JP2002134020A - Apparatus for introducing/exhausting plasma display panel gas and gas filling method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To boost cleaning efficiency of a plasma display panel(PDP) by reducing a cleaning gas conductance during gas cleaning of the inside of the display panel before discharge gas filling. SOLUTION: An apparatus for introducing and exhausting PDP gases comprises: a cleaning-gas-introducing device 20, which supplies cleaning gas to a sealed panel 9; an exhausting/discharge-gas-introducing device 30, which evacuates the sealed panel 9 to a specified vacuum level by an exhausting pump 34, to supply a discharge gas; an oven 40, which heats the sealed panel 9; a controller 50, which controls an exhausting valve 32 and gas introducing valves 21, 35 to open and close; and a panel destruction preventing mechanism 7, which is located in the oven 40 and presses the both surfaces of the sealed panel 9 from the outside, to keep deflections to the both surfaces of the panel less than the destruction limit of the panel. During the gas cleaning, the pressure in the panel is controlled between 101324.72 to 102337.97 Pa., for the cleaning gas conductance in the panel to be prevented from decreasing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a gas introduction / exhaust device for a plasma gas display panel (hereinafter referred to as "PDP") and a gas filling method using the same, and more particularly to cleaning inside of a panel when filling discharge gas into the PDP. The present invention relates to a gas introduction / exhaust device capable of improving efficiency and a gas filling method using the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 10 shows a manufacturing process of an AC3 electrode surface discharge type PDP. Transparent electrodes (discharge sustaining electrodes and scanning electrodes) are formed on the front substrate (glass substrate), and bus electrodes are provided thereon. This is also due to the transparent dielectric and M
Covered with gO protective film. On the other hand, an address electrode, a white reflective layer, and a barrier are sequentially formed on a rear substrate (glass substrate), and a phosphor is applied. After sealing these substrates with frit glass, the inside of the panel is evacuated and a discharge gas is sealed to produce a PDP.

In the process of filling a discharge gas in the above-described PDP manufacturing process, impurity gas such as carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) and water (H ₂ O) remaining in the panel in order to maintain good characteristics of the panel. And volatile substances are removed.

A technique for filling a discharge gas of a PDP is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2984014 or the like.
FIG. 11 is a view showing a discharge gas sealing process according to this technique.
First, a front substrate and a rear substrate on which electrodes, a dielectric, and the like are formed are sealed with frit glass to form a panel. Next, the inside of the panel is evacuated and simultaneously baked to a temperature at which the frit glass does not melt (for example, 360 ° C.) (Steps S1 and S2).

Next, while maintaining the temperature, the panel is filled with a cleaning gas such as nitrogen (step S3). After a lapse of a predetermined time, the inside of the panel is evacuated again (step S4). This process from the filling of the cleaning gas to the evacuation is repeated several times. Next, after cooling the panel to room temperature (step S5), a discharge gas of Ne or Xe is sealed in the panel (step S6), and the exhaust pipe connected to the panel used for introducing the cleaning gas and evacuating the panel is removed. Chip off (Step S7)
As a result, a PDP is manufactured.

[0006]

The above-described conventional method for cleaning the inside of a panel using the discharge gas filling technique has the following problems. (1) The front substrate and the rear substrate only have a gap of about 200 μm defined by the partition, and the partition also serves to regulate the discharge of each cell.
It is formed at a pitch of about 1.2 mm. For this reason, the conductance inside the panel is very poor, and it is extremely difficult to secure an exhaust path for exhausting impurity gas, and a considerable amount of time is required for cleaning and exhausting. Further, in order to prevent erroneous lighting of the adjacent cells, a closed structure cell has been proposed. In this case, the conductance is further deteriorated, and the processing time for cleaning in the panel is a major factor inhibiting productivity. (2) Normally, the front substrate and the rear substrate of the PDP do not adhere to each other due to the warpage of the glass substrate and the flatness of the tops of the ribs. However, in cleaning the inside of the panel by exhaust baking, the inside of the panel is reduced in pressure (for example, 66661 to 7999).
(3.2 Pa), the front substrate and the rear substrate are strongly pressed by the external atmospheric pressure, and the conductance is further deteriorated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a gas introduction / exhaust device for a PDP and a gas filling method using the same, which solve the above-mentioned problems in the prior art.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the P
The DP gas introduction / exhaust device includes a first gas introduction valve, and a cleaning gas introduction device for supplying a cleaning gas to the sealed panel via the first gas introduction valve; A gas introduction valve and an exhaust pump, the panel is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump via the exhaust valve, and the panel is exhausted to the panel via the second gas introduction valve and the exhaust valve. A vacuum exhaust / discharge gas introducing device for supplying a discharge gas, an oven for heating the panel to a predetermined temperature, and controlling opening and closing of the exhaust valve, the first gas introduction valve and the second gas introduction valve. And a panel destruction prevention mechanism that is disposed in the oven, presses both sides of the panel from the outside, and holds the amount of outward deflection of both sides of the panel within the destruction limit of the panel. Characterized by

In the first configuration of the present invention, a rod or a plate can be used as the panel destruction preventing mechanism. Further, the panel destruction prevention mechanism may have a pressure detection function.

In the first configuration of the present invention, a displacement meter for measuring a displacement amount on both surfaces of the panel may be provided in the oven instead of the panel destruction preventing mechanism.

[0011] In the method of filling a discharge gas of a PDP using the gas introduction / exhaust device for a PDP having the above-mentioned first structure, a method of arranging a sealed panel in the oven, and a step of arranging the panel by the exhaust pump are performed. Evacuating to a vacuum degree of
Heating the panel at a predetermined temperature by the oven while exhausting the inside of the panel by the exhaust pump, and after cooling the inside of the panel to room temperature, the inside of the panel is put into the panel by the cleaning gas introduction device. A step of supplying and flowing a cleaning gas at a pressure equal to or higher than the pressure outside the panel for a predetermined time; a step of evacuating the inside of the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump; After filling the panel with the discharge gas at a predetermined pressure, the gas exhaust / discharge gas introduction glass tube and the cleaning gas introduction glass tube connected to the panel are chipped off to discharge the discharge gas into the panel. Sealing the gas. In the method for filling a discharge gas of a plasma display panel according to the present invention, the panel is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump, and then the panel is evacuated by the oven while the inside of the panel is exhausted by the exhaust pump. , The panel may be maintained at the predetermined temperature, and the cleaning gas may be supplied for a predetermined time to flow.

The gas introduction of the PDP of the second configuration of the present invention
The exhaust device includes a first gas introduction valve, a cleaning gas introduction device for supplying a cleaning gas to the sealed panel via the first gas introduction valve, an exhaust valve, and a second gas introduction valve. And an exhaust pump, wherein the panel is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump via the exhaust valve, and a discharge gas is supplied to the panel via the second gas introduction valve and the exhaust valve. Vacuum gas discharge / discharge gas introducing device, a chamber provided with the panel, a heating mechanism having a function of heating the panel to a predetermined temperature and depressurizing the outside of the panel, the exhaust valve, the first gas A control device for controlling the opening and closing of the introduction valve and the second gas introduction valve;
A panel destruction prevention mechanism is provided which holds both sides of the panel and holds the amount of outward deflection of both sides of the panel within the destruction limit of the panel.

[0013] The method for charging a discharge gas of a PDP using the gas introduction / exhaust device for a PDP according to the second configuration of the present invention is as follows.
Arranging a sealed panel in the chamber, evacuating the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump, and simultaneously reducing the pressure in the chamber below atmospheric pressure, and evacuating the inside of the panel by the exhaust pump. Heating the panel at a predetermined temperature by the chamber while evacuating, and filling the panel with a cleaning gas at a predetermined pressure by the cleaning gas introduction device while maintaining the inside of the panel at the temperature, A step of exhausting the inside of the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump and, after cooling the inside of the panel to room temperature, filling the panel with a discharge gas at a predetermined pressure by the evacuation / discharge gas introducing device. Process and gas exhaust connected to said panel;
Chipping off an exhaust pipe serving both as a discharge gas and a cleaning gas and sealing the discharge gas in the panel.

[0014] The gas introduction of the PDP of the third configuration of the present invention.
The exhaust device includes a first gas introduction valve, a cleaning gas introduction device for supplying a cleaning gas to the sealed panel via the first gas introduction valve, an exhaust valve, and a second gas introduction valve. And an exhaust pump, wherein the panel is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump via the exhaust valve, and a discharge gas is supplied to the panel via the second gas introduction valve and the exhaust valve. And an oven for heating the panel to a predetermined temperature, and opening and closing the exhaust valve, the first gas introduction valve, and the second gas introduction valve. A control device for controlling the apparatus, and a substrate gap holding means installed in the oven and fixed to both sides of the panel and holding a gap on both sides of the panel at a predetermined value are provided.

[0015] The method for filling a discharge gas of a PDP using the gas introduction / exhaust device for a PDP according to the third configuration of the present invention is as follows.
Arranging the sealed panel in the oven, holding both surfaces of the panel at a predetermined position by the substrate gap holding means, and evacuating the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump; Holding both surfaces of the panel at a predetermined position by the substrate gap holding means, heating the panel at a predetermined temperature by the oven while exhausting the inside of the panel by the exhaust pump, and setting the inside of the panel to the temperature. A step of filling the inside of the panel with a cleaning gas at a predetermined pressure by the cleaning gas introduction device while holding, a step of evacuating the inside of the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump, and cooling the inside of the panel to room temperature After that, filling the discharge gas into the panel at a predetermined pressure by the evacuation / discharge gas introducing device, and connecting to the panel And that the gas exhaust is, an exhaust pipe serving as a discharge and for cleaning gas is chipped off configured to include a step of sealing the discharge gas into the panel.

In the PDP gas introduction / exhaust device of the first configuration, since the panel destruction prevention mechanism is provided outside the panel, safety is maintained, and the inside of the sealed panel is maintained at a pressure higher than the external pressure. By inflating both sides of the panel outward, the gas flow conductance in the panel can be secured and the cleanability in the panel can be improved. Further, in the gas introduction / exhaust device of the PDP having the second configuration, the sealed panel can be arranged in the chamber with the heating mechanism so that the pressure outside the panel does not become higher than the pressure inside the panel. In addition, since both sides of the panel are not pressed, the cleaning gas flow conductance and the exhaust conductance in the panel can be prevented from lowering, and the time for cleaning and exhausting the inside of the panel can be greatly reduced.

The PDP gas introduction / exhaust device of the third configuration has a substrate gap holding means for preventing both sides of the sealed panel from being displaced inward, and the panel internal pressure is lower than the external pressure. Even when the size of the panel becomes smaller, the both sides of the panel are not pressed by the external pressure, and by maintaining the panel gap at a predetermined value, the cleaning gas flow conductance and the exhaust conductance in the panel are secured, and the cleaning and exhaust of the panel are performed. The time can be greatly reduced.

[0018]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a PDP according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a gas introduction / exhaust device of FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the gas introduction / exhaust device of this PDP has a gas introduction valve 21.
A cleaning gas introducing device 20 for supplying a cleaning gas from a cleaning gas cylinder 22 to a sealed panel 9 (PDP) via a gas introducing valve 21; an exhaust valve 32 and a gas introducing valve 3;
5 and an exhaust pump 34, the sealed panel 9 is exhausted by the exhaust pump 34 via the exhaust valve 32, and the discharge gas is discharged from the discharge gas cylinder 33 to the sealing panel 9 via the gas introduction valve 35 and the exhaust valve 32. , An oven 40 for heating the sealed panel 9 to a predetermined temperature, a control device 50 for controlling the opening and closing of each of the valves, and an oven 40 And a panel destruction prevention mechanism 7 for controlling the amount of deflection between both sides of the sealed panel 9 to a predetermined value or less.

As the panel destruction prevention mechanism 7, a plurality of rods or plates can be used. When the internal pressure is higher than the external pressure, the both sides (glass substrate) of the sealed panel 9 expand outward, and the panel 9 is broken when it exceeds a certain amount of flexure ω. However, the panel destruction prevention mechanism 7 is smaller than ω. It is installed at the position and acts to mechanically press both sides of the panel so that the deflection of both sides of the panel does not exceed the breaking limit. In addition, reference numeral 4 in FIG. 1 denotes frit glass sealing the panel, reference numeral 3 denotes a partition provided on the panel substrate, and reference numerals 5 and 6 denote gas connected to the sealed panel. The glass tube for introduction and the glass tube for gas exhaust are shown, respectively.

In the gas introduction / exhaust device of the PDP according to the present embodiment, a relief valve 31 connected to the gas exhaust glass tube 6 can be further provided in the vacuum exhaust / gas discharge gas introduction device. This relief valve is connected to the control device 50,
When the inside of the sealed panel 9 is cleaned with the cleaning gas, the cleaning gas can be released to the outside. A pressure gauge or / and a flow meter (not shown) is provided on the relief valve 31 and / or the gas introduction valve 21 so that the internal pressure of the sealed panel 9 and / or the flow rate of the cleaning gas can be measured.

The panel destruction prevention mechanism 7 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a pressure detection function (for example, provided with a pressure sensor), measures the internal pressure of the panel by the pressing force of the sealed panel 9, and sends the measured value to the control device. Feedback may be used to control the amount of cleaning gas introduced.In addition to the panel destruction prevention mechanism, a displacement gauge that detects the amount of deflection on both sides of the panel is installed in the oven, and the internal pressure of the panel is calculated from the amount of deflection. Then, the amount of cleaning gas introduced may be controlled by feeding back to the control device 50.

In the gas introduction / exhaust device of the PDP of the present invention, the pressure inside the panel during the flow of the cleaning gas is controlled to a pressure equal to or higher than the external pressure of the panel, and both substrates of the panel are pressed by the external pressure, and the conductance of the cleaning gas within the panel is increased. Is not reduced. When the pressure inside the panel becomes larger than the external pressure, both sides of the panel expand outward, but the displacement amount of both sides of the panel is detected by the panel destruction prevention mechanism 7, and the displacement is determined by the substrates (glass substrates) on both sides of the panel. There is a great feature in controlling the introduction of the cleaning gas so as not to exceed the destruction limit.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. When the four sides of the front substrate 2 or the rear substrate 1 (glass substrate) of the sealed panel 9 are held and an equal load is applied to the whole, the stress at the center of the panel is expressed by the following equation (1).

[0025]

(Equation 1)

Here, σ: in-plane stress [Mpa], q: in-plane (panel) allowable pressure [Pa], t: glass substrate thickness [cm], a: glass substrate short side length [cm], β: stress coefficient.

In the equation (1), when the in-plane stress exceeds an allowable value, the glass substrate is broken. The load applied to the glass substrate surface at this time is calculated. The allowable value of the in-plane stress when the glass substrate is discarded is 21 MPa from the published value of the glass substrate manufacturer. Note that this value uses the value of a glass substrate for building materials, and is a value that already takes into account the safety factor against scratches and the like.

Next, as a glass substrate size, σ = 21 [MPa] and t = 0.28 [c] taking a 42-inch panel as an example.
m], a = 55.7 [cm], b = 96.0 [cm]
(The length of the long side of the glass substrate), β = 0.54 (determined by the ratio of the long side length / short side length of the glass substrate outer shape), and calculate q when σ = 21 Mpa. Then, the load applied to the glass substrate surface when the glass substrate is broken is required.

The load on the glass substrate at the derived in-plane allowable pressure (glass substrate breaking limit) is q = 982.7.
[Pa] (about 0.01 atm). The deflection amount (displacement amount ω) of the central portion of the glass substrate in this case is calculated by the following equation (2).

[0030]

(Equation 2)

The deflection (displacement ω) at the center of the glass substrate obtained by substituting the deflection coefficient (α) = 0.101 and the Young's modulus (E) = 76000 [MPa] is 5.7 mm. The deflection coefficient (α) is determined by the ratio of the long side length of the glass substrate to the short side length ratio (b / a) of the glass substrate, and a published value of a glass manufacturer was used. As the Young's modulus, the value of high strain point glass was used, but there is no significant difference even in the case of soda glass. As a result, for a 42-inch panel, the internal pressure is 1.01
The breaking limit is reached when the pressure is higher than the atmospheric pressure, and the deflection amount of the glass substrate at that time becomes as large as 5.7 mm. In the present invention, the amount of flexure is regulated to a predetermined amount by the panel destruction prevention mechanism 7 so that the internal pressure of the panel does not exceed 102337.97 Pa.

Next, a first method for filling a discharge gas into a panel using the gas introduction / exhaust device of the PDP shown in FIG. 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a process chart for explaining a first method of the discharge gas sealing method, FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the sealed panel 9 of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a view of the sealed panel 9 of FIG. It is a perspective view.

As shown in FIG. 3, the sealed panel 9 has a structure in which a back substrate 1 (glass substrate) and a front substrate 2 (glass substrate) are sealed with frit glass 4. A glass tube 5 for introducing a cleaning gas into the inside of the panel and a glass tube for gas exhaust for exhausting the cleaning gas and the impurity gas inside the panel from the inside of the panel to the outside of the panel together with the cleaning gas. 6 are connected. Further, as shown in FIG.
The gas introduction glass tube 5 is provided at three corners.

First, the sealed panel 9 to which the gas exhaust glass tube 6 and the gas introduction glass tube 5 are connected as shown in FIG. 3 is placed in an oven 40 for baking and is evacuated.・ Gas introduction device (not shown)
Connect these glass tubes to Glass tube for gas exhaust 6
Then, the inside of the panel is evacuated to 0.1333 Pa or less (FIG. 2, step S1).

At the same time, the panel is baked while the evacuation is continued (FIG. 2, step S2). The baking temperature at this time is set as a predetermined temperature (for example, 300 to 400 ° C.) at which the frit glass 4 sealing the front substrate 2 and the rear substrate 1 does not reflow. While maintaining the predetermined temperature for about 2 hours, moisture and other volatile impurities adsorbed in the panel are gasified and exhausted.

Thereafter, the panel temperature is lowered to room temperature,
After the evacuation of the panel is stopped, a cleaning gas of a mixed gas such as oxygen, neon, or nitrogen is caused to flow into the panel through the gas introduction pipe 5, and the inside of the panel is cleaned with the cleaning gas (FIG. 2, step). S3). The impurity gas remaining in the panel is discharged out of the panel together with the cleaning gas. The cleaning gas is introduced from three gas introduction pipes 5 and the remaining one gas exhaust pipe 6 is opened.
The cleaning gas used for cleaning the panel is a gas exhaust pipe 6
Is discharged to the outside through the relief valve 31 connected to the second valve. A pressure gauge (not shown) provided on the relief valve 31 and / or the gas introduction valve 21 and the control device 50 increase the internal pressure of the sealed panel 9 to 101324.72 to 10237.9.
It is controlled to be 7 Pa.

Since the inside of the panel is equal to or more than 10134.72 Pa, the front substrate 2 and the rear substrate 1 constituting the panel bulge outward with a flexure amount ω as shown in FIG. Will be formed. This gap formation improves the flow of the cleaning gas in the panel. At this time, in order to prevent destruction of the front substrate and the rear substrate, the amount of deflection ω of the rear substrate 1 and the front substrate 2 is mechanically controlled by the panel destruction prevention mechanism 7 so that each substrate does not substantially deform ω = 3 mm or more. Is restricted. Note that a plurality of rods or plates can be used as the panel destruction prevention mechanism 7. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an arrangement state of a sealed panel and a panel destruction prevention mechanism 7 (using a plurality of rods).

In this state, after the cleaning gas flow is continued for about one hour, the inside of the panel is again evacuated to a high vacuum (133.3).
Evacuation is performed to about 22 × 10 ^{−4 to} 133.322 × 10 ⁻⁷ Pa (FIG. 2, step S4).

Next, after the exhaust is stopped, a discharge gas (neon (Ne), xenon (Xe), or a mixed gas thereof) is introduced into the panel through a gas exhaust pipe 6 so as to have a predetermined pressure. After that, the discharge gas is exhausted from the sealed panel 9 to the exhaust pump 34 via the same gas exhaust pipe 6. After repeating the gas introduction and exhaust several times, the discharge gas is sealed so as to have a predetermined pressure (FIG. 2,
In step S6), the gas introduction pipe 5 and the gas exhaust pipe 6 are chipped off (FIG. 2, step S7).
The gas introduction ends.

At least two gas exhaust glass tubes are required, and the number and the mounting position are selected in consideration of the uniformity of the flow of the cleaning gas.

Next, a second method for filling a discharge gas into a panel using the gas introduction / exhaust device of the PDP shown in FIG. 1 will be described. FIG. 7 is a process chart for explaining a second method of the discharge gas filling method. In this method, FIG.
In the first method, a baking step (step S
2) After that, while maintaining the baking temperature, the cleaning gas flow step (Step S3) to the evacuation step (Step S4)
Is performed, and a panel cooling step (step S5) is added after the evacuation step. In this second method,
Since the cleaning gas flow is performed at a high temperature, a higher cleaning effect can be obtained than in the first method of FIG.

In the first and second methods described above, the evacuation step (step S1), the baking step (step S1)
Although the steps were performed in the order of 2), the order of the steps may be reversed, and there is no problem even if these steps are repeated several times.

Next, the PDP according to the second embodiment of the present invention
The gas introduction / exhaust device will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of a gas introduction / exhaust device for a PDP according to this embodiment. In the first embodiment of FIG. 1, the oven 40 is replaced with a vacuum chamber 11 with a heating mechanism. 101324.
The pressure was reduced until the pressure became smaller than 72 Pa, so that both sides of the panel were not pressed by the pressure outside the sealed panel. The pressure in the chamber is 26664.4 to 666
It may be about 61 Pa. Further, in the present embodiment, only one exhaust pipe 8 is used for the panel pipe, and the structure of the apparatus is simplified.
Reference numeral 10 in FIG. 8 is a heat-resistant seal for sealing the outlet of the exhaust pipe 8 of the chamber for maintaining the degree of vacuum in the chamber.

A method for charging a discharge gas using this apparatus will be described. First, the sealed panel 9 is placed in the vacuum chamber 11 with a heating mechanism, and the panel is baked (with a temperature of 300) while exhausting the inside of the panel from the exhaust pipe 8.
４００400 ° C.). At this time, the inside of the vacuum chamber in which the panel is installed is also evacuated to reduce the pressure. Here, the pressure in the panel and the pressure in the chamber are individually controlled, and the pressure inside the chamber external to the panel is reduced to avoid pressing the front substrate 2 and the rear substrate 1 at atmospheric pressure.

Next, the baking temperature (300 to 400 ° C.)
Is held in a vacuum chamber 11 having a heating mechanism, and a mixed gas of oxygen, neon, nitrogen, etc. is used as a cleaning gas by a cleaning gas introduction device 20 via an exhaust pipe 8 (this exhaust pipe is also used as a gas introduction pipe). Is introduced from the exhaust pipe 8. This gas introduction and discharge is repeated about 10 times at intervals of about 10 minutes. At this time, in order to prevent the panel from being broken due to the deformation of the glass due to the pressure difference, the panel breaking prevention mechanism 7 is provided while maintaining the gaps on both sides of the panel, as in the first embodiment. This gap is set by the amount of displacement that does not break within the elastic deformation of the glass substrate of the panel. The pressure of the cleaning gas in the panel is 66661
It is controlled to 102337.97 Pa. Instead of the panel destruction prevention mechanism 7, a displacement meter for measuring the displacement amount on both sides of the panel may be provided in the chamber, and the flow rate and pressure of the cleaning gas may be controlled based on the displacement amount.

Finally, the temperature of the panel is lowered and the discharge gas is introduced, the exhaust pipe 8 is chipped off, and the introduction of the discharge gas is completed to complete the PDP.

In the PDP gas introduction / exhaust device of the second embodiment, the introduction and discharge of the cleaning gas may be performed after the panel temperature is cooled to room temperature.

Next, the PDP according to the third embodiment of the present invention
The gas introduction / exhaust device will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of a gas introduction / exhaust device of the PDP of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, in the gas introduction / exhaust device for a PDP according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 1, the panel destruction prevention mechanism 7 is provided by mechanically moving the surfaces of the front substrate 2 and the rear substrate 1 of the panel outward. This is a case where the substrate gap holding means 60 is replaced. As the substrate gap holding means 60, a holding jig having a suction cup at the tip can be used. The substrate gap holding means 60 is sucked, the two substrates are pulled outward, and the gap between the two substrates is held at a predetermined gap, and the evacuation, baking, cleaning gas flow, evacuation, panel cooling, and discharge gas sealing steps are performed. In this case, the gap is suppressed to the amount of displacement within the elastic deformation of the front substrate glass and the rear substrate glass, and is approximately 1 to 2 mm.

The sealed panel 9 held in this state is subjected to exhaust baking. Panel is 300-400 ° C
It is heated to a degree and evacuated to a high vacuum.

Next, as in the second embodiment, the introduction and discharge of a mixed gas of oxygen, neon, nitrogen or the like as the cleaning gas are repeated about 10 times at intervals of about 10 minutes. At this time, the cleaning gas may be at room temperature, but by heating it, the effect of discharging the impurity gas can be improved. In this embodiment, a single exhaust pipe is used as in the second embodiment, and gas introduction and exhaust can be performed through this exhaust pipe. In the present embodiment, the provision of the substrate gap holding means 60 eliminates the need for the chamber 11 (vacuum chamber) with a heating mechanism as in the above-described second embodiment.

[0052]

As described above, in the PDP gas introduction / exhaust device of the present invention, the conductance in the panel can be improved by pressing the front substrate and the rear substrate apart from each other and by positively separating them. In addition, the efficiency of the process of cleaning the inside of the panel by exhaust baking, cleaning gas flow, or the like can be improved. The PDP gas introduction / exhaust device according to the present invention has the following advantages. (1) In the PDP gas introduction / exhaust device of the first configuration,
A panel destruction prevention mechanism is provided outside the panel to maintain safety, and the inside of the sealed panel can be maintained at a pressure higher than the external pressure to introduce a cleaning gas, so that both sides of the panel are not pressed. Therefore, a decrease in gas flow conductance in the panel can be prevented, and the cleanability in the panel can be improved. (2) In the PDP gas introduction / exhaust device of the second configuration,
Place the sealed panel in a chamber with a heating mechanism,
Since the pressure outside the panel can be prevented from being higher than the pressure inside the panel, both sides of the panel are not pressed, so that the cleaning gas flow conductance and the exhaust conductance inside the panel can be prevented from lowering. As a result, the time for cleaning and exhausting the inside of the panel can be significantly reduced, and the panel can be cleaned and exhausted with a single exhaust pipe. (3) In the PDP gas introduction / exhaust device of the third configuration,
Provided with a substrate gap holding means for preventing both sides of the sealed panel from being displaced inward, even when the panel internal pressure becomes smaller than the external pressure, the panel both sides are not pressed by the external pressure, and The panel gap can be maintained at a predetermined value. As a result, the time for cleaning and exhausting the inside of the panel can be significantly reduced, and the panel can be cleaned and exhausted with a single exhaust pipe.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a PDP gas introduction / exhaust device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a process chart for explaining a first method of filling a discharge gas by using a PDP gas introduction / exhaust device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the sealed panel of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the sealed panel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the sealed panel for explaining the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an arrangement state of a sealed panel and a panel destruction prevention mechanism (a plurality of rods).

FIG. 7 is a process chart for explaining a second method of filling a discharge gas using the gas introduction / exhaust device of the PDP according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of a PDP gas introduction / exhaust device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of a PDP gas introduction / exhaust device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a process chart showing an example of manufacturing a conventional AC3 electrode surface discharge type PDP.

FIG. 11 is a view showing a conventional discharge gas sealing process.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 back substrate 2 front substrate 3 partition wall 4 frit glass 5 glass tube for gas introduction 6 glass tube for gas exhaust 7 panel destruction prevention mechanism 8 exhaust tube 9 sealed panel 10 heat-resistant seal 11 chamber with heating mechanism 20 cleaning gas introduction device 21 , 35 gas introduction valve 22 cleaning gas cylinder 30 vacuum exhaust / discharge gas introduction device 31 relief valve 32 exhaust valve 33 discharge gas cylinder 34 exhaust pump 40 oven 50 control device 60 substrate gap holding means

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H01J 9/395 H01J 9/395 A 11/02 11/02 A

Claims (19)

[Claims] A cleaning gas introduction device for supplying a cleaning gas to the sealed panel via the first gas introduction valve, an exhaust valve, and a second gas introduction. A valve and an exhaust pump, the panel is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump via the exhaust valve, and a discharge gas is supplied to the panel via the second gas introduction valve and the exhaust valve. A vacuum exhaust / discharge gas introducing apparatus for heating the panel to a predetermined temperature, a control apparatus for controlling opening and closing of the exhaust valve, the first gas introducing valve and the second gas introducing valve. A panel destruction prevention mechanism that is disposed in the oven, presses both sides of the panel from the outside, and holds the amount of outward deflection of both sides of the panel within the breaking limit of the panel. Plasma display Ray panel gas introduction / exhaust device. 2. The gas introduction / exhaust device for a plasma display panel according to claim 1, wherein a rod or a plate is used as the panel destruction prevention mechanism. 3. The gas introduction / exhaust device for a plasma display panel according to claim 1, wherein said panel destruction prevention mechanism has a pressure detection function. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a displacement meter for measuring a displacement amount on both sides of the panel is provided in the oven instead of the panel destruction prevention mechanism of the gas introduction / exhaust device of the plasma display panel. Characteristic gas introduction / exhaust device for plasma display panels. 5. A method for filling a discharge gas in a plasma display panel using the gas introduction / exhaust device for a plasma display panel according to claim 1, wherein a step of disposing a sealed panel in the oven is performed by the exhaust pump. Exhausting the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum, heating the panel at a predetermined temperature by the oven while evacuating the inside of the panel by the exhaust pump, and cooling the inside of the panel to room temperature, A step of supplying a cleaning gas into the panel by a cleaning gas introducing device at a pressure equal to or higher than the pressure outside the panel for a predetermined time to flow, and evacuating the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump And discharging the discharge gas into the panel at a predetermined pressure by the evacuation / discharge gas introducing device. Chip-off the gas exhaust / discharge gas introduction glass tube and the cleaning gas introduction glass tube connected to the panel and enclosing the discharge gas in the panel. Discharge gas filling method. 6. A method for filling a discharge gas in a plasma display panel using the gas introduction / exhaust device for a plasma display panel according to claim 1, wherein a step of disposing a sealed panel in the oven is performed by the exhaust pump. Evacuating the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum, heating the panel at a predetermined temperature by the oven while evacuating the inside of the panel by the exhaust pump, and maintaining the inside of the panel at the temperature. A step of supplying a cleaning gas into the panel by a cleaning gas introducing device at a pressure equal to or higher than the pressure outside the panel for a predetermined time to flow, and evacuating the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump And cooling the inside of the panel to room temperature, and then discharge gas into the panel by the vacuum exhaust / discharge gas introducing device. Filling with a predetermined pressure,
Chipping off the gas exhaust / discharge gas introduction glass tube and the cleaning gas introduction glass tube connected to the panel to enclose the discharge gas in the panel. Panel discharge gas filling method. 7. The step of flowing the cleaning gas into the panel, wherein a difference between a pressure inside the panel and an atmospheric pressure outside the panel is controlled to 0 to 1013.25 Pa. 7. A method for filling a discharge gas in a plasma display panel according to item 6. 8. In the step of disposing the sealed panel in the oven, the panel destruction preventing mechanism is arranged opposite to the sealed panel at a position within 5.7 mm from the surface of the sealed panel. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein
8. The method for charging a discharge gas in a plasma display panel according to any one of claims 7 to 7. 9. A cleaning gas introduction device comprising a first gas introduction valve for supplying a cleaning gas to a sealed panel via the first gas introduction valve, an exhaust valve, and a second gas introduction. A valve and an exhaust pump, the panel is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump via the exhaust valve, and a discharge gas is supplied to the panel via the second gas introduction valve and the exhaust valve. A vacuum-evacuation / discharge gas introducing device, a chamber with a heating mechanism provided with the panel, and having a function of heating the panel to a predetermined temperature and depressurizing the outside of the panel; A control device for controlling the opening and closing of the gas introduction valve and the second gas introduction valve, and a panel destruction prevention mechanism for pressing both sides of the panel and maintaining the amount of outward deflection of both sides of the panel within the destruction limit of the panel. Equipped A gas introduction / exhaust device for a plasma display panel. 10. The gas introduction / exhaust device for a plasma display panel according to claim 9, wherein a rod or a plate is used as the panel destruction prevention mechanism. 11. A displacement meter for measuring a displacement amount on both sides of the panel in place of the panel destruction prevention mechanism of the gas introduction / exhaust device for a plasma display panel according to claim 9. Characteristic gas introduction / exhaust device for plasma display panels. 12. A method for filling a discharge gas in a plasma display panel using the gas introduction / exhaust device for a plasma display panel according to claim 9, wherein: a step of arranging a sealed panel in the chamber; A step of evacuating the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum and simultaneously depressurizing the inside of the chamber from atmospheric pressure, and a step of heating the panel at a predetermined temperature by the chamber while evacuating the inside of the panel by the exhaust pump, A step of filling the panel with a cleaning gas at a predetermined pressure by the cleaning gas introduction device while maintaining the inside of the panel at the temperature, and a step of exhausting the inside of the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump, After the inside of the panel is cooled to room temperature, the inside of the panel is discharged by the vacuum exhaust / discharge gas introducing device. A step of filling a gas with a predetermined pressure, and a step of chipping off an exhaust pipe connected to the panel, which is also used for discharging gas, discharging and cleaning gas, and sealing the discharge gas in the panel. A method for filling a discharge gas in a plasma display panel, characterized by comprising: 13. A step of filling the inside of the panel with a cleaning gas at a predetermined pressure by the cleaning gas introduction device while maintaining the inside of the panel at the temperature, and setting the inside of the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump. 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the discharging step is performed repeatedly. 14. The method according to claim 12, wherein a filling pressure of the cleaning gas in the panel is controlled to 66661 to 102337 · 97 Pa. 15. In the step of disposing the sealed panel in the chamber, the panel destruction prevention mechanism is arranged at a position within 5.7 mm from the surface of the sealed panel so as to face the sealed panel. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the discharge gas is filled in the plasma display panel. 16. A cleaning gas introduction device comprising a first gas introduction valve for supplying a cleaning gas to a sealed panel via the first gas introduction valve, an exhaust valve, and a second gas introduction. A valve and an exhaust pump, the panel is evacuated to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump via the exhaust valve, and a discharge gas is supplied to the panel via the second gas introduction valve and the exhaust valve. A vacuum exhaust / discharge gas introducing device, an oven for heating the panel to a predetermined temperature, and opening / closing of the exhaust valve, the first gas introducing valve, and the second gas introducing valve. And a substrate gap holding means installed in the oven, fixed to both sides of the panel, and holding a gap on both sides of the panel at a predetermined value. Ray panel gas introduction / exhaust device. 17. A method for filling a discharge gas in a plasma display panel using a gas introduction / exhaust device for a plasma display panel according to claim 16, wherein: a step of disposing a sealed panel in the oven; Holding the substrate in a predetermined position by the substrate gap holding means, evacuating the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump, holding both sides of the panel in a predetermined position by the substrate gap holding means, Heating the panel at a predetermined temperature by the oven while evacuating the panel by the exhaust pump, and cleaning the panel at a predetermined pressure by the cleaning gas introducing device while maintaining the panel at the temperature; A step of filling a gas, and a step of exhausting the inside of the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump. Cooling the inside of the panel to room temperature, filling the inside of the panel with a discharge gas at a predetermined pressure by the vacuum exhaust / discharge gas introducing device, and gas exhaust, discharge and cleaning connected to the panel. A step of tipping off an exhaust pipe also serving as a gas and enclosing the discharge gas in the panel. 18. A step of filling the inside of the panel with a cleaning gas at a predetermined pressure by the cleaning gas introduction device while maintaining the inside of the panel at the temperature, and setting the inside of the panel to a predetermined degree of vacuum by the exhaust pump. 18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of evacuating is repeatedly performed. 19. The method according to claim 17, wherein a filling pressure of the cleaning gas in the panel is controlled to 66661 to 102337.97 Pa.