JP2003282003A - Manufacturing method of image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a deformation, breakage or position drift due to unevenness of the tensile force based on differences among curing shrinkage of an adhesive at a spacer in an air-tight container of an image forming device. <P>SOLUTION: The spacer 1020 is arranged on the rear plate 1015 constituting the air-tight container so that it straddles the picture image forming region and its peripheral region, and after adhering both side parts of the spacer 1020 to the rear plate 1015 outside the picture image forming region, an intermediate part of the spacer 1020 is adhered to the rear plate 1015 at several places of the picture image forming region. Afterwards, the air-tight container is completed by fixing, the face plate. A large amount of adhesive 1021a is used at the fixing part where both side parts of the spacer 1020 is adhered to the rear plate 1015 at the outside of the picture image forming region so that the spacer 1020 is enabled to be supported, and a small amount of adhesive 1021b is used at the fixing part where the intermediate part of the spacer 1020 is adhered to the rear plate 1015 in the picture image forming region so as not to give an influence on electron orbits. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A first plate having an electron source, a second plate having an image forming area irradiated with electrons emitted from the electron source to form an image, and these two plates are connected to each other. The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an image forming apparatus having an airtight container formed of frame-shaped side walls that are fixed so as to face each other, and a spacer arranged so as to be sandwiched between two plates inside the airtight container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a display device replacing a cathode ray tube type display device, a flat type display device which is thin and lightweight has received attention. In particular, a display device that uses a combination of an electron-emitting device and a phosphor that emits light when irradiated with an electron beam is expected to have better characteristics than other conventional display devices. For example, it has become popular in recent years. Compared with a liquid crystal display device, it is superior in that it requires no backlight because it is a self-luminous type and has a wide viewing angle.

Two types of electron-emitting devices used in this display device are known, a hot cathode device and a cold cathode device. Since the cold cathode device can emit electrons at a lower temperature than the hot cathode device, a heating heater is not required. Therefore, the cold cathode element has a simpler structure than the hot cathode element, and can be formed finely. Further, in the cold cathode device, even if a large number of devices are arranged on the substrate at a high density, problems such as heat melting of the substrate hardly occur. Further, since the hot cathode element operates by heating the heater, the response speed is slow, whereas the cold cathode element has an advantage that the response speed is fast.

The cold cathode device is, for example, a surface conduction type device.
Output element, field emission element (FE type element), metal / absolute
Edge layer / Metal type emission device (MIM type device) etc. are known
There is. Of these, surface conduction electron-emitting devices are formed on the substrate.
By applying an electric current to the thin film with a small area parallel to the film surface,
It uses the phenomenon that electrons are emitted,
Among the polar elements, the structure is particularly simple and easy to manufacture.
Therefore, there is an advantage that many elements can be formed over a large area.
It The surface conduction electron-emitting device is, for example, SnO. ₂Thin
Membrane (“Radio Eng. Electron Phys.” 1
Opened at 0, 1290 (M. I. Elinson: published in 1965)
Shown) or those with Au thin film (“Thin Solid Films”
9,317 (disclosed in G. Dittmer: 1972)
Or In₂O₃/ SnO₂With thin film ("IEEE Tran
s. ED Conf. ", 519 (M. Hartwell and C. G. Fonst
ad: Published in 1975)) and carbon thin film
Things ("Vacuum" Vol. 26, No. 1, 22 (Hiraki Araki and others:
Disclosure), etc. was published in 1983).

A general structure of the surface conduction electron-emitting device is shown in FIG. In this surface conduction electron-emitting device, a conductive thin film 3004 made of a metal oxide is formed on the substrate 3001 by sputtering so that the planar shape is H-shaped, and the conductive thin film 3004 is called energization forming. The electron emission portion 3005 is formed by performing the energization process. H-shaped conductive thin film 30
The length E of the intermediate portion of 04 is 0.5 to 1 [mm], and the width F thereof is 0.1 [mm]. For the sake of convenience, a rectangular electron-emitting portion 3005 is illustrated as being formed in the center of the conductive thin film 3004, but this is a schematic one, and the actual position and shape of the electron-emitting portion are faithful. It is not expressed in.

A large number of such surface conduction electron-emitting devices are arranged in a matrix, and, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 64-31332 is used.
An image forming apparatus such as an image display apparatus and an image recording apparatus, and an electron beam apparatus such as a charged beam source, which are driven by the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. H11-11035, etc., are configured. For example, US Pat. No. 5,066,883 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-2
In Japanese Patent No. 57551 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-28137,
An image display device using a combination of a surface conduction electron-emitting device and a phosphor that emits light by collision of electrons is disclosed.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing an example of a display panel portion which constitutes a flat image display device, and a part of the panel is cut away to show the internal structure. Rear plate 3115, side wall 3116, face plate 3
An envelope (airtight container) for maintaining a vacuum inside the display panel is formed by 117.

A substrate 3111 is fixed to the rear plate 3115, and a cold cathode device 311 is mounted on the substrate 3111.
2 are formed in N × M matrix form (N, M
Is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2 and is appropriately set according to the desired number of display pixels). The N × M cold cathode devices 3112 are
M row direction wirings 3113 and N column direction wirings 3114
It is connected to the. The substrate 3111 and the cold cathode device 3
112, row-direction wiring 3113, and column-direction wiring 311
4 constitutes a multi-electron beam source. An insulating layer (not shown) is formed at the intersection of the row-directional wiring 3113 and the column-directional wiring 3114 to maintain electrical insulation.

A phosphor film 3118 made of a phosphor is formed on the lower surface of the face plate 3117, and a phosphor (not shown) of three primary colors of red (R), green (G) and blue (B) is applied. It is divided. A black body (not shown) is provided between the phosphors of the respective colors forming the phosphor film 3118, and a metal back 3119 made of Al or the like is formed on the rear plate 3115 side surface of the phosphor film 3118. ing.

In order to electrically connect the display panel and an electric circuit (not shown), an electric connection terminal D _x1 having an airtight structure.
˜D _xM and D _{y1 to} D _yN and Hv are provided.
Terminals D _{x1 to} D _xM are row wirings 31 of the multi-electron beam source.
13, the terminals D _{y1 to} D _yN are electrically connected to the column-direction wiring 3114 of the multi-electron beam source, and the terminal Hv is electrically connected to the metal back 3119.

The inside of the airtight container is 1.3 × 10 ⁻³ [Pa].
The rear plate 3115 and the face plate 3117 are deformed or damaged due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the airtight container as the display area of the image display device is increased because the vacuum is maintained at about (10 ^-6 [Torr]). There is a risk of If the rear plate 3115 and the face plate 3116 are thickened in order to prevent this, not only the weight of the image display device is increased, but also the image is distorted and the parallax is seen when viewed from an oblique direction. Therefore, FIG.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, a structural support body 312 called a spacer is formed of a relatively thin glass plate for supporting atmospheric pressure.
0 is provided. In this way, the space between the substrate 3111 on which the multi-beam electron source is formed and the face plate 3116 on which the fluorescent film 3118 is formed is normally maintained at a submillimeter to a few millimeters, and the inside of the airtight container is kept at a high vacuum. There is.

In the image display device having the display panel described above, the terminals D _{x1 to} D _xM and D _{y1 to} D outside the container are provided.
_{When a} voltage is applied to each cold cathode element 3112 from _yN, electrons are emitted from each cold cathode element 3112. At the same time, several hundred to several thousand [V] from the terminal Hv to the metal back 3119.
Is applied to accelerate the electrons emitted from the cold cathode device 3112 to collide with the inner surface of the face plate 3117. As a result, the phosphors of the respective colors forming the phosphor film 3118 are excited and emit light, and an image is displayed.

A spacer 312 installed in the display panel
In order to solve the following problems, 0 is required to have a high insulation property to withstand a high voltage applied between the face plate 3117 and the rear plate 3115 and a high charge suppressing property.

First, some of the electrons emitted from the cold cathode device 3112 near the spacer 3120 are included in the spacer 31.
20 or the cold cathode element 3112
Since a part of the electrons that have reached the face plate 3117 from and are reflected hit the spacer 3120, secondary electrons may be emitted, and the spacer 3120 may be charged. To the knowledge obtained by the present applicant so far, in most cases, the charging caused on the surface of the spacer 3120 is a positive charging. By the charging of the spacer 3120, the electron emitted from the cold cathode element 3112 is bent in its orbit, reaches a position different from the proper position on the phosphor provided on the face plate 3117, and is formed near the spacer 3120. The displayed image is distorted and displayed.

Second, in order to accelerate the electrons emitted from the cold cathode device 3112, a high voltage of several hundred [V] or more (that is, 1 [kV] is applied between the multi-electron beam source and the face plate 3117. / Mm] or more), a discharge may occur along the surface of the spacer 3120. In particular, as described above, the spacer 312
If 0 is charged, there is a high probability that a discharge will be induced.

In order to solve these problems, it has been proposed to allow a minute current to flow through the spacer 3120 to remove the charge (JP-A-57-118355 and JP-A-61-124031). Disclosed). That is, by forming a high resistance thin film as an antistatic film on the surface of the insulating spacer 3120, the spacer 31
20 is a structure in which a minute current flows on the surface. The antistatic film used here is a thin film of tin oxide, a mixed crystal of tin oxide and indium oxide, or a metal film formed in an island shape. Also, a spacer 312 coated with a high resistance film
0 for multi-electron beam source and face plate 311
In order to make a good electrical connection with the spacer 7, the spacer 3120
, Multi-electron beam source and face plate 311
A structure in which a low resistance film is formed at the connection with 7 is also disclosed. The spacer 3120 thus coated with the high resistance film and the low resistance film is electrically connected to the multi-electron beam source and the face plate 3117 by using a conductive frit glass and mechanically. It is fixed.

When the spacer 3120 is fixed by using a conductive frit glass, the frit glass may have a non-uniform coating height or the frit glass may stick out from a predetermined bonding position. In that case, there arises a problem that the potential is disturbed. In order to solve this problem, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-311633 discloses that a long spacer is used, and the long spacer is not adhered to the multi electron beam source or the face plate in the image area, and is outside the image area. Only glued configurations are disclosed.

[0018]

In the above-mentioned conventional image forming apparatus, the long spacers fixed only outside the image area are affected by the vibration during transportation and the influence of the sealing work of the face plate and the rear plate. , There is a possibility that it will be displaced from the position where it was first installed. The tendency is more remarkable in the image forming apparatus having a large screen.

On the other hand, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-144203 discloses a method of partially fixing the spacer in the image area. In this method, since both sides and the intermediate portion are bonded at the same time while applying the tension to correct the spacer, it is highly likely that the tension becomes non-uniform due to curing shrinkage of the bonding portion. That is, a large amount of adhesive is applied to the joints on both sides of the spacer, and a small amount of adhesive is applied to the joints in the middle of the spacer in the image forming area so as not to affect electron trajectories. Therefore, there is a possibility that the adhesives on both side portions, which have a large volume and a large amount of curing shrinkage, are greatly affected and the tensions at the respective portions of the spacer become non-uniform, resulting in deformation or damage.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to prevent uneven spacer tension due to curing shrinkage of an adhesive due to heat when forming an airtight container of an image forming apparatus, and prevent spacer deformation or damage. In addition, a method for manufacturing an image forming apparatus in which the spacer does not deviate from the position where the spacer is first assembled due to vibration during transportation of the plate to which the spacer is fixed and sealing work of the face plate and the rear plate are performed. To provide.

[0021]

The features of the present invention include a first plate having an electron source and a second plate having an image forming area irradiated with electrons emitted from the electron source to form an image.
Forming an image-tight container having an airtight container including a plate and a frame-shaped side wall fixing the two plates to face each other, and a spacer arranged so as to be sandwiched between the two plates inside the airtight container. In the method of manufacturing the device,
The spacer is arranged so as to straddle the image forming area and its peripheral area, and both sides of the spacer are fixed to either one of the two plates outside the image forming area. The part is partly fixed to one plate.

Further, in the image forming area, the intermediate portion of the spacer is partially fixed to one plate, and then the two plates are fixed so as to face each other to form an airtight container.

The fixing of the spacer to one plate in the image forming area is preferably performed using an inorganic adhesive.

The spacer is a thin plate, and the height of the spacer that defines the distance between the two plates is H, the length of the surface of the spacer joined to the two plates is L, and the width is W. , L / W> 5 × 10 ² and L / H> 50.

The electron source uses 8 [k] to emit electrons.
It is preferred that _a DC voltage V _a greater than V] be supplied.

When the spacer is fixed to one plate in the image forming area, the volume of the adhesive applied to each fixing portion is smaller than that in the case where the spacer is fixed to one plate outside the image forming area. It is preferable.

Conventionally, since the spacer is corrected in shape by applying tension and then both side portions and the intermediate portion are adhered at the same time, uneven tension tends to occur due to difference in curing shrinkage of the adhering portion. However, according to the above-mentioned method, first, both side portions of the spacer having a large volume of adhesive and a large amount of curing shrinkage are first bonded to stabilize the tension, and then the intermediate portion having a small volume and a small amount of curing shrinkage is bonded. By adhering, it is possible to prevent uneven tension and prevent the spacer from being deformed or damaged.

Further, according to the method of the present invention, since the spacers are partially fixed in the image forming area, vibration during transportation of the plate to which the spacers are fixed and sealing work of the face plate and the rear plate are performed. Due to
The spacer will not shift from the position where it was first installed.

[0029]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Display Panel] The overall structure of the image forming apparatus manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention will be briefly described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a display panel, which is an image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment, with a part cut away to show an internal structure. In this display panel, a rear plate (first plate) 1015, a frame-shaped side wall 1016, and a face plate (second plate) 10 are provided.
An envelope (airtight container) capable of maintaining a vacuum inside is constituted by 17, and a spacer 1020 which is an atmospheric pressure resistant structure is provided inside the airtight container. The rear plate 1015 is provided with a multi-electron beam source (electron source) including cold cathode elements 1012, row-direction wirings 1013, and column-direction wirings 1014. The metal plate 1019 and the fluorescent film 10 are provided on the face plate 1017.
18 is provided, the portion where the fluorescent film 1018 is provided becomes the image forming area, and the other portion becomes the peripheral area. The spacer 1020 is provided so as to straddle the image forming area and the peripheral area of the display panel, and both side portions are fixed by the adhesive 1021a outside the image forming area, and the adhesive 102 within the image forming area.
It is partially fixed by 1b. Spacer 1020
The detailed fixing method will be described later.

In order to electrically connect the display panel to an electric circuit (not shown), an electric connection terminal D _x1 having an airtight structure is formed.
˜D _xM and D _{y1 to} D _yN and Hv are provided.
The terminals D _{x1 to} D _{xM are connected to the} row-direction wiring 1013 and the terminals D _{y1 to} D _x.
yN is the column wiring 1014 and the terminal Hv is the metal back 1
019 is electrically connected to each.

In this display panel (image forming apparatus), terminals D _{x1 to} D _xm , D _{y1 to} D _yn and wiring 1 are externally applied.
When a voltage is applied to the cold cathode device 1012 via 013 and 1014, electrons are emitted from each cold cathode device 1012. At the same time, a high voltage of hundreds to thousands [V] is applied to the metal back 1019 from the outside through the terminal Hv, and the voltage accelerates the electrons to collide with the inner surface of the face plate 1017. Then, the phosphors of each color forming the phosphor film 1018 provided on the inner surface of the face plate 1017 are excited and emit light, and an image is displayed.
In this embodiment, a surface conduction electron-emitting device is used as the cold cathode device 1012, and its applied voltage is 12-16.
[V], metal back 1019 and cold cathode device 101
2 is about 0.1 to 8 [mm], and the voltage between the metal back 1019 and the cold cathode device 1012 is 0.1 to 10 mm.
It is about [kV].

[Rear Plate] Next, the detailed structure of the rear plate 1015 which constitutes the airtight container of the display panel of this embodiment will be described. A substrate (electron source substrate) 1011 on which N × M cold cathode elements 1012 are formed in a matrix is fixed to the rear plate 1015. Note that N and M are positive integers of 2 or more and are set appropriately according to the desired number of display pixels. For example, in a display device which is a high definition television, N = 3000,
It is desirable that M = 1000 or more. And N ×
The M cold cathode elements 1012 are M row-direction wirings 101.
Simple matrix wiring is provided by 3 and N column-direction wirings 1014. Row direction wiring 1013 and column direction wiring 101
An insulating layer (not shown) is formed at the intersection of 4 to maintain electrical insulation. In this way, the substrate 1011, the cold cathode device 1012, and the row-direction wiring 101
3 and the column-direction wiring 1014 form a multi-electron beam source. 2 is a plan view of the multi-electron beam source of the display panel shown in FIG. 1, and FIG.
It is sectional drawing which followed the A line. The multi-electron beam source having such a structure is provided on the substrate 1011 in the row-direction wiring 1
013, column-direction wiring 1014, inter-electrode insulating layer (not shown), and cold cathode device (for example, surface conduction electron-emitting device)
1012 device electrodes 1102 and 1103 and the conductive thin film 1
After pre-forming 104 (see FIG. 3), the row-direction wiring 10
Each cold cathode element 1 through the column 13 and the column direction wiring 1014.
It is manufactured by supplying power to 012 and performing an energization forming process and an energization activation process described later.

In the multi-electron beam source of this embodiment, a pair of device electrodes 1102 and 110 of each cold cathode device 1012 are provided.
3 uses the simple matrix wiring in which the row-direction wiring 1013 and the column-direction wiring 1014 are connected. However, the cold-cathode elements 1012 are arranged in parallel to each individual cold-cathode element 101.
It is also possible to employ a ladder type wiring in which wiring for connecting both ends of 2 is provided. When the ladder type wiring is adopted, it is necessary to provide a control electrode (grid electrode) for controlling the flight of electrons from the cold cathode device 1012. As the cold cathode device 1012, for example, a surface conduction electron-emitting device, FE type device, MIM type device, or the like can be used.

[Face Plate] Next, the detailed structure of the face plate 1017 will be described. A fluorescent film 1018 is formed on the lower surface of the face plate 1017. Since the display panel of this embodiment is a color display device, a CRT (cathode ray tube) is used as the fluorescent film 1018.
The three primary colors of red, green and blue phosphors R, G and B are separately coated. In this embodiment, the phosphors R, G, and
As shown in FIG. 4A, B is separately applied in stripes, and a black conductor 1010 is provided between the stripes of the phosphors R, G, and B. Black conductor 1010
Prevents the display color from deviating even if the irradiation position of the electron beam is slightly deviated, prevents the reflection of external light to prevent the display contrast from being lowered, and charges the fluorescent film 1018 with the electron beam. It has a function of preventing up-rising, and its main component is graphite or various other materials having the above-mentioned function.

A known metal back 1019 is provided on the surface of the fluorescent film 1018 on the rear plate 1015 side. Specifically, the metal back 1019 is formed by forming the fluorescent film 1018 on the face plate 1017, smoothing the surface of the fluorescent film 1018, and vacuum-depositing Al on the surface. Metal back 10
Numeral 19 specularly reflects a part of the light emitted by the fluorescent film 1018 to improve the light utilization rate, and prevents the fluorescent film 10 from colliding with negative ions.
It has a function of protecting 18 and acting as an electrode for applying an electron beam accelerating voltage, and acting as a conductive path for electrons excited in the fluorescent film 1018.

The three primary colors of the phosphors R, G, B forming the phosphor film 1018 are coated in different manners as shown in FIG.
The arrangement method is not limited to the stripe arrangement shown in FIG.
The delta-shaped arrangement method shown in (b) or, for example, FIG. 4 (c)
Other arrangement methods as shown in FIG. on the other hand,
In the case of a monochrome display panel, the phosphor film 1018 is formed of a monochromatic phosphor material, and the black conductor 10 is used.
10 does not necessarily have to be provided. When the fluorescent film 1018 is formed of a low voltage fluorescent material, the metal back 1019 is not formed. Although not shown, in order to apply an acceleration voltage and improve the conductivity of the fluorescent film 1018, the face plate substrate 1017 and the fluorescent film 1018 are provided.
A transparent electrode made of, for example, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) may be provided between and.

[Spacer] Next, a detailed structure of the spacer 1020 will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. In the spacer 1020, a high resistance film (antistatic film) 11 for preventing static electricity is formed on the surface of the insulating member 1, and the face plate 10 is also provided.
A low resistance film 21 is formed on the upper and lower end faces 3 in contact with 17 (metal back 1019) and the substrate 1011 (row-direction wiring 1013) and in the vicinity 5. The spacers 1020 are arranged with a necessary number of intervals so that the airtight container held in a vacuum of about 10 ⁻⁶ [Torr] will not be destroyed by atmospheric pressure or unexpected impact. It is fixed to the inside of the substrate 1011 by adhesives 1021a and 1021b described later.

The high resistance film 11 is formed on at least the surface of the insulating member 1 exposed in a vacuum in the airtight container, and the low resistance film 21 on the spacer 1020 and the adhesive 1021a. , 1021b, are electrically connected to the inside of the face plate 1017 (metal back 1019) and the surface of the substrate 1011 (row-direction wiring 1013). In this embodiment, the spacer 1020 has a thin plate shape and is arranged on the row wiring 1013 and electrically connected thereto.

The spacer 1020 has an insulating property enough to withstand a high voltage applied between the row wiring 1013 and the column wiring 1014 on the substrate 1011 and the metal back 1019 on the inner surface of the face plate 1017, and It is necessary that the spacer 1020 has conductivity to prevent the surface of the spacer 1020 from being charged.

This spacer has L / W> 5 × 10 ² and L / H, where H is height, L is length, and W is width.
It is preferably formed to dimensions of> 50.

[Insulating member of spacer] Spacer 102
The insulating member 1 of 0 is made of, for example, quartz glass, glass with a low content of impurities such as Na, soda lime glass, or a ceramic member such as alumina. The insulating member 1 preferably has a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of the material forming the airtight container and the substrate 1011.

[High-Resistance Film of Spacer] The high-resistance film 11 is provided with an acceleration voltage V _a applied to the face plate 1017 (metal back 1019) on the high-potential side by the resistance of the high-resistance film 11 which is an antistatic film. A current of a value divided by the value R _s is passed. The resistance value R _s is set within a desirable range from the viewpoint of antistatic property and power consumption. From the viewpoint of antistatic, the surface resistance R / □ of the high resistance film 11 is preferably 10 ¹⁴ [Ω] or less, and in order to obtain a sufficient antistatic effect, it is 1
It is more preferably 0 ¹³ [Ω] or less. The lower limit of the surface resistance depends on the shape of the spacer 1020 and the applied voltage, but is preferably 10 ⁷ [Ω] or more. The acceleration voltage V _a is preferably larger than 8 [kV].

Considering the film thickness t of the high resistance film 11, although it depends on the surface energy of the material, the adhesion to the substrate, and the substrate temperature, a thin film of 10 nm or less is generally formed in an island shape. , Resistance is unstable and reproducibility is poor. On the other hand, when the film thickness t is 1 [μm] or more, the film stress becomes large, the risk of film peeling increases, and the film forming time becomes long, resulting in poor productivity. Therefore, the film thickness t of the high resistance film 11
Is preferably 10 [nm] to 1 [μm] and 5
More preferably, it is 0 to 500 [nm]. Since the surface resistance R / □ = ρ / t, the above-mentioned surface resistance R / □
From the preferable range of the film thickness t and the film thickness t, the specific resistance ρ of the high resistance film 11
Is preferably 10 to 10 ¹⁰ [Ωcm], and more preferably ρ = 10 ⁴ to 10 ⁸ [Ωcm].

Furthermore, since a current flows through the high resistance film 11 and the entire display generates heat during operation,
The temperature of the spacer 1020 rises. If the resistance temperature coefficient of the high resistance film 11 is a negative value having a large absolute value, the resistance value decreases when the temperature rises, the current flowing through the spacer 1020 increases, and the temperature rises further. And the current continues to increase until it exceeds the limits of the power supply. The condition for such a current runaway is defined by the general formula (ξ) shown below.
Temperature coefficient TCR (Temperature Coeffi
cient of Resistance).

TCR = ΔR / ΔT / R × 100 [% / ° C.] General formula (ξ) where ΔT and ΔR are increments of the temperature T and the resistance value R of the spacer 1020 in the actual driving state with respect to room temperature. Is.

The runaway of the current occurs when the TCR is -1.
It is empirically known that the case is [% / ° C.] or less. That is, the resistance temperature coefficient TCR of the antistatic film is -1.
It is desirable that it is higher than [% / ° C.].

As a material of the high resistance film 11 having such an antistatic property, for example, a metal oxide can be used. Among the metal oxides, oxides of chromium, nickel and copper are preferable materials. The reason is that these oxides have a relatively small secondary electron emission efficiency, and the cold cathode device 1
This is because even when the electrons emitted from 012 hit the spacer 1020, it is difficult to be charged. Further, carbon is a preferable material other than metal oxide because of its low secondary electron emission efficiency. In particular, amorphous carbon has a high resistance, and it is easy to control the resistance of the spacer to a desired value. As other materials for the high resistance film 11 having antistatic properties, nitrides of germanium and transition metal alloys and nitrides of aluminum and transition metal alloys are good conductors by adjusting the composition of transition metals. The resistance value can be controlled in a wide range from the insulator to the insulator, the resistance value changes little and is stable in the manufacturing process of the display device described later, and the temperature coefficient of resistance is more than -1 [% / ° C]. Easy to use. As the transition metal element, W, Ti, Cr, Ta or the like is used. The alloy nitride film is formed on the insulating member by a thin film forming method such as sputtering, reactive sputtering in a nitrogen gas atmosphere, electron beam evaporation, ion plating, or ion assisted evaporation. In the case of metal oxide film,
It can be formed by a method of using oxygen gas instead of nitrogen gas in the above-described thin film forming method, a CVD method, an alkoxide coating method, or the like. The carbon film is formed by a vapor deposition method, a sputtering method, a CVD method, a plasma CVD method, or the like. Particularly, in the case of forming amorphous carbon, hydrogen is included in the atmosphere during the film formation, or a film formation gas is used. Use hydrocarbon gas for.

[Low Resistance Film of Spacer] Spacer 1020
The low resistance film 21 is provided to electrically connect the high resistance film 11 to the face plate 1017 (metal back 1019) on the high potential side and the substrate 1011 (wirings 1013, 1014) on the low potential side. And is also called an intermediate electrode layer (intermediate layer). The low resistance film 21 has the functions listed below.

(1) The high resistance film 11 is formed on the face plate 1
017 and the substrate 1011 are electrically connected.

As described above, the high resistance film 11 is provided to prevent the surface of the spacer 1020 from being charged. The high resistance film 11 is formed on the face plate 1017 (metal back 1019) and the substrate 1011 (wiring 1013,
1014) directly or with adhesives 1021a, 1021
When connecting via b, a large contact resistance is generated at the interface of the connecting portion, and there is a possibility that the electric charges generated on the surface of the spacer 1020 cannot be promptly removed. Therefore, the face plate 1017, the substrate 1011 and the adhesive 10
A low resistance film (intermediate layer) 21 is provided on the upper and lower end surfaces 3 of the spacer 1020 and the vicinity 5 which are in contact with the spacers 21a and 1021b so that the resistance can be reduced and charges generated on the surface of the spacer 1020 can be quickly removed. .

(2) The potential distribution of the high resistance film 11 is made uniform.

The electrons emitted from the cold cathode device 1012 form an electron trajectory according to the potential distribution between the face plate 1017 and the substrate 1011. In order to prevent the disorder of the electron orbit near the spacer 1020,
It is necessary to control the potential distribution of the high resistance film 11 over the entire area. The high resistance film 11 is formed on the face plate 1017 (metal back 1019) and the substrate 1011 (wiring 101).
3, 1014) directly or with adhesive 1021a, 10
In the case of connection via 21b, the contact resistance at the interface of the connection portion may cause uneven connection and the potential distribution of the high resistance film 11 may deviate from a desired value. In order to avoid this, the spacer 1020 makes the face plate 1
The low resistance film (intermediate layer) 21 is provided over the entire length of the spacer end portions (the upper and lower end surfaces 3 and the vicinity portion 5 thereof) that come into contact with the 017 and the substrate 1011 and a desired potential is applied to the low resistance film 21 to increase the high resistance. The potential of the entire resistance film 11 can be controlled.

(3) Control the orbits of emitted electrons.

As described above, the electrons emitted from the cold cathode device 1012 are emitted from the face plate 1017 and the substrate 101.
It goes through an electron orbit that follows the potential distribution between 1. However, the cold cathode element 1012 in the vicinity of the spacer 1020 may be subject to restrictions (changes in wiring or element formation position) due to the installation of the spacer 1020.
The electrons emitted from 012 may not draw the desired orbit. In such a case, in order to form an image without distortion or unevenness, it is necessary to control the trajectory of the emitted electrons to guide the electrons to a desired position on the face plate 1017. Therefore, by providing the low resistance film (intermediate layer) 21 in the vicinity 5 where the spacer 1020 contacts the face plate 1017 and the substrate 1011, the spacer 1
It is possible to control the electron orbit by adjusting the potential distribution around 020.

The low resistance film 21 having such a function is
It is made of a material having a resistance value sufficiently lower than that of the high resistance film 11, and is made of, for example, Ni, Cr, Au, Mo, W, Pt, or T.
Metals or alloys such as i, Al, Cu, Pd, Pd, A
a printed conductor composed of a metal such as g, Au, RuO ₂ , Pd-Ag or a metal oxide and glass, or In ₂ O ₃
It is appropriately selected from a transparent conductor such as SnO ₂ and a semiconductor material such as polysilicon.

[Adhesive] Adhesives 1021a, 1021b
Has a conductivity so that the spacer 1020 is electrically connected to the row wiring 1013 and the metal back 1019. A frit glass to which a conductive adhesive, metal particles or a conductive filler is added is suitable as the material.

[Spacer Fixing Method] Next, the spacer fixing method, which is the main feature of the present invention, will be described. The spacer 1020 is formed so as to straddle the image forming area and the peripheral area.
It is fixed to the rear plate 1015 by 021a. Further, for the purpose of preventing the spacer 1020 from being displaced from the assembly position, the intermediate portion of the spacer 1020 is partially fixed to the rear plate 1015 by the adhesive 1021b in the image forming area.

This spacer 1020 is connected to the row wiring 10
The method of adhering on 13 will be described first with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, both sides or one side of the spacer 1020, which has been elongated as the display screen becomes larger, is pulled outward to generate tension and correct its shape. Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the spacer 1020 is arranged at a predetermined position on the row wiring 1013 while maintaining the tension. The adhesive 102 is formed on both sides of the spacer 1020.
1a is applied and adhered onto the row-direction wiring 1013 in the peripheral region by the adhesive 1021a. Adhesive on both sides 1
021a has a sufficient volume to support the spacer 1020. After the both sides of the spacer 1020 are adhered and the tension is stabilized, as shown in FIG. 8, the spacer 1020 and the row-direction wiring 10 are formed at several points in the image forming area.
Adhesive 1021b is applied to the joint portion with 13 to adhere them.

The adhesive position of the intermediate portion is within the image forming area, and the adhesive agent 1021b is small in amount so that the electron orbit from the cold cathode element 1012 is not affected so much, and the adhesive agent 1021a on both sides of the spacer 1020. Less than. If the spacers 1020 are adhered to both side portions and the intermediate portion at the same time, the adhesive agent 102 on both side portions having a large volume is used.
The adhesive 10 in the middle part, which has a small curing shrinkage amount of 1a,
Since the amount of hardening and shrinkage of the spacer 1020 is larger than that of the adhesive 21b, the tension of the spacer 1020 between the adhesive portions becomes non-uniform, and the spacer 1020 may be deformed or damaged. After the both sides are fixed and the curing shrinkage of the adhesive 1021a is completed and the tension is stabilized, the intermediate portion of the spacer 1020 is fixed using the adhesive 1021b. That is, since the adhesives 1021a on both sides of the spacer 1020 and the adhesive 1021b in the middle part do not cure and shrink at the same time, the tension of the spacer 1020 due to the difference in curing shrinkage based on the volume ratio of both adhesives 1021a and 1021b. Non-uniformity does not occur and the spacer 1020 can be prevented from being deformed or damaged.

Further, since the adhesive portion is provided also in the image forming area, the rear plate 1015 to which the spacer 1020 is fixed is vibrated during conveyance, and the face plate 10 is not.
It is possible to prevent the spacer 1020 from being displaced from the assembly position due to the sealing work of the rear plate 1015 and the rear plate 1015. Especially, as the display panel becomes larger, the spacer 1
This is effective when 020 is elongated.

[Method of Assembling Airtight Container] In this way,
Rear plate 1015 to which the spacer 1020 is fixed
Then, the side wall 1016 and the face plate 1017 are joined to each other to assemble the airtight container as shown in FIG. When assembling the airtight container, it is necessary to seal the joint portion of each member in order to maintain sufficient strength and airtightness. For example, frit glass is applied to the joint portion of each member and the temperature is 400 to 500 degrees Celsius in the air or nitrogen atmosphere.
Sealing is performed by firing for 10 minutes or more. After assembling the airtight container in this way, a vacuum pump is connected to an exhaust pipe (not shown), and the inside of the airtight container is evacuated to a vacuum degree of about 10 ⁻⁷ [Torr]. After that, the exhaust pipe is sealed, but in order to maintain the degree of vacuum in the airtight container, a getter film (not shown) is formed at a predetermined position in the airtight container immediately before or after sealing the exhaust pipe. . The getter film is, for example, B
It is a film obtained by heating a getter material containing a as a main component by heating with a heater or high-frequency heating, and the inside of the airtight container is 10 ⁻⁵ to 10 due to the adsorption action of the getter film.
^-7 [Torr] vacuum is maintained.

[Cold Cathode Element of Multi-Electron Beam Source] The assembly method of the airtight container for the display panel has been briefly described above. The rear plate 101 constituting the airtight container is described above.
The multi-electron beam source of No. 5 will be described in detail again.

The multi-electron beam source of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment is not limited in the material, shape and manufacturing method of the cold cathode device 1012 as long as it is an electron source in which the cold cathode device 1012 is wired in a simple matrix. Therefore, for example, various cold cathode devices such as surface conduction electron-emitting devices, FE-type devices and MIM-type devices can be adopted.

However, when a display device having a large display screen and a low price is required, these cold cathode devices 1
Among 012, the surface conduction electron-emitting device is particularly preferable.
In the FE type element, since the relative position and shape of the emitter cone and the gate electrode greatly affect the electron emission characteristics, extremely high precision manufacturing technology is required, which is an obstacle to increasing the area and reducing the manufacturing cost. Become. Further, in the MIM type element, it is necessary to make the film thickness of the insulating layer and the upper electrode uniform and thin, which also becomes an obstacle to increase in area and reduction in manufacturing cost. On the other hand, the surface conduction electron-emitting device has a relatively simple manufacturing method, so that it is easy to increase the area and reduce the manufacturing cost. Further, the present inventors have found that among the surface conduction electron-emitting devices, the one in which the electron emitting portion or its peripheral portion is formed of a fine particle film has particularly excellent electron emitting characteristics and can be easily manufactured. . Therefore, in order to realize an image forming apparatus with high brightness and a large screen, it is most preferable to configure a multi-electron beam source using a surface conduction electron-emitting device in which an electron emitting portion or its peripheral portion is formed of a fine particle film. It is suitable.

Therefore, in the display panel of the present embodiment, the surface conduction electron-emitting device in which the electron emitting portion or its peripheral portion is formed of the fine particle film is used as the cold cathode device 1012. The basic configuration, manufacturing method, and characteristics of this surface conduction electron-emitting device will be described below, and then the structure of a multi-electron beam source in which a large number of surface conduction electron-emitting devices are wired in a simple matrix will be described.

[Surface-conduction type emission device] There are two types of typical structures of the surface-conduction type emission device in which the electron emission portion or its peripheral portion is formed of a fine particle film.

[Structure and Manufacturing Method of Planar Surface-Conduction Emitting Element] First, the structure and manufacturing method of the planar surface-conducting emitting element will be described. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, in the planar surface conduction electron-emitting device, the substrate 1
On 101, a pair of opposing device electrodes 1102, 110
3 is provided, and a conductive thin film 1104 is provided between the device electrodes 1102 and 1103. And the conductive thin film 1
A thin film 1113 formed by the energization activation process is coated on the slit-shaped part provided in 104, and this part becomes an electron emission portion 1105 formed by the energization forming process.

The substrate 1101 is made of, for example, various glass substrates such as quartz glass and soda lime glass, various ceramics substrates such as alumina, or the above-mentioned various substrates and an insulating layer made of, for example, SiO ₂ is laminated thereon. It consists of a substrate.

The device electrodes 1102 and 1103 are made of a conductive material. For example, Ni, C
Metals such as r, Au, Mo, W, Pt, Ti, Cu, Pd, and Ag, alloys of these metals, metal oxides such as In ₂ O ₃ —SnO ₂ , semiconductors made of polysilicon, etc. It can be formed by appropriately selecting and using materials. The device electrodes 1102 and 1103 can be easily manufactured, for example, by combining a film forming technique such as vacuum deposition and a patterning technique such as photolithography and etching. However, it can also be manufactured by a method other than that, for example, a method using a printing technique. The shapes of the device electrodes 1102 and 1103 are appropriately designed according to the application of the surface conduction electron-emitting device. In general, the electrode interval E is usually designed within a range of several hundred [Å] to several hundred [μm], and it is preferable that the electrode interval E is several [μm] to several tens [μm] especially for use in an image display device. ] Range. The thickness G of the device electrode is usually set within the range of several hundred [Å] to several [μm].

The fine particle film described above is used as the conductive thin film 1104. The fine particle film refers to a film containing a large number of fine particles as a constituent element (including an island-shaped aggregate). Microscopically, the fine particle film usually has a structure in which individual fine particles are spaced apart from each other, a structure in which the fine particles are adjacent to each other, or a structure in which the fine particles overlap with each other. The particle diameter of the fine particles constituting the fine particle film is in the range of several [Å] to several thousand [Å], but the range of 10 to 200 [Å] is particularly preferable. In addition, the thickness of the fine particle film takes various conditions into consideration, that is, the fine particles can be electrically and satisfactorily connected to the device electrodes 1102 and 1103, and the energization forming described later can be favorably performed. The electric resistance of the film itself is set to an appropriate value. Specifically, the particle size of the fine particles is set within the range of several [Å] to several thousand [Å], and particularly preferably 10 to 500 [Å]. The material used to form this fine particle film is, for example, Pd, Pt, Ru, Ag, Au, Ti, I.
n, Cu, Cr, Fe, Zn, Sn, Ta, W, Pb and other metals, PdO, SnO ₂ , In ₂ O ₃ , PbO, S
oxides such as b ₂ O ₃ , HfB ₂ , ZrB ₂ , LaB ₆ ,
Borides such as CeB ₆ , YB ₄ and GdB ₄ , TiC, Z
Carbides such as rC, HfC, TaC, SiC, WC,
It is appropriately selected from nitrides such as TiN, ZrN and HfN, semiconductors such as Si and Ge, and carbon.
The sheet resistance value of the conductive thin film 1104 made of this fine particle film is set within the range of 10 ³ to 10 ⁷ [Ω / sq].

The conductive thin film 1104 and the device electrodes 1102
1103 is a structure in which some of them overlap each other because it is desirable that they are electrically connected well. Regarding the overlapping manner, in the example of FIG. 9B, the substrate 1101, the device electrodes 1102 and 1103, and the conductive thin film 1104 are stacked in this order from the bottom, but in some cases,
The substrate 1101, the conductive thin film 1104, and the device electrodes 1102 and 1103 may be stacked in this order from the bottom.

The electron-emitting portion 1105 has a conductive thin film 110.
4 is a slit-like portion formed in a part of 4 and has an electrical resistance higher than that of the surrounding conductive thin film 1104. The slit is for the conductive thin film 1104,
It is formed by performing an energization forming process described later. In some cases, fine particles having a particle size of several [Å] to several hundred [Å] are arranged in the slit. In addition, the actual electron emission unit 1
Since it is difficult to precisely and accurately illustrate the position and shape of 105, they are schematically shown in FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b).

The thin film 1113 is formed by performing the energization activation process described later after the energization forming process,
The electron emitting portion 1105 and its vicinity are covered. The thin film 1113 is made of carbon or a carbon compound, and is specifically one of single crystal graphite, polycrystalline graphite, amorphous carbon, or a mixture thereof.
The film thickness is 500 [Å] or less, more preferably 300 [Å]
It is the following. Since it is difficult to precisely illustrate the actual position and shape of the thin film 1113, the thin film 1113 is schematically shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B. The plan view of the surface conduction electron-emitting device (FIG. 9A) shows a state in which a part of the thin film 1113 is removed.

The preferred structure of the surface conduction electron-emitting device has been described above, but a specific example thereof will be described below. A soda-lime glass is used as the substrate 1101, and the device electrodes 1102 and
1103 was formed of a Ni thin film. Element electrode 110
The thickness G of 2, 1103 was 1000 [Å], and the electrode interval E was 2 [μm]. Pd or PdO was used as the main material of the fine particle film to be the conductive thin film 1104, and the thickness of the fine particle film was about 100 [Å] and the width W was 100 [μm].

A method of manufacturing this flat surface conduction electron-emitting device will be described. 10A to 10D are cross-sectional views for explaining the manufacturing process of the surface conduction electron-emitting device.

(1) First, by depositing the material of the element electrode on the substrate 1101 which has been thoroughly washed with a detergent, pure water, and an organic solvent in advance, as shown in FIG. Element electrodes 1102 and 1103 are formed on the substrate. As a method of depositing the material, for example, a vacuum film forming technique such as a vapor deposition method or a sputtering method can be adopted, and thereafter, the deposited electrode material is patterned by using the photolithography / etching technique and shown in FIG. A pair of device electrodes 1102 and 1103 are formed.

(2) Next, the substrate 11 shown in FIG.
01 is coated with an organometallic solution, dried, and heated and baked to form a fine particle film, which is then patterned into a predetermined shape by photolithography and etching.
A conductive thin film 1104 shown in (b) is formed. The organometallic solution is a solution of an organometallic compound whose main element is the material of the fine particles forming the conductive thin film 1104. Specifically, it is applied by a dipping method using Pd as a main element. However, as a coating method, a spinner method or a spray method can also be adopted. Further, as a method for forming the conductive thin film made of a fine particle film, for example, a vacuum vapor deposition method, a sputtering method, a chemical vapor deposition method, or the like can be used in addition to the method of applying the organic metal solution described above.

(3) Next, as shown in FIG.
Forming power supply 1110 to device electrodes 1102 and 1
An appropriate voltage is applied between 103 to perform energization forming processing, and the electron emitting portion 1105 is formed.

The energization forming process is a process of energizing the electroconductive thin film 1104 made of a fine particle film to appropriately destroy, deform or alter a part of the electroconductive thin film 1104 to change the structure suitable for electron emission. is there. In a portion (electron emission portion 1105) of the conductive thin film 1104 formed of a fine particle film, which has been changed to a structure suitable for emitting electrons,
Appropriate cracks (slits) are formed in the conductive thin film 1104. It should be noted that, as compared with the case before the electron emission portion 1105 is formed, after the formation, the device electrodes 1102 and 11 are formed.
The electrical resistance measured during 03 is significantly increased.

In order to explain this energization forming method in more detail, a forming power supply 1110 is shown in FIG.
An example of the voltage waveform applied from is shown. When forming the conductive thin film 1104 made of a fine particle film, a pulsed voltage is preferable, and here, as shown in FIG. 11, a triangular wave pulse having a pulse width T ₁ was continuously applied at a pulse interval T ₂ . At that time, the _peak value V _pf of the triangular wave pulse was sequentially increased. Further, monitor pulses P _m for monitoring the formation state of the electron emission portion 1105 are inserted between the triangular wave pulses at appropriate intervals, and the current flowing at that time is measured by the ammeter 1.
Measured at 111. For example, in a vacuum atmosphere of about 10 ⁻⁵ [Torr], the pulse width T ₁ is 1 [ms], the pulse interval T ₂ is 10 [ms], and the _peak value V _pf is 0.1 [V for each pulse. ] The pressure was increased one by one. Then, the monitor pulse P _{m is} generated once every five pulses of the triangular wave are applied.
Inserted. The voltage V _pm of the monitor pulse P _m is set to 0. 0 so as not to adversely affect the energization forming process.
It was set to 1 [V]. Then, the device electrodes 1102 and 11
When the electric resistance between 03 becomes 1 × 10 ⁶ [Ω],
That is, when the monitor pulse P _m is applied, the ammeter 1111
When the current measured in 1. became less than 1 × 10 ⁻⁷ [A], the voltage application was stopped and the energization forming process was completed.

The above-mentioned method is an example of a preferred energization forming treatment method in the surface conduction electron-emitting device. For example, the design of the surface conduction electron-emitting device such as the material and film thickness of the fine particle film or the element electrode spacing E is performed. When it is changed, it is desirable to appropriately change the energization condition accordingly.

(4) Next, as shown in FIG.
From the activation power source 1112 to the device electrodes 1102 and 1103
Appropriate voltage is applied between the two to perform energization activation treatment,
The electron emission characteristics are improved.

The energization activation process is a process of energizing the electron emitting portion 1105 formed by the above-described energization forming treatment under appropriate conditions to deposit carbon or a carbon compound in the vicinity of the electron emitting portion 1105. And
A thin film 1113 is formed by depositing carbon or a carbon compound. By performing the energization activation process, the emission current at the same applied voltage is 10% higher than that before the process.
It can be increased to 0 times or more. Specifically, 10
^-4 to 10 ^-5 [Torr] in a vacuum atmosphere, by applying a voltage pulse periodically, from organic compounds present in the vacuum atmosphere to carbon or carbon compounds, such as single crystal graphite, polycrystal 500 [Å] graphite, amorphous carbon, or a mixture thereof
Hereafter, more preferably, it is deposited to a thickness of 300 [Å] or less.

In order to explain the energization activation processing method in more detail, FIG. 12 shows an example of a voltage waveform applied from the activation power supply 1112. In this example, a rectangular wave having a constant voltage is periodically applied to perform energization activation processing. Specifically, the voltage V _ac is 14 [V] and the pulse width T ₃
Of 1 [ms] and a pulse interval T ₄ of 10 [ms] was applied. As shown in FIG. 10D, the anode electrode 1114 for capturing the emission current I _e emitted from the surface conduction electron-emitting device is connected to the DC high voltage power supply 1115 and the ammeter 1116. When the substrate 1101 is incorporated into a display panel and then activated, the fluorescent surface of the display panel is used as the anode electrode 1114. While applying the voltage from the activation power supply 1112, the emission current I _e is measured by the ammeter 1116 to monitor the progress of the energization activation process, and the activation power supply 1112 is monitored.
Control the behavior of. FIG. 13 shows an example of the emission current I _e measured by the ammeter 1116. When the pulse voltage is started to be applied from the activating power supply 1112, the emission current I _e increases with the lapse of time, but is eventually saturated and hardly increases. Thus, when the emission current I _e is almost saturated, the voltage application from the activation power supply 1112 is stopped,
The energization activation process ends. The above-described method is an example of a preferable energization activation treatment method in the surface conduction electron-emitting device, and when the design of the surface conduction electron emission device is changed, the treatment method and conditions may be changed accordingly. Is desirable.

As described above, the plane type surface conduction electron-emitting device shown in FIG. 9 was manufactured.

[Vertical Surface Conduction Emission Element] Next, another typical configuration of the surface conduction emission device in which the electron emission portion or its periphery is formed of a fine particle film, that is, vertical surface conduction emission device. The configuration of the element will be described.
As shown in FIG. 14, in a vertical type surface conduction electron-emitting device, a step forming member 1206 is provided on a substrate 1201, and a pair of element electrodes 1202 facing each other on the substrate 1201 and the step forming member 1206. , 1203 are provided, and a conductive thin film 1204 is provided over the device electrodes 1202, 1203. Then, the conductive thin film 12
The slit-shaped portion provided in 04 is covered with the thin film 1213 formed by the energization activation treatment, and this portion is
Electron emitting portion 12 formed by energization forming processing
It is 05. This vertical type surface conduction electron-emitting device is different from the planar type surface conduction electron-emitting device described above in that one of the device electrodes 1202 and 1203 (the device electrode 1202 in the example of FIG. 14) is on the step forming member 1206. And the conductive thin film 1204 is provided on the step forming member 120.
6 is covering the side surface. Therefore, in the vertical type shown in FIG. 14, the step height E _s of the step forming member 1206 corresponds to the device electrode distance E in the flat type shown in FIG.
Is. The substrate 1201 and the device electrodes 1202, 1
203 and the conductive thin film 1204 formed of a fine particle film are substantially the same as those of the above-mentioned planar type surface conduction electron-emitting device. As the step forming member 1206, for example, S
electrically an insulating material such as iO ₂ is used.

Next, a method of manufacturing the vertical type surface conduction electron-emitting device will be described. 15 (a) to (f),
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the manufacturing process. The description of the same parts as those in the method of manufacturing the planar surface-conduction type emission device described above will be omitted.

(1) First, as shown in FIG.
A device electrode 1203 is formed on the substrate 1201.

(2) Next, as shown in FIG.
Insulating layer 1206 for forming step forming member 1206
a is laminated. The insulating layer 1206a may be formed by stacking SiO ₂ , for example, by a sputtering method, but may be stacked by using another film forming method such as a vacuum deposition method or a printing method.

(3) Next, as shown in FIG.
A device electrode 1202 is formed on the insulating layer 1206a.

(4) Next, as shown in FIG.
A part of the insulating layer 1206a is removed by using, for example, an etching method to form the step forming member 1206, and the device electrode 1203
Expose.

(5) Next, as shown in FIG.
A conductive thin film 1204 made of a fine particle film is formed. As a method for forming the same, a film forming technique such as a coating method may be used as in the case of the above-mentioned planar type surface conduction electron-emitting device.

(6) Next, the same energization forming process as described above is performed to form the electron emitting portion 1205.

(7) Next, the same energization activation process as described above is performed to deposit carbon or a carbon compound in the vicinity of the electron emission portion 1205 to form a thin film 1213.

As described above, the vertical type surface conduction electron-emitting device shown in FIG. 15 (f) was manufactured.

[Characteristics of Surface Conduction Type Emitting Element Used for Display Device] The element structure and the manufacturing method of the plane type and vertical type surface conduction type emitting elements have been described above. Next, these surface conduction type emitting elements are described. The characteristics when the is used in an image display device will be described.

FIG. 16 shows an example of the relationship between the emission current I _{e of} the surface conduction electron-emitting device used in the image display device and the device applied voltage V _f , and FIG. 17 shows the relationship between the device current I _f and the device applied voltage V _f.
3 shows an example of each of the relationships. The emission current I
_{Since e} is much smaller than the device current I _f , it is difficult to illustrate it on the same scale, and these characteristics are changed by changing design parameters such as the size and shape of the device. The scales on the axes of the two graphs are different.

As can be seen from FIGS. 16 and 17, the surface conduction electron-emitting device used in the image display device has an emission current I
_{It has the} following three characteristics with respect to _e .

[0100] First, although the voltage of a certain voltage (threshold voltage V _th) or higher magnitude is applied rapidly emission current I _e increases, the emission current I _e is the threshold voltage V _th of less than voltage Hardly detected. That is, this surface conduction electron-emitting device is a non-linear device having a clear threshold voltage V _th with respect to the emission current I _e .

Second, since the emission current I _e changes depending on the voltage V _f applied to the surface conduction electron-emitting device, the magnitude of the emission current I _e can be controlled by the voltage V _f .

[0102] Third, since response speed of the emission current I _e is the voltage V _f applied to the surface conduction electron-emitting device, a surface conduction electron-emitting device by the length of time for applying the voltage V _f The amount of charge of the emitted electrons can be controlled.

Due to the above characteristics, the surface conduction electron-emitting device could be preferably used in the image display device. For example, a large number of surface conduction electron-emitting devices (cold cathode devices) 1012 described above can be provided in the image display device shown in FIGS. In this image display device, it is possible to sequentially scan the display screen for display due to the above-mentioned first characteristic. That is, the driving in the surface conduction electron-emitting device 1012 suitably applied to the threshold voltage V _th or more voltage in accordance with the desired emission luminance, less than the threshold voltage V _th to the surface conduction electron-emitting devices 1012 of the non-selected state Apply voltage. Surface-conduction type emission device 10 to be driven
By sequentially switching 12 the display screen can be sequentially scanned and displayed. Further, since the emission brightness can be controlled by utilizing the second characteristic and the third characteristic, it is possible to perform gradation display.

In the structure shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the substrate 1 of the multi-electron beam source having the surface conduction electron-emitting device (cold cathode device 1012) on the rear plate 1015 of the airtight container.
Although 011 is fixed, when the substrate 1011 of the multi electron beam source has sufficient strength, the substrate 1011 of the multi electron beam source itself may be used as the rear plate of the airtight container.

[0105]

EXAMPLES Next, more specific examples of the above-mentioned image forming apparatus will be described.

[First Embodiment] In this embodiment, a case of manufacturing the display panel shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

(Production of Electron Source) First, as described above, the row wiring 1013, the column wiring 1014, the interelectrode insulating layer (not shown), and the device electrode 1102 of the surface conduction electron-emitting device 1012 are previously formed on the substrate 1101. , 1103 and the conductive thin film 1104 were formed.

(Production of Insulating Member of Spacer) Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the insulating member 1 of the spacer 1020, which is the atmospheric pressure resistant structure of the display panel, was made of soda lime glass to 300 [mm] ×. It was produced in a size of 2 [mm] × 0.2 [mm]. Specifically, a long soda lime glass plate having a cross section of 2 [mm] × 0.2 [mm] was formed by a heat drawing method, and cut into pieces every 300 [mm]. For convenience, here, the widest surface (300 [m
m] × 2 [mm]) is called the main surface, and the face plate 1
017 and the rear plate 1015 in contact with two surfaces (2 [m
m] × 0.2 [mm]) is referred to as upper and lower end faces 3, and the other two faces (300 [mm] × 0.2 [mm]) are referred to as side end faces.

(Production of spacer high resistance film and electrode film formation)
In the insulating member 1 of the spacer, the high resistance film 11 is formed on four surfaces (surfaces excluding the side end surfaces) of the insulating member 1 in the image forming area of the airtight container, and the upper and lower end surfaces 3 and the face plate 101 of the main surface are formed.
7 [m] and the rear plate 1015 from the side of 0.1 [m
The conductive low resistance film 21 was formed in a region up to the height of m] (near part 5). As the high resistance film 11, Cr and A are used.
l target simultaneously sputtered with a high frequency power source to form a Cr-Al alloy nitride film (thickness: 2
00 [nm], surface resistance: about 109 [Ω / □]). The low resistance film 21 is formed by the spacer 1020 as described above.
High resistance film 11 and face plate 1017 formed on
The electrical connection between the rear plate 1015 and the rear plate 1015 is ensured, the electric field around the spacer 1020 is suppressed, and the trajectory of the electron beam from the surface conduction electron-emitting device 1012 is controlled.

(Adhesive Member for Fixing Spacer) Spacer 10
As the adhesives 1021a and 1021b for fixing 20 are used inorganic adhesives having alumina as a matrix. On both sides of the spacer 1020, the particle size of alumina is 100 [μ
m] adhesive 1021a is applied to the spacer 1020.
Since only a small amount can be applied to the middle part of
An adhesive 1021b having an alumina particle size of 50 [μm] was applied.

(Assembly of Spacer) Spacer 1020
The spacer 1020 is brought into contact with a predetermined position of the row wiring 1013 in a state where both side portions of the are pulled and the tension is maintained. After that, both side portions are adhered to the peripheral region with an adhesive agent 1021a. Next, the intermediate portion of the spacer 1020 is attached to the adhesive 10
It is fixed to the row wiring 1013 by 21b. Adhesion was performed at five points such that the intervals of the adhesive parts were equal (see FIG. 8).

(Sealing of Rear Plate and Face Plate) After that, as shown in FIG.
A side wall 1016 is installed on the upper side of the side wall 1016 via frit glass, and frit glass is further applied to the end surface of the side wall 1016 to form a fluorescent film 1018 made of stripe-shaped phosphors of each color extending in the column wiring (Y direction) and a metal back 1019. A face plate 1017 attached to the inner surface of the is disposed on the side wall 1016.

(Electron source process and sealing) As described above
Through the exhaust pipe (not shown) inside the completed airtight container.
After exhausting with an empty pump and reaching a sufficient degree of vacuum,
To terminal D_x1~ D_xmAnd D_y1~ D _ynAnd row-direction wiring electrode
1013 and column-direction wiring electrodes 1014
Power is supplied to the surface conduction electron-emitting device (cold cathode device) 1012.
The energization forming process and energization activation process described above.
By doing so, a multi-electron beam source was manufactured. Next
To 10^-6Exhaust pipe (not shown) with a vacuum of about [Torr]
Sealing the envelope (airtight container) by heating with a gas burner and welding
I put on my clothes. Finally, to maintain the degree of vacuum after sealing
Then, the getter process was performed.

(Image formation) FIG. 1 completed as described above.
In the image forming apparatus including the display panel shown in FIG. 10, each cold cathode device (surface conduction electron-emitting device) 1012 is provided from the signal generating means outside the container through the terminals D _{x1 to} D _xm and D _{y1 to} D _yn.
Electrons are emitted by applying a scanning signal and a modulation signal to the metal back, and a high voltage is applied to the metal back 1019 through the high-voltage terminal Hv to accelerate the emitted electron beam, causing the electrons to collide with the fluorescent film 1018 to cause fluorescence of each color. The body is excited to emit light and an image is displayed. The applied voltage V _a to the high voltage terminal Hv was 3 to 10 [kV], and the applied voltage V _f between the wirings 1013 and 1014 was 14 [V]. At this time, the light emission spot rows are formed two-dimensionally at equal intervals, including the light emission spots due to the electrons emitted from the cold cathode element 1012 near the spacer 1020,
We were able to display a clear color image with good color reproducibility.

[Second Embodiment] Another assembly example of the display panel will be described with reference to FIGS. In this embodiment,
Support members 1030 are provided at both ends of the spacer 1020.

(Spacer Support Member) The support member 1030 fixed to the spacer 1020 is, as shown in FIG.
It is a plate shape of 5 [mm] × 5 [mm] × 0.5 [mm], and the spacer 1020 is inserted in the central portion, and the width is 0.25 [m
m] A groove 1031 having a length of 2 [mm] is formed.

(Assembly of Spacer and Support Member) Both sides of the spacer 1020 are connected to the groove 1031 of the support member 1030.
And fix it with the same adhesive as in the first embodiment,
As shown in FIG. 19, the spacer 1 is formed by the support member 1030.
020 will be self-supporting. Then, by performing the spacer assembling step in the same procedure as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 20), it was possible to prevent uneven tension.

In the above-mentioned two embodiments, the adhesive is cured by heating, but the method for curing the adhesive of the present invention is not particularly limited.

[0119]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the spacer is fixed to the plate, both sides of the spacer having a large volume of adhesive and a large amount of curing shrinkage are first bonded to stabilize the tension. After that, by adhering the intermediate portion of the spacer having a small volume of the adhesive and a small amount of curing shrinkage, it is possible to prevent uneven tension and prevent the spacer from being deformed or damaged. Furthermore, since the spacers are partially fixed not only outside the image forming area but also inside the image forming area, there are vibrations during transportation of the plate to which the spacers are fixed,
The spacer is prevented from being displaced from the position where it is first assembled due to the effect of fixing the two plates to each other. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the misalignment of the spacers from interfering with the orbits of the electrons emitted from the electron source near the wiring or distorting the electron orbits by disturbing the electric field near the spacers and affecting the image display. You can

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of an image forming apparatus manufactured according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an electron source of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a fluorescent film of the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating a state in which tension is applied in the spacer fixing step.

FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating a state where both side portions of the spacer are bonded in the spacer fixing step.

FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating a state in which the intermediate portion of the spacer is bonded in the spacer fixing step.

9A and 9B are views for explaining the configuration of a planar surface conduction electron-emitting device, in which FIG. 9A is a plan view and FIG. 9B is a sectional view.

10 is a cross-sectional view showing a manufacturing process of the flat surface-conduction type electron-emitting device shown in FIG.

11 is a graph showing an applied voltage waveform in an energization forming process in the manufacturing process shown in FIG.

12 is a graph showing an applied voltage waveform in the energization activation process in the manufacturing process shown in FIG.

13 is a graph showing a change in emission current in the energization activation process during the manufacturing process shown in FIG.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a vertical surface conduction electron-emitting device.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a manufacturing process of the vertical surface conduction electron-emitting device shown in FIG.

FIG. 16 is a graph showing the relationship between the emission current and the device voltage of the surface conduction electron-emitting device used in the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a graph showing the relationship between the device current and the device voltage of the surface conduction electron-emitting device used in the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a spacer support member.

FIG. 19 is a front view showing a state in which a spacer is fixed to a support member.

FIG. 20 is a front view illustrating a state in which a spacer is fixed to a support member and adhered to a rear plate.

FIG. 21 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of a conventional surface conduction electron-emitting device.

FIG. 22 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a conventional image display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Insulating member 3 Upper and lower end faces 5 Neighborhood 11 High resistance film (antistatic film) 21 Low resistance film (intermediate layer) 1010 black conductor 1011 substrate 1012 Cold cathode device (surface conduction electron-emitting device) 1013 row direction wiring 1014 Column direction wiring 1015 Rear plate (first plate) 1016 Frame-shaped side wall 1017 Face plate (second plate) 1018 fluorescent film 1019 Metal back 1020 spacer 1020a Insulating member 1020b High resistance film 1020c Low resistance film 1021a Adhesive applied to both sides of spacer 1021b Adhesive applied to middle part of spacer 1030 Support member 1031 Groove for receiving spacer of support member 1101, 1201 substrate 1102, 1103, 1202, 1203 Element electrodes 1104, 1204 Conductive thin film 1105, 1205 Electron emission part 1110 Forming power supply 1111, 1116 ammeter 1112 Power supply for activation 1113, 1213 thin film 1114 Anode power supply 1115 DC high voltage power supply 1206 Step forming member 1206a Insulation layer R, G, B phosphor

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Kazuyuki Ueda             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation (72) Inventor ▲ Taka ▼ Nobuyuki Hashi             3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo             Non non corporation F-term (reference) 5C012 AA01 BB07

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A first plate having an electron source, a second plate having an image forming area irradiated with electrons emitted from the electron source to form an image, and the two plates facing each other. A method for manufacturing an image forming apparatus, comprising: an airtight container including a frame-shaped side wall that is fixed as described above; and a spacer that is arranged so as to be sandwiched between the two plates inside the airtight container. It is arranged so as to straddle the image forming area and its peripheral area, and after fixing both side parts of the spacer to one of the two plates outside the image forming area, in the image forming area, A method of manufacturing an image forming apparatus, wherein an intermediate portion of the spacer is partially fixed to the one plate. 2. The hermetic container is formed by partially fixing an intermediate portion of the spacer to the one plate in the image forming area and then fixing the two plates so as to face each other. Item 2. A method for manufacturing an image forming apparatus according to Item 1. 3. The method of manufacturing an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the spacer is fixed to the one plate in the image forming area by using an inorganic adhesive. 4. The spacer has a thin plate shape, and a height of the spacer that defines a distance between the two plates is H.
When the length of the surface of the spacer joined to the two plates is L and the width is W, L / W> 5 × 10
^{2. It} is formed so as to satisfy at least either one of ² and L / H> 50.
Item 7. A method for manufacturing an image forming apparatus according to item. 5. The electron source is configured to emit 8 electrons.
The method for manufacturing an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein _a DC voltage V _a larger than [kV] is supplied. 6. The fixing of the spacer to the one plate in the image forming area is applied to each fixing portion as compared with the fixing to the one plate outside the image forming area. The volume of adhesive applied is small.
6. The method for manufacturing an image forming apparatus according to any one of items 5 to 5.