swxm are arranged in parallel, and are connected to the wiring terminals Dx1 to Dxm of the electron source substrate 4 via the wirings Sx1 to Sxm. The switch s
wx1 to swxm are controlled by the control unit 104, and operate so that a voltage waveform from the pre-drive power supply unit 103 is applied to a line to be pre-driven. In the example of FIG. 3, the first line is selected by the operation of sw1, and the other lines are connected to the ground (GND).

Next, control of the line selection unit 102 by the control unit 104 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing how the line selection unit is switched. First, the output voltage waveform of the power supply unit 103 is shown at the top. As shown here, the output of the power supply is DC
Voltage. Below that is the switch timing of the line selection unit 102. What was shown here is
Only swx1 to swx10, and all other switches have fallen to the Gnd side. In this drawing, T1 is 1 m
sec. First, swx1 is turned on, and after T1, it returns to the GND side, and this time, swx2 is turned on. This is repeated up to swx10, and thereafter, the process returns to the first swx1. In this manner, by scanning the row in units of 10 rows, T2 becomes approximately 10 msec.

After performing the preliminary driving for a certain period of time in this way, the control unit 104 switches the line selection unit 102 to the next set of 10-row scans swx11 to swx20 and repeats the same driving. Driving until the end. Now, an appropriate element is selected from the surface conduction electron-emitting element substrate 101 to which Vpre = 17 V is applied, and is calculated using the electric field strength of the element according to (Equation 3) and (Equation 6). It was estimated to be 5 × 10 ⁶ (1 / cm). Electric field strength when 16 V is applied F = β × Vpre
Was 7.2 × 10 ⁷ (V / cm). Then, after that, driving was performed at 14.5 V as the normal driving voltage Vdrv. When β at 14.5 V was measured, β was 4.5 × 10 ⁶ (1 / cm) and F = 6.5 × 10 ⁷
(V / cm).

Another surface conduction electron-emitting device substrate was prepared, and driving was performed by setting the driving voltage to 14.5 V from the beginning without performing preliminary driving, and the two were compared. Then, the surface conduction electron-emitting device substrate that has been preliminarily driven has a stable electron emission characteristic with less decrease and fluctuation of the device current and the emission current during driving than the surface conduction electron-emitting device substrate that has not been preliminarily driven. Obtained.

As a result, the time-dependent change of each surface conduction electron-emitting device is reduced to a level that causes no practical problem, and an image display device (display) manufactured using an electron source having a plurality of the surface conduction electron-emitting devices. (Device), a high-quality image was obtained. Here, the time required for the pre-driving is obtained from the data of one element prepared under the same conditions, and the pre-driving process is completed in about one tenth of the time required for the pre-driving for each line. As described above, the pre-driving time is reduced by applying the pre-driving voltage to the plurality of surface conduction electron-emitting devices while performing line scanning by using the pre-driving device as in the present embodiment. In addition, the characteristics of each element can be stabilized.

The present embodiment can be similarly applied to the case where the electron source substrate 4 is an electron source substrate in which a plurality of surface conduction electron-emitting devices are connected by ladder wiring.

[Embodiment 2] FIG. 5 shows the configuration of a preliminary driving device according to a second embodiment. In the figure, the same numbers are given to the parts that operate in the same manner as the configuration of the preliminary driving device in the first embodiment. In the figure, 10
Reference numeral 3 denotes a first pre-driving power supply for generating pre-driving voltage pulses, and reference numeral 102 denotes a voltage pulse generated by the first pre-driving power supply 103 for wiring terminals Dx1 and Dx of the electron source substrate 101.
,..., Dxm, a first line selection unit 104 for applying to a required line,
03, a first control unit for controlling the line selection unit 102, a second pre-drive power supply unit 106 that generates a pre-drive voltage pulse, and 105 a voltage pulse generated by the second pre-drive power supply unit 106. Wiring terminal Dy of electron source substrate 101
, Dyn2,..., Dyn, a second line selection unit 107 for applying to a required line, and a second line selection unit 107 for controlling the second preliminary driving power supply unit 106 and the second line selection unit 105. Of the control unit. In this embodiment, the power supply 10
3. The operations of the line selection unit 102 and the control unit 104 are the same as in the first embodiment. However, the output voltage of the power supply unit 103 is 10
5 is 8.5V which is smaller than Vpre. On the other hand, the power supply unit 106 has a voltage such that Vpre = 17 V when applied at −8.5 V together with the output voltage 8.5 of the power supply unit 103. That is, the power supply unit 103 and the power supply unit 10
6, the potential obtained by dividing the pre-driving voltage Vpre is set.

Here, the line selection unit 105 will be described with reference to FIG. The line selection unit 105 is configured by a switch such as a relay and an analog switch, for example.
N switches like y1 to swyn are arranged in parallel, and connected to wiring terminals Dy1 to Dyn of the electron source substrate 101 via wirings Sy1 to Syn. The switches swy1 to swyn are controlled by the control unit 107, and the output of the power supply unit 103 is output to the wiring terminals Dy1, Dx2,.
m, the power supply unit 106
Are output to all the wiring terminals Dy1, Dy2,.
Is operated based on the command of the control unit 107.

FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing how to switch the line selection unit. FIG. 7A shows the operation of the line selection unit 102, which is the same as the operation of the first embodiment. 2B shows the operation of the line selection unit 105. The output voltage waveform of the power supply unit 106 is shown at the top. As shown here, the output of the power supply unit is -8.
5V DC voltage. Below that, line selection unit 1
This is the switching timing of sw of 05. swy1 to s
wyn indicates that any one of Dx1 to Dxm is the power supply unit 1
03 is controlled to be turned on when connected. Therefore, the line selection unit 105 is controlled to be continuously turned on during the pre-driving operation. In this figure,
T1 is 1 msec, which is the same as T1 of the first embodiment. In the line selection unit 102, first, swx1 is turned on, and Tx
After one, the process returns to the GND side and the swx2 is turned on. This is repeated up to swx10, and thereafter, the process returns to the first swx1. In this way, by scanning the selection in units of 10 rows, T2 becomes approximately 10 msec as in the first embodiment.

After performing the preliminary driving for a certain period of time in this manner, the control unit 104 switches the line selecting unit 102 to the next set of 10-row scans swx11 to swx20 and repeats the same driving, and further, in the same manner, for the m-th line. Driving until the end. As a result, the time-dependent change of each surface conduction electron-emitting device is reduced to a level that does not cause a problem in practical use, and in an image display device (display device) manufactured using an electron source having a plurality of the surface conduction electron-emitting devices. High quality images were obtained. Here, the time required for the pre-driving is obtained from the data of one element prepared under the same conditions, and the pre-driving process is completed in about 1/20 of the time required for the pre-driving for each line.

In this embodiment, the power supply unit 103 and the power supply unit 1
Although the output voltage of the reference voltage 06 is 8.5 V and −8.5, respectively, any value may be used as long as the difference between the two potentials is 17 V which is the Vpre voltage.

As described above, the pre-driving time is shortened by applying the pre-driving voltage to the plurality of surface conduction electron-emitting devices while scanning the lines using the pre-driving device as in the present embodiment. In addition, the characteristics of each element can be stabilized. Note that, like the first embodiment, the present embodiment can be similarly applied even when the electron source substrate 101 is an electron source substrate in which a plurality of surface conduction electron-emitting devices are connected by a ladder-type wiring.

[Embodiment 3] The configuration of this embodiment is the same as the configuration of the pre-driving device in the second embodiment shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the power supply unit 103 and the power supply unit 106
Output voltages of 8.5 V and −
8.5V. Line selection unit 10 by control unit 104
2 and the line selection unit 105 by the control unit 107
Only the operation is different from that of the second embodiment, and the operation will be described below. In the present embodiment, an operation of driving and selecting is performed in units of elements in a block region of 3 rows and 100 columns. what if,
m is the number of lines divisible by 30, and n is the number of columns divisible by 100.

First, the operation of the line selection unit 102 will be described with reference to FIG. The line selection unit 102
For example, a switch such as a relay or an analog switch is configured, and m switches such as swx1 to swxm are arranged in parallel, and the electron source substrate 1 is connected via wirings Sx1 to Sxm.
01 wiring terminals Dx1 to Dxm. The switches swx1 to swxm are controlled by the control unit 104, and the output of the power supply unit 103 is connected to some of the wiring terminals Dx1 to Dx3 among the wiring terminals Dx1 to Dxm, and the remaining wiring terminals Dx4, Dx5,. Dxm operates based on the command of the control unit 104 so that Gnd is applied.

Next, the operation of the line selection unit 105 will be described with reference to FIG. The line selection unit 105
For example, it is configured by switches such as relays and analog switches, and n switches such as swy1 to swyn are arranged in parallel, and the electron source substrate 1 is connected via wirings Sy1 to Syn.
01 wiring terminals Dy1 to Dyn. The switches swy1 to swym are controlled by the control unit 107, and the output of the power supply unit 103 is connected to the wiring terminals Dx1, Dx2,
, Dxm, the output of the power supply unit 106 is connected to some of the wiring terminals Dy1 to Dy100 among the wiring terminals Dy1 to Dyn, and the remaining wiring terminals Dy101, Dy102,. It operates based on the command of the control unit 107 so that Gnd is applied to Dyn.

FIG. 10 is a timing chart showing how to switch the line selection unit. 10A shows the operation of the line selection unit 102, and FIG.
5 shows the operation of FIG. In FIG. 5A, the output voltage waveform of the power supply unit 103 is shown at the top. As shown here, the output of the power supply is a DC voltage of 8.5V. Below this is the switching timing of the sw of the line selection unit 102. swx1 to swxm connect the output of the power supply unit 103 to some of the wiring terminals Dx1 to Dxm.
swx1 to swx3 are turned on so as to be connected to x1 to Dx3, and swx4 to swxm enter the Gnd state so that Gnd is applied to the remaining wiring terminals Dx4, Dx5,..., Dxm.

In FIG. 10B, the output voltage waveform of the power supply unit 106 is shown at the top. As shown here, the output of the power supply is a DC voltage of -8.5V. Below that is the switching timing of sw of the line selection unit 105. swy1 to swyn synchronize the output of the power supply unit 103 to any of the wiring terminals Dx1, Dx2,..., Dxm, and synchronize the output of the power supply unit 106 with some of the wiring terminals Dy1 to Dyn. Dy1 to Dy1
, And the remaining wiring terminals Dy101, Dy102,..., Dy are turned on.
Swy101 to swyn enter the Gnd state so that Gnd is applied to n.

That is, the element of 3 rows and 100 columns is Vpre
A voltage of 17 V will be applied. In this figure, T1 is 1 msec, which is the same as T1 of the first embodiment. In the line selection unit 102, first, swx1 to swx3 are turned on at the same time, and after T1, the line returns to the GND side and the sw
x4 to swx6 are simultaneously turned on. This is swx30
Until the first swx1 to swx
Return to 3. In this manner, by scanning the selection in units of 30 rows, T2 is consequently substantially 10 msec as in the first embodiment.
c.

After performing the preliminary driving for a predetermined time in this manner, the control unit 107 causes the line selecting unit 105 to execute the next 100
The same driving was repeated by switching to the row combination swy101 to swx200, and the driving was similarly performed up to the row n, and the processing was completed.

After performing the above-described three-line simultaneous pre-driving for a certain period of time, the control unit 104 causes the line selection unit 102 to perform the next 30-row scan sets swx31 to swx6.
The driving was switched to 0, and the same driving was repeated. Further, the driving was performed up to the line of m in the same manner and the operation was completed.

As a result, the time-dependent change of each surface conduction electron-emitting device is reduced to a level that does not cause a practical problem, and an image display device (display) manufactured using an electron source having a plurality of the surface conduction electron-emitting devices is used. (Device), a high-quality image was obtained.

As described above, by applying the pre-driving voltage to a plurality of surface conduction electron-emitting devices while performing block scanning by using the pre-driving device as in this embodiment, the driving processing for each block can be performed. Compared to the case of sequentially continuing, the pre-driving time can be shortened and the characteristics of each element can be stabilized.

In this embodiment, a plurality of elements are arranged in three rows and ten rows.
The example in which the pre-driving is performed while scanning the data in groups of a plurality of groups and performing scanning in group units has been described. However, the grouping method is not limited to this, and any grouping method may be used as long as the effects of the present invention can be obtained. May be used.

In the present embodiment, similarly to the first and second embodiments, even if the electron source substrate 101 is an electron source substrate in which a plurality of surface conduction electron-emitting devices are connected by a ladder wiring. Applicable.

[0084]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a surface conduction type emission device substrate in which surface conduction type emission devices are wired in a matrix or ladder shape is manufactured by preliminary driving, a large number of surface conduction type emission devices are manufactured. Pre-driving can be realized in a short process time so that an electron source in which the emission elements are arranged in a simple matrix wiring or a ladder-type wiring can obtain uniform electron emission characteristics. As a result, a high-quality image display device with less variation in luminance or density using this electron source substrate has been realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a wiring diagram showing an example of a preliminary driving device for a surface conduction electron-emitting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a voltage waveform diagram of a pre-driving signal used in the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a line selection circuit used in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a timing chart illustrating the operation of the line selection circuit of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a wiring diagram showing an example of a pre-driving device of a surface conduction electron-emitting device according to second and third embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of a line selection circuit used in the second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a timing chart illustrating the operation of the line selection circuit of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of a first line selection circuit used in the third embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of a second line selection circuit used in the third embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a timing chart illustrating an operation of the line selection circuit of FIGS. 8 and 9;

FIG. 11 is a graph showing an example of electric characteristics of an electron-emitting device to which the present invention can be applied.

FIG. 12 is an electrical characteristic diagram obtained by changing the scale of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing voltage waveforms used for pre-driving according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the emission current Ie, the device current If, and the device voltage Vf for the electron-emitting device according to the example of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between the emission current Ie, the device current If, and the device voltage Vf for the electron-emitting device according to the example of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a schematic plan view of a surface conduction electron-emitting device.

FIG. 17 is a schematic view of an electron source having a simple matrix arrangement.

[Explanation of symbols]

101: electron source substrate, 102, 105: line selection unit,
103, 106: preliminary drive power supply unit, 104, 107: control unit.

Claims (40)

[Claims] 1. The relationship between a current I and a voltage V in a voltage range involving electron emission from an electron-emitting device is given by F ′ (V) is expressed by f
When the differential coefficient of (V) is obtained, after driving in advance with the preliminary driving voltage of V1, the following equation is obtained. A manufacturing method for applying a driving method of performing a normal driving at a voltage V2 to an electron source having a plurality of electron-emitting devices on a substrate, wherein the plurality of devices are divided into a plurality of groups, An apparatus for manufacturing an electron source, comprising: driving means for sequentially applying a voltage for each group and applying a preliminary driving voltage V1 to all elements of the electron source. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driving unit repeats the voltage application sequentially performed for each of the groups a plurality of times. 3. The driving unit applies a voltage composed of a plurality of voltage pulses to each group, and applies a voltage pulse to another group between the plurality of voltage pulses. An apparatus for manufacturing an electron source according to claim 1. 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of electron-emitting devices are commonly connected to each group, and the driving unit applies the voltage from both ends of the common line.
4. The apparatus for manufacturing an electron source according to any one of claims 3 to 3. 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of electron-emitting devices are commonly connected to each group, and the driving unit applies the voltage from one end of the common lines.
4. The apparatus for manufacturing an electron source according to any one of claims 3 to 3. 6. The plurality of electron-emitting devices are connected in a matrix by a plurality of row-direction wirings and a plurality of column-direction wirings, and the driving unit controls the voltage applied to the plurality of electron-emitting devices. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the application is sequentially performed for each of the row wirings or each of the column wirings. 7. The driving unit may apply a voltage applied sequentially to each of the row wirings or each of the column wirings.
The apparatus for manufacturing an electron source according to claim 6, wherein the apparatus is repeated a plurality of times. 8. The driving means applies a voltage composed of a plurality of voltage pulses to each of the row-direction wirings or the column-direction wirings, and applies a voltage to another row-direction wiring or a column-direction wiring between the plurality of voltage pulses. 8. The apparatus for manufacturing an electron source according to claim 6, wherein a voltage pulse is applied. 9. The electron source manufacturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said driving means applies said voltage from both ends of said row direction wiring or said column direction wiring. 10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the driving unit applies the voltage from one end of the row direction wiring or the column direction wiring. 11. The plurality of electron-emitting devices are connected in a matrix by a plurality of row-direction wirings and a plurality of column-direction wirings, and the driving unit controls the voltage applied to the plurality of electron-emitting devices. 2. The electron source according to claim 1, wherein the application is performed by sequentially scanning the plurality of rows of the row wirings and the plurality of columns of the column wirings as a group unit. Manufacturing equipment. 12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the driving unit repeats voltage application sequentially performed for each group a plurality of times. 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the driving unit applies a voltage composed of a plurality of voltage pulses for each of the groups, and applies a voltage pulse to another of the groups between the plurality of voltage pulses. An apparatus for manufacturing an electron source according to claim 11. 14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said driving means applies said voltage from both ends of said row direction wiring and / or said column direction wiring. . 15. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the driving unit applies the voltage from one end of each of the row wiring and the column wiring. . 16. The voltage V1 is If2, a current flowing through the electron-emitting device when the voltage V2 is applied to drive the electron-emitting device after the voltage applying step, and the electron emission in the voltage applying step is performed. The voltage V is applied to the element.
1 is applied, and the current flowing through the electron-emitting device is If.
16. The apparatus for manufacturing an electron source according to claim 1, wherein a voltage that satisfies If2 ≦ 0.7If1 when l is set. 17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the driving at the voltage V1 is performed for a period of time until the rate of change of the value on the left side in (Equation 2) becomes 5% or less. Electron source manufacturing equipment. 18. The relationship between a current I and a voltage V in a voltage range involving electron emission from an electron-emitting device is expressed by F ′ (V) is expressed by f
When the differential coefficient of (V) is obtained, after driving with the preliminary driving voltage of V1 in advance, A method for applying a driving method of performing normal driving at a voltage V2 to an electron source having a plurality of electron-emitting devices on a substrate, comprising: dividing the plurality of devices into a plurality of groups; A method for manufacturing an electron source, comprising: applying a voltage sequentially to each group, and applying a pre-driving voltage V1 to all elements of the electron source. 19. The step of applying the pre-driving voltage,
20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising a step of repeating the voltage application sequentially performed for each group a plurality of times. 20. The step of applying the pre-driving voltage,
20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: applying a voltage composed of a plurality of voltage pulses to each of the groups, and applying a voltage pulse to another group between the plurality of voltage pulses. Method of manufacturing electron source. 21. In each of the groups, a plurality of electron-emitting devices are commonly wired, and the step of applying the pre-driving voltage includes a step of applying the voltage from both ends of the common wiring. The method for manufacturing an electron source according to any one of claims 18 to 20. 22. In each of the groups, a plurality of electron-emitting devices are commonly wired, and the step of applying the pre-driving voltage includes the step of applying the voltage from one end of the common wiring. The method for manufacturing an electron source according to any one of claims 18 to 20. 23. The plurality of electron-emitting devices are connected in a matrix by a plurality of row-direction wirings and a plurality of column-direction wirings, and the step of applying the preliminary driving voltage includes the step of applying the plurality of electron-emitting devices. 19. The method of manufacturing an electron source according to claim 18, further comprising a step of sequentially applying the voltage to the element for each of the row wirings or for each of the column wirings. 24. The step of applying the pre-driving voltage,
24. The method for manufacturing an electron source according to claim 23, further comprising a step of repeating a voltage application sequentially performed for each of said row direction wirings or for each of said column direction wirings a plurality of times. 25. The step of applying the pre-driving voltage,
Applying a voltage consisting of a plurality of voltage pulses to each of the row direction wiring or the column direction wiring, between the plurality of voltage pulses,
23. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of applying a voltage pulse to another row-direction wiring or another column-direction wiring.
5. The method for producing an electron source according to item 4. 26. The step of applying a pre-driving voltage,
3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of applying the voltage from both ends of the row wiring or the column wiring.
5. The method for producing an electron source according to any one of items 5. 27. The step of applying a pre-driving voltage,
24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising a step of performing the voltage application from one end of the row direction wiring or the column direction wiring.
25. The method for manufacturing an electron source according to any one of items 25. 28. The plurality of electron-emitting devices are connected in a matrix by a plurality of row-direction wirings and a plurality of column-direction wirings. Applying the voltage to the element for each of a plurality of rows of the row-direction wirings and for each of a plurality of columns of the column-direction wirings as a group unit. A method for manufacturing the electron source according to claim 18. 29. The step of applying the pre-driving voltage,
29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising a step of repeating the voltage application sequentially performed for each group a plurality of times. 30. The step of applying the pre-driving voltage,
30. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the step of applying a voltage consisting of a plurality of voltage pulses to each of the groups, and applying a voltage pulse to another of the groups between the plurality of voltage pulses. A method for producing the electron source according to the above. 31. The step of applying the pre-driving voltage,
3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of applying the voltage from both ends of the row direction wiring and / or the column direction wiring.
31. The method for manufacturing an electron source according to any one of 8 to 30 32. The step of applying the pre-driving voltage,
4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of applying said voltage from one end of said row direction wiring and said column direction wiring.
0. The method for producing an electron source according to any one of the above items. 33. The voltage V1 is a current flowing through the electron-emitting device when the voltage V2 is applied to drive the electron-emitting device after the voltage applying process, and If2 is a current flowing through the electron-emitting device in the voltage applying process. The voltage V is applied to the element.
1 is applied, and the current flowing through the electron-emitting device is If.
33. The method for manufacturing an electron source according to claim 18, wherein the voltage is set so that If2 ≦ 0.7If1 when l is set. 34. The driving method according to claim 18, wherein the driving at the voltage V1 is performed for a period of time until the rate of change of the value on the left side in (Equation 2) becomes 5% or less. Method of manufacturing electron source. 35. An electron source in which a plurality of electron-emitting devices are disposed on the substrate, wherein the electron source manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or the electron source according to claim 18 An electron source manufactured using a source manufacturing method. 36. The electron according to claim 35, wherein each of the electron-emitting devices is two-dimensionally arranged on the substrate, and is wired in a matrix by row-direction wiring and column-direction wiring. source. 37. The electron source according to claim 35, wherein the electron-emitting device is a surface conduction electron-emitting device. 38. An image display device having an electron source in which a plurality of electron-emitting devices are arranged on the substrate, the electron source according to claim 35, and an input for inputting an image signal. Means, a driving means for driving an electron source in accordance with an image signal inputted by the input means, and a light emitting means for emitting light by irradiation of electrons emitted from the electron source driven by the driving means. Image display device. 39. A method of manufacturing an image forming apparatus, comprising: an electron source having a plurality of electron-emitting devices; and an image forming member that forms an image by irradiating an electron beam from the electron source. 35. A method of manufacturing an image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus is manufactured by the method according to claim 18. 40. The method according to claim 39, wherein the image forming member is a phosphor.