JP2004134157A - Manufacturing method of plasma display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a product cost by shortening a lead time of a manufacturing process. <P>SOLUTION: After a baking step S4 forming a structure at the sides where a front glass plate 1 and a rear glass plate 4 are opposing each other, sealing a discharge space S between the two glass plates in opposition, and evacuating the inside of the discharge space in a heated state, a step S5 of leading cleaning gas at a high sputtering rate into the discharge space S, a step S6 in which an aging takes place in the discharge space S where the cleaning gas is led in, a lead-in step S7 of discharge gas, an exhaust pipe sealing step S8, and a step S9 aging the gas led in the discharge space S are carried out. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a plasma display panel.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a panel structure of a reflection type plasma display panel (PDP) of an AC drive system.
[0003]
On the inner surface side of the front substrate 1 of the PDP, row electrodes X and Y each composed of transparent electrodes Xa and Ya made of ITO or the like and bus electrodes Xb and Yb made of a thick film electrode made of silver or the like are paired. A row electrode pair (X, Y), a dielectric layer 2 covering the row electrode pair (X, Y), and a protective layer 3 made of MgO or the like covering the dielectric layer 2 are formed.
[0004]
On the inner side of the rear substrate 4 facing the front substrate 1, the discharge space S extends in a direction intersecting the row electrode pairs (X, Y) and intersects the row electrode pairs (X, Y). A column electrode D constituting the discharge cell C, a column electrode protection layer 5 covering the column electrode D, and a phosphor which is colored red, green, and blue for each discharge cell C on the column electrode protection layer 5 The layer 6 and partition walls (not shown) that divide the discharge space S for each discharge cell C are formed.
[0005]
In the discharge space S, a mixed gas with neon Ne containing 5 to 10% of xenon Xe is sealed as a discharge gas.
[0006]
The phosphor layer 6 emits light when excited by vacuum ultraviolet rays (wavelength: 147 nm) emitted from the Xe gas by discharge.
[0007]
FIG. 2 is a process explanatory view showing a conventional manufacturing process of a PDP having the above-described configuration.
In the front substrate manufacturing step s1 of FIG. 2, after the row electrodes X and Y are formed on the front substrate 1 by a photolithography method and the dielectric layer 2 is formed by a screen printing method and the like, a protective layer (MgO layer) is formed. 3) is formed.
[0008]
On the other hand, in the back substrate manufacturing step s2, formation of the column electrodes D on the back substrate 4 by a photolithography method, formation of the column electrode protection layer 5 by a screen printing method, and formation of partition walls by a sand blast method or the like are sequentially performed. After that, the phosphor paste is filled between the partition walls and baked, whereby the phosphor layer 6 is formed.
[0009]
Next, a glass frit for sealing is applied to the peripheral portion of the surface of the rear substrate 4 facing the front substrate 1 and is fired at a temperature of about 400 ° C. to form a sealing layer. Thereafter, the front substrate 1 and the rear substrate 4 are opposed to each other and overlapped so that the row electrodes X and Y and the column electrodes D formed in the respective directions are orthogonal to each other. In this state, heating is performed at a temperature of about 450 ° C., and the sealing layer formed on the back substrate 4 is welded to the front substrate 1 to form a discharge space formed between the back substrate 4 and the front substrate 1. The periphery of S is sealed (step s3).
[0010]
Thereafter, in the heating state at a temperature of about 350 ° C., the discharge space S is evacuated (baked) from the inside of the discharge space S (step s4). Is introduced (step s5).
After the introduction of the discharge gas is completed, the exhaust pipe used for exhaust and introduction of the discharge gas is sealed (step s6).
[0011]
A drive pulse is applied between the pair of row electrodes X and Y of the front substrate 1 to generate a discharge for a predetermined time, thereby activating (aging) the protection layer 3 formed on the front substrate 1. The discharge is stabilized (step s7).
[0012]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the conventional PDP manufacturing process as described above, the baking process in the process s4 is performed to secure not only the initial performance of the panel but also the reliability over a long period of time by performing so-called wiping in the discharge space S. It is something to be done.
[0013]
For this reason, it is necessary to set the process time of the baking process in step s4 to be long. If the process time of the baking process is short, it is necessary to set the process time of the aging process in step s7 longer. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the lead time L1 which is the sum of the baking process time and the aging process time becomes long, which is an obstacle to shortening the PDP manufacturing time.
[0014]
The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems in the plasma display panel manufacturing process.
[0015]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a method of manufacturing a plasma display panel according to the present invention forms a structure on each of two substrates on opposite sides, and attaches the two substrates on which the structure is formed to each other. A baking step in which the discharge space is sealed by opposing the discharge space, and thereafter, a baking step of exhausting the discharge space in a heated state, a step of introducing a discharge gas into the discharge space after the baking step, and a discharge step after the discharge gas introduction step In a method for manufacturing a plasma display panel through an aging step of generating a discharge in a space, a cleaning gas having a higher sputter rate than a discharge gas introduced after a discharge gas introduction step is applied to two substrates after the baking step. Between the process of introducing into the discharge space and the occurrence of discharge in this space while the cleaning gas is being introduced into the discharge space It is characterized by having a step of.
[0016]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the most preferable embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
FIG. 4 is a process explanatory view showing one example of an embodiment of a method of manufacturing a plasma display panel (PDP) according to the present invention.
In the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 4, in the front substrate manufacturing step S1, row electrodes X and Y are formed on the front substrate 1 by a photolithography method or the like, and a dielectric is applied by a screen printing method or the like so as to cover the row electrodes X and Y. A body layer 2 is formed, and a protective layer (MgO layer) 3 covering the back surface is formed on the dielectric layer 2 (see FIG. 1).
[0018]
On the other hand, in the rear substrate manufacturing step S2, a column electrode D is formed on the rear substrate 4 by a photolithography method or the like, and a column electrode protection layer 5 covering the column electrode D is formed by a screen printing method or the like. Partition walls that define the discharge space S are formed on the layer 5 by a sandblast method or the like, and a phosphor paste is filled between the partition walls and fired to form the phosphor layer 6 (see FIG. 1).
[0019]
When the front substrate manufacturing step S1 and the back substrate manufacturing step S2 are completed as described above, next, as shown in FIG. A glass frit for sealing is applied and baked at a temperature of about 400 ° C. to form a sealing layer 7, after which the front substrate 1 and the back substrate 4 are formed on the respective row electrodes formed thereon. The X and Y and the column electrodes D are opposed to each other and superposed so as to be orthogonal to each other.
[0020]
Then, in this state, the substrate is heated at a temperature of about 450 ° C. in a baking furnace H, and the sealing layer formed on the back substrate is welded to the front substrate, thereby forming between the back substrate 4 and the front substrate 1. The periphery of the discharge space to be sealed is sealed (step S3).
[0021]
Thereafter, the exhaust pipe 10 is connected and sealed to the exhaust hole formed in the rear substrate 4, and vacuum baking for exhausting from the inside of the discharge space S through the exhaust pipe 10 in a heating state at about 350 ° C. (Step S4).
After the completion of the baking step in step S4, a cleaning gas (discharge gas) is introduced from the cleaning gas introduction system 11 while the panel temperature is lowered (step S5).
[0022]
The cleaning gas introduced in this step S5 is a discharge gas, which will be described later, by a method such as setting the partial pressure of Xe to about 1% or lowering the total gas pressure so that the sputtering rate for MgO forming the protective layer is set to about 1%. It is set to be higher with respect to.
[0023]
As a method for introducing such a high sputter rate cleaning gas,
(1) Ne-Xe gas having a partial pressure of Xe of 1% or less is introduced at a pressure of 400 to 600 Toor.
(2) Ne-Xe gas having a partial pressure of Xe of 5 to 10% or less is introduced at a pressure of 300 Toor or less,
And so on.
[0024]
After the step S5 is completed, a driving pulse is applied between the pair of row electrodes X and Y of the front substrate 1 to generate a discharge for a predetermined time, so that the protection layer (MgO layer) formed on the front substrate 1 is formed. Aging (activation) for 3) is performed (step S6).
[0025]
After this step S6, when the cleaning gas is exhausted from the discharge space S, the discharge gas is then discharged from the discharge gas introduction system 12 into the discharge space S via the exhaust pipe 10 at a predetermined pressure (400 to 600 Tool). ) (Step S7).
[0026]
Further, after the introduction of the discharge gas is completed, the exhaust pipe 10 used for the exhaust and the introduction of the discharge gas is sealed (step S8).
[0027]
A drive pulse is applied between the pair of row electrodes X and Y of the front substrate 10 to generate a discharge for a predetermined time, thereby aging the protective layer (MgO layer) 3 formed on the front substrate 1. (Activation) and stabilization of discharge (step S9).
[0028]
According to the method of manufacturing the PDP, the aging step of step S5 performed after the baking step of step S4 performs sputtering by plasma ions on MgO forming the protective layer 3. In this aging, the discharge space is discharged. By introducing a high sputter rate cleaning gas into S, sputtering of plasma ions on MgO of the protective layer 3 is promoted.
[0029]
As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the baking step time in step S4 and the aging step time in step S9 can be shortened, and the lead time L2 combining these step times can be reduced by the conventional manufacturing method. Can be greatly reduced as compared with the lead time L1 (see FIG. 3).
[0030]
By reducing the process time for activating MgO of the protective layer 3, power saving and space efficiency in the PDP manufacturing process can be achieved, and the product cost of the PDP can be reduced. Become like
[0031]
In the method of manufacturing a PDP according to the above-described embodiment, a structure is formed on each of two substrates facing each other, and the two substrates on which the structures are formed face each other to reduce a discharge space therebetween. Sealing, and thereafter, a baking step of exhausting the inside of the discharge space in a heated state, a step of introducing a discharge gas into the discharge space after the baking step, and aging to generate a discharge in the discharge space after the discharge gas introduction step In a method of manufacturing a plasma display panel through a process, after the baking process, a cleaning gas having a higher spar rate than a discharge gas introduced after a discharge gas introduction process is introduced into a discharge space between two substrates. A process for producing a PDP, comprising the steps of: generating a discharge in a discharge space with a cleaning gas being introduced into the discharge space; , Those that are the embodiments of the broader concept.
[0032]
According to the embodiment that constitutes this generic concept, after the two substrates on each of which the structure is formed are overlapped and the discharge space between them is sealed, the structure formed on the substrate in the baking step is removed. When activation by heating is performed, in the next step, a cleaning gas having a high sputter rate is introduced into the discharge space, and a discharge is generated in the discharge space in this state, so that the structure formed on the substrate is formed. Is activated by plasma ions.
After that, a PDP is manufactured through a process of introducing a discharge gas into a discharge space and an aging process.
[0033]
As described above, according to this method of manufacturing a PDP, aging is performed immediately after the baking step, and this aging is performed in an atmosphere of a cleaning gas having a high sputter rate. Activation by plasma ions is promoted.
[0034]
As a result, the baking process time and the aging process time of the final process performed in a state where the discharge gas is introduced into the discharge space can be shortened, and the lead time combining these process times can be reduced by the conventional manufacturing time. It can be significantly reduced compared to the method.
[0035]
By shortening the process time for activating the structure of the substrate, power saving and space efficiency in the PDP manufacturing process can be achieved, and the product cost of the PDP can be reduced. become.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a general configuration of a plasma display panel.
FIG. 2 is a process explanatory view showing a conventional plasma display panel manufacturing method.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a lead time in a conventional manufacturing method.
FIG. 4 is a process explanatory view showing one example of a method for manufacturing a plasma display panel according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a cleaning gas introduction step and a discharge gas introduction step in the same example.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a lead time in the manufacturing method of the example.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 ... front substrate (substrate)
2 ... dielectric layer 3 ... protective layer (structure)
4 Back substrate (substrate)
5 ... column electrode protection layer 7 ... phosphor layer 11 ... cleaning gas introduction system 12 ... discharge gas introduction system X, Y ... row electrode D ... column electrode

Claims (3)

A structure is formed on each side of the two substrates facing each other, the two substrates on which the structure is formed face each other to seal a discharge space therebetween, and thereafter, the discharge is performed in a heated state. A method of manufacturing a plasma display panel through a baking step of exhausting from a space, a step of introducing a discharge gas into a discharge space after the baking step, and an aging step of generating a discharge in the discharge space after the discharge gas introduction step At
After the baking step, a step of introducing a cleaning gas having a higher sputter rate than the discharge gas introduced after the discharge gas introducing step into the discharge space between the two substrates, and the cleaning gas is introduced into the discharge space. Generating a discharge in this space in a state where the plasma display panel is in a standing state. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning gas is a discharge gas having a xenon partial pressure of 1% or less. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressure of the cleaning gas is set lower than the pressure of the discharge gas introduced in the discharge gas introduction step.

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