JP2001166284A - Plasma address display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate alignment of a flit seal with a dielectric layer to be formed on discharge electrodes in superposed state, in a plasma cell constituting a plasma address display device. SOLUTION: This plasma address display device has a flat-panel structure in which a display cell with signal electrodes in columns and a plasma cell P with discharge electrodes 6 in rows are superposed via an intermediate sheet 3. The plasma cell P comprises a substrate 1, discharge electrodes 6 formed thereon, a dielectric layer 5 formed on the discharge electrodes 6 superposed, and a flit seal 10 for connecting the substrate 1 with the intermediate sheet 3 via a prescribed gap. Except a take-out part of the discharge electrodes 6 located in the periphery of the substrate 1, the whole remaining part of the discharge electrodes 6 is coated with the dielectric layer 5. The flit seal 10 is arranged on the dielectric layer 5. Further, the take-out part of the discharge electrodes 6 may be protected with electrodes coated with gold or the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a plasma addressed display device having a flat panel structure in which a display cell and a plasma cell are stacked. More specifically, the present invention relates to a frit seal structure and an electrode structure of an AC drive type plasma cell.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An AC drive type plasma addressed display device is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-304792, and its structure is shown in FIG. The plasma addressed display device has a flat panel structure including a display cell D, a plasma cell P, and a common intermediate sheet 3 interposed therebetween. The intermediate sheet 3 is made of an extremely thin plate glass or the like and is called a micro sheet. The plasma cell P is composed of the lower glass substrate 1 joined to the intermediate sheet 3, and a gas that can be discharged is sealed in a gap between the two. On the inner surface of the lower glass substrate 1, a striped discharge electrode 6 is formed. In the case of the AC drive type, the discharge electrode 6 is covered with the dielectric layer 5. Further, this dielectric layer 5 is made of Mg.
It is covered with a protective layer 17 made of an O film or the like. The partition walls 2 are formed so as to divide the stripe-shaped discharge electrodes 6 into pairs, and the discharge channels 4 are formed by dividing a gap filled with a dischargeable gas. In a discharge channel 4 surrounded by a pair of partition walls 2, an AC plasma discharge is generated between a pair of discharge electrodes 6 having opposite polarities.

On the other hand, the display cell D is constructed using a transparent upper glass substrate 12. The glass substrate 12 is adhered to the other surface of the intermediate sheet 3 with a sealing material or the like via a predetermined gap, and a liquid crystal 13 is sealed in the gap as an electro-optical material. The signal electrode 11 is formed on the inner surface of the upper glass substrate 12. Matrix pixels are formed at the intersections of the signal electrodes 11 and the discharge channels 4. A color filter 23 is also provided on the inner surface of the glass substrate 12, and for example, three primary colors of RGB are assigned to each pixel. The flat panel having such a configuration is of a transmission type, for example, in which the plasma cell P is located on the incident side and the display cell D is located on the emitting side. A backlight 22 as a light source is attached to the plasma cell P side.

[0004] The plasma addressed display device having the above-described structure is provided with a row-shaped discharge channel 4 in which a plasma discharge is performed.
Are switched line-sequentially and scanning is performed, and an image signal is applied to the column-shaped signal electrodes 11 on the display cell D side in synchronization with the scanning to perform display driving. Discharge channel 4
When an AC plasma discharge occurs inside, the inside becomes almost uniformly at the anode potential, and pixel selection for each row is performed. That is, one discharge channel 4 corresponds to one scanning line and functions as a sampling switch. When an image signal (signal voltage) is applied to each signal electrode in a state where the plasma sampling switch is turned on, sampling is performed and lighting or extinguishing of the pixel can be controlled. Even after the plasma sampling switch is turned off, the image signal is held in the pixel as it is. The display cell D modulates incident light from the backlight 22 into outgoing light in accordance with an image signal to perform image display. In order to drive the liquid crystal 13 by AC, the polarity of the image signal is inverted, for example, for each row.

The AC plasma discharge type differs from the DV plasma discharge type in that a pair of discharge electrodes 6 assigned to each discharge channel 4 are covered with a dielectric layer 5. A discharge pulse is sequentially applied to a pair of discharge electrodes 6 assigned to each discharge channel 4, and an AC plasma discharge is excited using the dielectric property of the dielectric layer 5, thereby performing a line-sequential scan of the plasma cell P. The plasma discharge excited in each discharge channel 4 stops when the dielectric layer 5 is charged with charged particles. The AC plasma discharge can be controlled autonomously by charging / discharging the dielectric layer 5, and the discharge charge amount is smaller than that of the DC plasma discharge, and the deterioration of the plasma cell P is correspondingly suppressed.

[0006]

FIG. 11A is a plan view schematically showing the entire structure of a plasma cell incorporated in the plasma addressed display device shown in FIG. As shown, the plasma cell P has a discharge electrode 6 formed on a glass substrate 1 in a stripe shape. This discharge electrode 6 has, for example, a laminated structure of a bus electrode composed of a transparent electrode and a metal thin film. The dielectric layer 5 is formed so as to cover the stripe-shaped discharge electrode 6. An intermediate sheet made of thin glass is bonded on this via a frit seal 10.

FIG. 1B is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a portion indicated by a circle in FIG. As shown in the figure, a discharge electrode 6, a dielectric layer 5, and a partition 2 are formed on a substrate 1 in this order from the bottom. In FIG. 11A, the illustration of the partition 2 is omitted. In the case of the AC drive type, it is general to arrange the reference electrode 7 in the middle of the partition 2. The intermediate sheet 3 is disposed in contact with the top of the partition wall 2, and the substrate 1 is
And joined. An ionizable gas is sealed between the intermediate sheet 3 and the substrate 1 sealed by the frit seal 10.

In the conventional structure, on the short side of the substrate 1, the frit seal 10 is disposed around the periphery of the substrate 1 so as to be exactly overlapped with the end of the dielectric layer 5 as shown in FIG. ing. That is, the frit seal has been performed while half of the dielectric layer 5 has been applied. This is because the dielectric layer 5 is made of a relatively porous material and can serve as a leak path for the gas sealed in the plasma cell P. A structure in which this leak path is blocked by the frit seal 10 is adopted. If the frit seal 10 is arranged on the dielectric layer 5, the gas sealed in the plasma cell P may leak from the end of the dielectric layer 5 exposed to the outside. On the other hand, if the frit seal 10 is arranged to be spaced apart from the end of the dielectric layer 5, a part of the discharge electrode 6 is exposed in the plasma cell P, causing unnecessary discharge and disconnection of the electrode. Resulting in. From the above viewpoints, in the conventional structure, the frit seal 10 is disposed on the substrate 1 in a state where the frit seal 10 is just half of the end of the dielectric layer 5. However, such a structure has a problem that it is difficult to align the frit seal 10, and in the case where the frit seal 10 is displaced, the discharge gas leaks out with time and unnecessary plasma discharge occurs between the electrodes. In addition, since a high temperature is applied during firing of the dielectric layer 5, a particularly exposed portion of the electrode 6 is oxidized and the electric resistance increases. When a portion having a high resistance is formed, heat is locally generated, which often causes a failure.

In an AC type plasma address display device,
The discharge electrode 6 of the plasma cell P generally has a laminated structure in which a transparent electrode made of a transparent conductive film such as ITO and a bus electrode made of a metal thin film such as Cr / Cu / Cr or Al are stacked. However, these materials are relatively weak to heat and are easily oxidized. For this reason, defects such as peeling occur. The dielectric layer 5 covering the discharge electrode 6 is made of a substrate 1 made of glass or the like.
In order to match with the thermal expansion coefficient of
It will be higher than ℃. In addition, since the partition walls 2 and the like are also formed of a paste having a high firing temperature, the exposed portions (extracted portions) of the discharge electrodes 6 are oxidized, thereby increasing the resistance value or peeling between the transparent electrodes and the rib electrodes. Occurs. Incidentally, the baking temperature of the partition 2 is, for example, about 580 ° C.

[0010]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the first means has been taken. That is, the plasma addressed display device according to the present invention has a flat panel structure in which a display cell provided with column-shaped signal electrodes and a plasma cell provided with row-shaped discharge electrodes are overlapped with each other via an intermediate sheet. The plasma cell includes a substrate, a discharge electrode formed thereon, a dielectric layer formed on the discharge electrode, and a frit for joining the substrate to the intermediate sheet via a predetermined gap. Consists of a seal. As a characteristic feature, the dielectric layer covers all of the remaining portion of the discharge electrode except for a discharge electrode extraction portion located around the substrate, and the frit seal covers the dielectric layer. It is arranged above. Further, the dielectric layer is made of a material that does not transmit gas that is sealed in a gap between the intermediate sheet and the substrate closed by the frit seal. The dielectric layer is formed by firing a paste applied to a substrate made of glass, has a coefficient of thermal expansion matched to the substrate, and is fired at a temperature lower than the strain point of the substrate. . Preferably, a coated electrode is formed so as to cover the extraction portion of the discharge electrode, and oxidation of the extraction portion due to heat is prevented at least in the process of firing the dielectric layer.

Further, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the following second means has been taken. That is, the plasma addressed display device according to the present invention has a flat panel structure in which a display cell provided with column-shaped signal electrodes and a plasma cell provided with row-shaped discharge electrodes are overlapped with each other via an intermediate sheet. The plasma cell includes a substrate, a discharge electrode formed thereon, a dielectric layer formed on the discharge electrode, and a frit for joining the substrate to the intermediate sheet via a predetermined gap. Consists of a seal. The dielectric layer covers the remaining portion of the discharge electrode except for a portion of the discharge electrode located around the substrate. As a characteristic feature, a coated electrode is formed so as to cover the extraction portion of the discharge electrode, thereby preventing oxidation of the extraction portion due to heat. Specifically, the coated electrode is made of a metal containing gold or silver. Further, the coated electrode is made of a material that does not transmit gas sealed in a gap between the intermediate sheet and the substrate closed by the frit seal.

According to a first measure taken in the present invention, AC
In the drive type plasma addressed display device, the remaining portion except for the internal extraction portion of the discharge electrode formed in the plasma cell is covered with a dielectric layer. Then, a frit seal is arranged on the dielectric layer to join the intermediate sheet. This facilitates positioning when the frit seal is supplied to the substrate of the plasma cell. In order to enable this structure, the dielectric layer has a dense composition so that the discharge gas of the plasma cell does not leak from the end. In addition, it is important that the dielectric layer be made of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion matched to that of the glass substrate of the plasma cell, and that the firing temperature be lower than the strain point of the substrate of the plasma cell.

According to a second measure taken in the present invention, the AC
2. Description of the Related Art In a driving type plasma addressed display device, a structure is adopted in which an extraction portion serving as an external connection terminal of a discharge electrode formed in a plasma cell is covered with a metal containing gold or silver. Thereby, oxidation of the exposed extraction portion of the discharge electrode can be prevented. It is important that the material used for such a coated electrode does not leak the discharge gas.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a plasma addressed display device according to the present invention.
2A is a schematic plan view of the plasma cell P in particular, and FIG. 2B is a partially enlarged sectional view of the short side of the plasma cell P. To facilitate understanding, portions corresponding to those of the conventional structure shown in FIG. 11 are denoted by corresponding reference numerals. As described above, the plasma addressed display device has a flat panel structure in which the display cells provided with the column-shaped signal electrodes and the plasma cells P provided with the row-shaped discharge electrodes 6 are overlapped with each other via the intermediate sheet. As shown in (A) and (B), the plasma cell P includes a substrate 1, a discharge electrode 6 formed thereon, a dielectric layer 5 formed on the discharge electrode 6, And a frit seal 10 for joining the substrate 1 to the intermediate sheet 3 through the gap. Further, a partition 2 is formed between the intermediate sheet 3 and the substrate 1. The partition 2 has a reference electrode 7 at an intermediate portion.

As a characteristic feature, the dielectric layer 5 is provided on the discharge electrode 6 except for the discharge electrode 6 located at the periphery of the substrate 1.
All of the remaining parts are covered. Thus, the discharge electrode 6
Is less likely to be oxidized because the exposed portion is reduced. On the other hand, the frit seal 10 is provided on the dielectric layer 5. Unlike the related art, it is not necessary to align the frit seal 10 with the end of the dielectric layer 5, so that the frit seal 10 can be easily positioned. Also, frit seal 10
Since there is no step at the portion, the height of the top of the frit seal 10 becomes uniform, and there is no breakage when joining the intermediate sheet 3. Incidentally, the intermediate sheet 3 is made of an extremely thin plate glass having a thickness of about 50 μm, and is extremely easily broken. As a prerequisite for enabling such a structure, the dielectric layer 5 must be made of a material that does not transmit the gas sealed in the gap between the intermediate sheet 3 and the substrate 1 closed by the frit seal 10. The dielectric layer 5 is formed by firing a paste applied to the substrate 1 made of glass. The dielectric layer 5 has a coefficient of thermal expansion matched to the substrate 1 and is fired at a temperature lower than the strain point of the substrate 1. . For example,
The dielectric layer 5 is formed by printing and firing a glass frit paste obtained by mixing a glass powder, a binder resin, and a solvent.
Since the binder resin and the solvent are all scattered in the firing step, an extremely dense composition can be obtained. That is, the glass frit paste used for forming the dielectric layer 5 does not contain a filler as usual. The glass frit serving as the dielectric layer 5 has the same thermal expansion coefficient as the glass material of the substrate 1, and the firing temperature is preferably lower than the strain point of the glass. The denseness of the plasma cell P
It is a necessary condition that the discharge gas sealed in the gas does not permeate.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the frit seal 10 is disposed on the dielectric layer 5 also on the long side of the substrate 1. On the other hand, in the modification shown in FIG. 2, the frit seal 10 is formed directly on the substrate 1 on the long side of the substrate 1. Unlike the short side, the long side of the substrate 1 does not have a discharge electrode extraction portion. Therefore, there is no need to particularly arrange the frit seal on the dielectric layer 5.

FIG. 3 is a process chart showing a method of manufacturing the plasma cell shown in FIG. First, as shown in FIG. 1A, a discharge electrode 6 is formed in a stripe shape on a substrate 1 made of glass or the like. The discharge electrode 6 has a laminated structure of, for example, a transparent electrode made of ITO and a bus electrode made of a metal thin film. The bus electrode has, for example, a three-layer structure of chromium / copper / chromium. Next, as shown in (B), a paste of glass frit is applied on the discharge electrode 6 by a printing method, and firing is performed. The firing temperature is, for example, about 620 ° C., which is lower than the strain point 630 ° C. of the glass substrate 1. The transparent dielectric material contained in the glass frit paste is, for example, ZnO, B ₂
It is a glass powder composed of O ₃ , SiO ₂ , Li ₂ O or the like, and its thermal expansion coefficient is almost equal to that of the glass substrate 1. Subsequently, as shown in (C), a base portion 2a of the partition is formed by, for example, printing and baking. Further, in a step (D), the conductive paste is printed and baked to form the reference electrode 7. Further, in step (E), the glass paste is printed and baked, and the remaining part 2
b is formed. Thereafter, as shown in (F), the top of the partition is polished, and then the frit seal 10 is applied. The frit seal 10 is applied by a dispenser, printing, or the like. As shown in the figure, the position of the coating is on the upper part of the dielectric layer 5 at least on the short side of the substrate 1. Long side is dielectric layer 5
There is no problem even on the upper part of the substrate or on the glass substrate 1. At this stage, the frit seal 10 is pre-fired. Further, MgO to be a protective layer is formed by vapor deposition or sputtering. However, illustration is omitted. Finally (G)
As shown in FIG. 2, the frit seal 10 is fired in a nitrogen atmosphere in order to join the glass substrate 1 and the intermediate sheet 3. At this time, the exhaust pipe is also attached with a frit. From the above,
The basic structure of the plasma cell P is completed. Thereafter, high-temperature exhaust is performed through an exhaust pipe, a discharge gas is sealed in the plasma cell P, and the exhaust pipe is completely closed. Thereafter, the display cells are assembled on the intermediate sheet 3 to complete the plasma addressed display.

FIG. 4 is a process chart showing a modification of the manufacturing method shown in FIG. Basically, it is the same as the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 3, and corresponding parts are denoted by corresponding reference numerals. The difference is that after the discharge electrodes 6 are formed on the substrate 1 in the form of stripes in the step (A1), the coated electrodes 30 are formed at the extraction portions of the discharge electrodes 6 in the step (A2).
The coated electrode 30 is made of a metal containing gold or silver and protects the discharge electrode 6 from oxidation. As a material, in addition to Au, Ag
An alloy of PdCu or AgPdTi can be used.
The coated electrode 30 prevents the surface of the discharge electrode 6 from being oxidized by the applied heat when the partition walls and the like are fired in a later step. The partition walls are fired in an oxidizing atmosphere to burn off the binder resin and the like. Therefore, if the coated electrode 30 is not formed, the exposed extraction portion of the discharge electrode 6 will be oxidized.
After the coating electrode 30 is formed, as shown in (B) to (G), the plasma cell P is completed by the same steps as in FIG. In particular, as shown in (B), when firing the dielectric layer 5, the underlying discharge electrode 6 is not oxidized because it is previously covered with the coating electrode 30. Similarly, as shown in (C) to (E), the lower part 2 a of the partition and the reference electrode 7 are formed on the dielectric layer 5.
Also, when the upper part 2b of the partition is formed by firing, the discharge electrode 6 is not oxidized because the discharge electrode 6 is protected by the coated electrode 30. Further, as shown in (G), the frit seal 10 is not oxidized during firing. As described above, in order to prevent oxidation due to heat repeatedly applied in a later step, in this example, the coating electrode 30 is formed on the discharge electrode 6 at an early stage.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the plasma addressed display device according to the present invention. (A) is a plan view of the plasma cell in particular, and (B) is a partially enlarged sectional view thereof. To facilitate understanding, parts corresponding to those of the previous embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by corresponding reference numerals. The plasma addressed display device basically has a flat panel structure in which a display cell provided with column-shaped signal electrodes and a plasma cell provided with row-shaped discharge electrodes are overlapped with each other via an intermediate sheet. As shown, the plasma cell P includes a substrate 1, a stripe-shaped discharge electrode 6 formed thereon, and a dielectric layer 5 formed on the discharge electrode 6 with a predetermined gap therebetween. And a frit seal 10 for joining the substrate 1 to the intermediate sheet 3. The dielectric layer 5 covers the remaining portion of the discharge electrode 6 except for a portion where the discharge electrode 6 is located around the substrate 1. As a feature,
The coated electrode 3 is protected so as to protect the exposed extraction portion of the discharge electrode 6.
0 is formed to prevent oxidation of the extraction portion due to heat at least in the process of forming the dielectric layer 5. The coated electrode 30 is made of gold, silver or an alloy containing these, and has excellent heat resistance. Further, the covered electrode 30 is made of a material that does not transmit the gas sealed in the gap between the intermediate sheet 3 and the substrate 1 closed by the frit seal 10. The coating electrode 30 prevents oxidation of the discharge electrode 6 and increases the thickness of the take-out portion, so that electrical contact with an electrode of an external flexible cable is improved. That is,
As the thickness of the take-out part increases, the adhesion to the flexible cable increases.

Finally, a specific configuration example of the plasma addressed display device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 6, the present display device is partitioned by partitions 2 parallel to each other on the rear substrate 1 and closed by an intermediate sheet 3 supported parallel to the rear substrate 1 by the partitions 2. A plurality of channels 4 are provided. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the periphery of the intermediate sheet 3 is sealed to the rear substrate 1 by a frit seal 10, and the space between the intermediate sheet 3 and the rear substrate 1 is sealed. State.

As shown in FIG. 8, a front substrate 12 provided with a signal electrode 11 is attached to the intermediate sheet 3 via a spacer 18. The signal electrode 11 is
It is formed on the back surface of the front substrate 12. Spacer 1
Reference numeral 8 is provided along the periphery of the front substrate 12 so as to surround a gap between the front substrate 12 and the intermediate sheet 3. Liquid crystal is filled between the front substrate 12 and the intermediate sheet 3 to form a liquid crystal layer 13.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, each channel 4 is provided with a pair of discharge electrodes 6 and 6 which are covered with a dielectric layer 5 and are left to stand. A reference electrode 7 is provided at an intermediate portion of the partition wall 2. Discharge electrodes 6, 6
Has a laminated structure of a wide transparent electrode 8 and a narrow bus electrode 9.

The transparent electrode 8 is formed of ITO with a thickness of several tens nm. The bus electrode 9 is made of chrome-
It has a laminated structure of copper-chromium (Cr-Cu-Cr). The chrome layer is several tens of nm, and the copper layer is 1 μm to 2 μm.
Is the thickness.

Here, it can be said that the electric resistance value (electrode resistance) of the discharge electrode 6 is determined by the thickness of the copper layer. From the viewpoint of discharge characteristics, the lower the electrode resistance of the discharge electrode 6 is, the more desirable it is. Etc. are determined.

When the electric resistance of the discharge electrode 6 increases, the time constant determined by the electrode capacitance and the electrode resistance increases, and
Due to the voltage drop due to the discharge current, it becomes necessary to set the externally applied voltage higher as the distance from the electrode take-out portion increases. Therefore, when the electric resistance value of the discharge electrode 6 is high, driving voltage unevenness is likely to occur. When the electric resistance value of the discharge electrode 6 is experimentally determined, 200 Ω per line
/ M or less.

Since the bus electrode 9 is generally made of an opaque material, its width and position are restricted from an optical point of view. This is because the bus electrode 9 reduces the aperture ratio. In addition, a predetermined voltage is not applied to the liquid crystal layer 13 at the portion of the partition wall 2 and the vicinity thereof. Therefore, the portion of the partition wall 2 and the vicinity thereof are:
It is desirable to shield light. Therefore, the bus electrode 9
From an optical point of view, it is desirable to provide a portion near the partition wall at a position where light can be shielded. That is, in one channel 4, the bus electrode 9 is provided at a position near the partition 2, and the transparent electrode 8 is provided at a position closer to the center of the channel 4 than the bus electrode 9.

In the case of the transmission type liquid crystal mode, the dielectric layer 5 needs to be formed of a transparent material. The dielectric layer 5 made of a transparent material can be formed by screen printing a glass paste. In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, the frit seal 10 is disposed on the dielectric layer 5.

On the dielectric layer 5, a protective layer 17 is provided. This protective layer 17 can be formed using Mg0. The thickness of this protective layer 17 is 0.1 μm.
It is desirable that it is not less than m and not more than 5 μm.

Incidentally, the thickness and the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer 5 have restrictions on the discharge characteristics. Here, the relationship between the electrode interval and the electrode width of the discharge electrode 6 and the thickness and the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer 5 will be described. In this display device, a predetermined voltage is externally applied between a pair of striped electrodes 6 on a plane to generate a discharge, and the gap voltage generated in the discharge space is the dielectric layer 5. Therefore, equivalently, as shown in FIG. 9, the capacitance can be represented by the series capacitance of the capacitance of the dielectric layer 5 and the capacitance between the gaps. From this equivalent circuit, in order to increase the gap voltage with respect to the external drive voltage, the capacitance of the dielectric layer 5 must be increased, that is, the dielectric layer 5
It can be seen that it is preferable to increase the dielectric constant of the dielectric material, or reduce the thickness of the dielectric layer 5, or increase the distance between the discharge electrodes 6.

The partition 2 and the reference electrode 7 can be formed by screen printing or sandblasting. The material of the reference electrode 7 is nickel (Ni), aluminum (A1), silver (Ag), or the like, but does not require a low work function as a discharge cathode material. However,
A material that can reduce the electric resistance is desirable. The position of the reference electrode 7 is desirably at a high position of the partition 2 in terms of discharge characteristics. However, as the distance between the reference electrode 7 and the liquid crystal layer 13 decreases, the capacitance between the reference electrode 7 and the signal electrode 11 increases, causing a so-called crosstalk problem. The width of the reference electrode 7 is desirably wide from the viewpoint of a discharge switch and the purpose of reducing the electrode resistance. However, it is not desirable that the width of the reference electrode 7 be increased to be close to the liquid crystal layer 13 in terms of the crosstalk.

The height of the partition walls 2 is preferably higher in terms of discharge characteristics and the above-mentioned crosstalk, but is preferably lower in terms of optical characteristics. Because, when the partition wall 2 becomes higher,
This is because the light blocking rate when the viewing angle is increased increases, and the light use efficiency decreases. It is desirable that the width of the partition wall 2 is small in terms of the aperture ratio and crosstalk. However, if the width of the partition wall 2 is narrow, there is a problem that the resistance of the reference electrode 7 increases and it is difficult to form the barrier ribs in a process. In particular,
It is preferable that the reference electrode 7 is formed at a position separated from the dielectric layer 5 by 20 μm to 30 μm, and the partition wall 2 having a height of about 150 μm is formed thereon. As shown in FIG. 7, the reference electrodes 7 are connected to each other at an ineffective portion of the dielectric layer 5, and are connected to the rear substrate 1 through a contact hole 15 in the dielectric layer 5.
Is connected to a take-out unit 16 to the outside.

As a gas in the channel 4, a rare gas is generally used. In this liquid crystal display device, xenon (X
It is desirable that a relatively heavy gas such as e) is contained. That is, in this liquid crystal display device, the speed of the switch is determined by the speed at which metastable atoms disappear. A mixture of helium (He) / xenon (Xe), neon (Ne) / xenon (Xe), or pure xenon;
As the partial pressure of xenon increases, the frequency of collisions between particles increases, the metastable atoms disappear more quickly, and the plasma switch shifts to the off state in a shorter time.

However, the total gas pressure has process restrictions. That is, after the intermediate sheet 3 is frit-sealed, in the liquid crystal process, there is a firing process such as an alignment film firing. The temperature at this time is from 200 ° C. to 300 ° C.,
During this process, the plasma cell gas pressure is nearly twice the normal temperature. When the internal pressure of the replasma cell exceeds the external pressure, the intermediate sheet 3 is broken by the internal pressure. Helium (H
In the case of a mixture of e) / xenon (Xe), neon (Ne) / xenon (Xe), etc., the driving voltage can be reduced by the so-called Penning effect. However, when the ratio of xenon increases, the effect decreases. Taking these into account, the ratio of xenon and the total pressure are determined. Specifically, pure xenon is 6600 Pa (50 Torr) to 9900 P
a (150 Torr), neon (Ne) / xenon (X
In e), the total pressure may be set to, for example, 46700 Pa (350 Torr) with the ratio of xenon being 3% to 20%.

[0034]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, by providing a frit seal on a dielectric layer,
The exposed portion of the underlying discharge electrode is reduced, making it less susceptible to oxidation. Further, the positioning of the frit seal is facilitated, and problems such as leaks are eliminated. In addition, since there is no step along the frit seal, the top of the frit seal has a constant height, the joining with the intermediate sheet is stabilized, and the intermediate sheet is not damaged. Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the take-out portion of the discharge electrode is covered with the coated electrode having excellent heat resistance, so that oxidation can be prevented. In addition, since the thickness of the discharge electrode take-out portion is increased, connection with external terminals is facilitated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a plasma addressed display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a process chart showing a method for manufacturing the plasma addressed display device shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a process chart showing a modification of the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the plasma addressed display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific configuration of a plasma addressed display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific configuration of a plasma addressed display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific configuration of a plasma addressed display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific configuration of a plasma addressed display device according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a conventional plasma addressed display device.

FIG. 11 is a schematic view showing a conventional plasma addressed display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Substrate, 2 ... Partition, 3 ... Intermediate sheet, 5
... Dielectric layer, 6 ... Discharge electrode, 10 ... Frit seal, 30 ... Coating electrode, P ... Plasma cell, D ... Display cell

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2H089 HA36 QA12 TA03 5C040 FA01 FA09 GB03 GC18 GD01 GD07 GK01 GK05 HA01 KA01 KB11 KB17 KB19 KB29 LA17 MA22 MA26 5C094 AA22 AA31 AA43 AA48 BA43 CA19 DA07 DA12 DA05 EC02 EA04 EC02 ED03 FA01 FA02 FB12 FB16 GA10 GB01 GB10 5G435 AA14 AA16 AA17 BB12 BB15 CC09 CC12 EE12 EE25 EE32 EE41 HH12 HH18 KK03 KK05

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A flat panel structure in which a display cell having a column-shaped signal electrode and a plasma cell having a row-shaped discharge electrode are overlapped with each other via an intermediate sheet. A discharge electrode formed thereon, a dielectric layer formed overlying the discharge electrode, and a frit seal for joining the substrate to the intermediate sheet through a predetermined gap. The body layer covers all of the remaining portion of the discharge electrode except for a portion where the discharge electrode is located around the substrate, and the frit seal is disposed on the dielectric layer. A plasma addressed display device characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The dielectric layer according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer is made of a material that does not transmit gas sealed in a gap between the intermediate sheet and the substrate closed by the frit seal. Plasma address display device. 3. The dielectric layer is formed by baking a paste applied to a substrate made of glass, has a coefficient of thermal expansion matched to the substrate, and is formed at a temperature lower than the strain point of the substrate. 2. The plasma addressed display device according to claim 1, wherein the device is fired. 4. A coating electrode is formed so as to cover an extraction portion of the discharge electrode, and oxidation of the extraction portion due to heat is prevented at least in a process of firing the dielectric layer. 4. The plasma addressed display device according to 3. 5. A flat panel structure in which a display cell having a column-shaped signal electrode and a plasma cell having a row-shaped discharge electrode are overlapped with each other via an intermediate sheet. A discharge electrode formed thereon, a dielectric layer formed overlying the discharge electrode, and a frit seal for joining the substrate to the intermediate sheet through a predetermined gap. The body layer covers the remaining portion of the discharge electrode except for a portion of the discharge electrode located around the substrate, and a coated electrode is formed so as to cover the portion of the discharge electrode, A plasma addressed display device, which prevents oxidation of a take-out part by heat. 6. The plasma addressed display device according to claim 5, wherein said coated electrode is made of a metal containing gold or silver. 7. The plasma according to claim 5, wherein the coated electrode is made of a material that does not transmit gas enclosed in a gap between the intermediate sheet and the substrate closed by the frit seal. Address display device.