JP2004281283A - Sealing method of flat plate type display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method of a flat plate type display device in which the protrusion of the sealing part provided at the outer periphery part is small and the ratio of the effective display region to the outside dimension is large. <P>SOLUTION: The sealing layer 62 containing a sealant 54 for closing the gap between the outer periphery of a front plate (first plate) 16 and a rear plate(second plate) 18 is applied a firing treatment at a prescribed temperature by pressing on using a metal thin plate 58 through a separation layer 60 containing an inorganic material having a high melting point than the sealing agent 54, and then the metal thin plate 58 which is pressed on the sealing layer 62 containing the sealant 54 is separated and removed as the metal thin plate 58 is separated from the sealing agent 4, thereby, the protrusion on the outer periphery face at the mutual jointing portion of the front plate 16 and the rear plate 18 is made small. And on the inner face, it is suppressed that the effective display region becomes smaller due to sealing, and the ratio of the effective display region to the outside dimension is secured to be large. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improvement in a sealing method for a flat panel display device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, a pair of flat plates, at least one of which has a light-transmitting property, are overlapped and hermetically sealed, and light is emitted by gas discharge generated in the airtight space, or ultraviolet light generated by the gas discharge, or the airtightness thereof. A flat panel display device of a type that displays a desired image by exciting a phosphor layer provided in the hermetic space with an electron beam generated from a cathode provided in the space to emit light, for example, A plasma display panel (Plasma Display Panel: PDP), a field emission display (Field Emission Display: FED), and the like are known (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Non-patent document 1]
Tani Chizuka, "Advanced Display Technology," First Edition, First Printing, Kyoritsu Shuppan, December 28, 1998, p. 82-84, 101-106
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, the flat panel display device as described above is used for displaying one image by itself, and a large screen is displayed by closely arranging a plurality of images and displaying one image as a whole. Is also used as a so-called tile type display device. In such a tile-type display device, in order to obtain high display quality, it is desired that the interval between the effective display areas of the display device is as small as possible and that the continuity of images is high.
[0005]
However, in the conventional flat panel display device, since the effective display area is limited due to the provision of the sealing portion on the outer peripheral portion, the display device is compared with the pixel center interval in one display device. The distance between pixel centers between each other is significantly increased. Therefore, it has been relatively difficult to obtain high-quality display with high continuity in the conventional tile-type display device. In addition, since it is desired that the display device has a display area as large as possible while keeping the outer dimensions small, the above-described limitation of the effective display area is not limited to the case where the display device is used as a tile-type display device and may be used alone. A similar problem arises when used.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the protrusion of a sealing portion provided on the outer peripheral edge, and to reduce the ratio of the effective display area to the external dimensions. To provide a method of manufacturing a flat panel display device having a large size.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The gist of the present invention for achieving the above object is that light generated in an airtight space formed between a first flat plate having a light-transmitting property and a second flat plate parallel to the first flat plate is provided. When manufacturing a flat panel display of a type in which light is emitted through the first flat plate, the first flat plate and the second flat plate are hermetically sealed at an outer peripheral edge thereof, and (a) the first flat plate and the second flat plate are sealed. A sealing layer containing a sealing agent for closing the gap between the outer peripheral edges of the second flat plate, the first flat plate and the second flat plate via a release layer containing a material having a higher melting point than the sealing agent; (B) applying a baking process at a predetermined temperature to the first flat plate and the second flat plate with the sealing agent so as to hermetically seal the first flat plate and the second flat plate with each other. A sintering step of bonding, and (c) peeling of the metal sheet And the extent, lies in the fact that contain.
[0008]
【The invention's effect】
With this configuration, the outer peripheral end surfaces of the first flat plate and the second flat plate are fixed to each other by the sealing agent, and the thin metal plate pressing the sealing layer containing the sealing agent is removed and removed. As a result, the protrusion on the outer peripheral end surface at the joint portion between the first flat plate and the second flat plate is reduced, so that the effective display area is prevented from being reduced on the inner surface due to sealing, and A flat panel display device capable of securing a large ratio of the effective display area to the external dimensions is obtained.
[0009]
Other aspects of the invention
Here, preferably, the sealing layer is applied to the inner surface of the metal sheet via the release layer. With this configuration, since the release layer and the sealing layer are laminated on the inner surface of the metal sheet, the metal sheet is fired by pressing the metal sheet against the outer peripheral end surface at the joint between the first and second flat plates. Sealing is easily performed.
[0010]
Preferably, in the baking step, the baking is performed using a baking setter that fixes the first and second flat plates in a state where the thin metal plate is pressed against the outer peripheral end surfaces of the first and second flat plates. Processing is performed. With this configuration, when the sealing agent is melted during firing, the sealing agent is pressed against the outer peripheral end surfaces of the first flat plate and the second flat plate by the thin metal plate, and is fixed by the temperature drop in that state. Protrusion from the edge of the device is suitably suppressed.
[0011]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an application example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, dimensional ratios such as length, width, and thickness are appropriately changed for easy understanding.
[0012]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an entire AC-type PDP (hereinafter, referred to as a PDP) 10 which is a flat panel display device manufactured by a manufacturing method according to an application example of the present invention. In the figure, a PDP 10 is for configuring a tile-type display device that forms a large screen by arranging a large number of similar panels closely in a plane direction, for example. The front plate 16 and the rear plate 18 are hermetically bonded to each other at the outer peripheral edge thereof at a small distance of about several hundreds of microns, and are attached to the end surfaces of the outer peripheral edge composed of, for example, low melting point sealing glass. The sealing agent 54 is fixed. In the figure, a PDP 10 has a display area dimension of, for example, about 20 inches (400 × 300 (mm)) diagonally, and is a so-called tile-type display device in which a plurality of sheets are closely arranged vertically and horizontally to constitute a large screen. Used as an element.
[0013]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of the PDP 10 with a part thereof cut away. The PDP 10 has a front plate (first flat plate) 16 and a back plate (first flat plate) 16 which are arranged parallel to each other at a slight interval of, for example, about several hundred microns so that the substantially flat surfaces 12 and 14 face each other. 18) are provided. The front plate 16 and the back plate 18 are hermetically sealed at the peripheral edge thereof via a grid-like sheet member 20 (thick film sheet electrode), whereby an airtight space is formed inside the PDP 10. . Each of the front plate 16 and the back plate 18 has, for example, a size of about 450 × 350 (mm) and a uniform thickness of about 1.1 to 3 (mm), and has a light-transmitting property and is softened. They are made of mutually similar soda lime glass having a point of about 700 (° C.). In the present embodiment, the front plate 16 corresponds to a first flat plate, and the back plate 18 corresponds to a second flat plate.
[0014]
On the back plate 18, a plurality of elongated partition walls 22 extending in one direction and parallel to each other are fixed within a range of 0.2 to 3 (mm), for example, about 1.0 (mm). The airtight space between the front plate 16 and the back plate 18 is divided into a plurality of discharge spaces 24. The partition walls 22 are made of a thick film material whose main component is a low softening point glass such as a PbO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ —Al ₂ O ₃ —ZnO—TiO ₂ system or a combination thereof. The width dimension is in the range of about 60 (μm) to 1.0 (mm), for example, about 200 (μm), and the height dimension is in the range of about 5 to 300 (μm), for example, about 50 (μm). It is provided with. The fineness, strength, shape retention, and the like of the film are adjusted by appropriately adding an inorganic filler such as alumina or other inorganic pigments to the partition walls 22. The sheet member 20 has a positional relationship in which a portion extending along one direction overlaps the top of the partition wall 22.
[0015]
Further, on the back plate 18, an under coat 26 made of low alkali glass or non-alkali glass or the like covering almost the entire inner surface 14 is provided, and a plurality of books made of thick film silver or the like are provided thereon. An embedded electrode 28 is provided at a position between and along the longitudinal direction of the plurality of partition walls 22 so as to be covered with an overcoat 30 made of an inorganic filler such as low softening point glass and white titanium oxide. . The partition wall 22 is provided so as to protrude from the overcoat 30.
[0016]
Further, on the surface of the overcoat 30 and the side surfaces of the partition walls 22, a phosphor layer 32 coated separately for each discharge space 24 is provided, for example, with a thickness determined for each color in a range of about 10 to 20 (μm). Have been. The phosphor layer 32 is made of, for example, one of three phosphors corresponding to emission colors such as R (red), G (green), and B (blue) emitted by ultraviolet excitation. The discharge spaces 24 are provided so as to have mutually different emission colors. The undercoat 26 and the overcoat 30 are provided for the purpose of preventing the reaction between the writing electrode 28 made of thick silver and the back plate 18 and the contamination of the phosphor layer 32. is there.
[0017]
On the other hand, on the inner surface 12 of the front plate 16, a partition 34 is provided in a stripe shape at a position facing the partition 22. The partition wall 34 is made of, for example, the same material as the partition wall 22 and has a height (thickness) of, for example, about 5 to 300 (μm), for example, about 50 (μm). Between the partitions 34 on the inner surface 12 of the front plate, a phosphor layer 36 is provided in a stripe shape with a thickness of, for example, about 5 (μm) within a range of, for example, about 3 to 50 (μm). The phosphor layer 36 has the same luminescent color as the phosphor layer 32 provided on the back plate 18 so that a single luminescent color is obtained for each discharge space 24. The height of the partition 34 is determined so that the surface thereof is higher than the surface of the phosphor layer 36 in order to prevent the sheet member 20 from contacting the phosphor layer 36.
[0018]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a main part of the configuration of the sheet member 20 with a part thereof cut away. In FIG. 3, the sheet member 20 has a thickness of, for example, about 50 (μm), for example, about 150 (μm) as a whole, and has a lattice shape. , An upper dielectric layer 38 and a lower dielectric layer 40, a conductor layer 44 laminated therebetween, a dielectric film 48 provided over the entire laminate, and a dielectric The protective film 50 is provided so as to further cover the film 48 and constitutes a surface portion of the sheet member 20.
[0019]
Each of the upper dielectric layer 38 and the lower dielectric layer 40 has a thickness in the range of, for example, 10 to 200 (μm), for example, about 50 (μm). Are all the same and form a lattice. These dielectric layers 38 and 40 are made of, for example, PbO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ —Al ₂ O ₃ —ZnO—TiO ₂ or a combination thereof, such as Al ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ —PbO. It is made of a thick film dielectric material such as softening point glass and ceramic filler such as alumina. In this embodiment, these dielectric layers 38 and the like correspond to a lattice-shaped dielectric layer. Further, the portions extending along the vertical and horizontal directions constituting these lattices are substantially the same as the width dimension of the partition walls 22 or slightly wider in consideration of the alignment margin in the direction along the partition walls 22, for example, It has a width in the range of 70 (μm) to 1.1 (mm), for example, about 300 (μm), and is provided at a center interval of about 1.0 (mm), which is the same as that of the partition wall 22. Further, in the direction orthogonal to the partition wall 22, a width dimension sufficiently smaller than the range, for example, about 60 (μm) to 1.0 (mm), for example, about 150 (μm), and about 200 (μm) to It is provided within a range of 1.0 (mm), for example, at a center interval of about 500 (μm). Therefore, the size of the opening of the grating is, for example, about 700 × 350 (μm).
[0020]
The conductor layer 44 is a relatively porous thick-film conductor having a porosity of, for example, about 30 (%) containing, for example, aluminum (Al) as a conductive component, for example, 10 to 50 (μm). , For example, having a thickness of about 30 (μm). The conductor layer 44 is composed of a plurality of band-shaped thick film conductors 52 extending along one direction of the lattice of the dielectric layers 38 and 40. The band-shaped thick film conductor 52 has a width dimension that is approximately the same as, for example, the dielectric layer 38 or slightly protrudes on both sides in the width direction, and has a center of, for example, about 500 (μm) equal to the center interval of the lattice. The space extends in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 22, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the write electrode 28. In the longitudinal direction of the partition 22, the strip-shaped thick film conductors 52 are alternately provided with those connected to a common wiring and those connected to independent wirings.
[0021]
The dielectric film 48 has a thickness of, for example, about 10 to 30 (μm), for example, about 20 (μm), for example, PbO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ —Al ₂ O ₃ —ZnO. -A thick film made of a glass having a low softening point, such as a TiO ₂ system or a combination thereof. The dielectric film 48 is provided for causing an AC discharge as described later by storing electric charges on the surface, but at the same time, by not exposing the conductor layer 44 made of a thick film material, It also has a role of suppressing an atmosphere change in the discharge space 24 due to outgas from these.
[0022]
The protective film 50 covering the dielectric film 48 has a thickness of, for example, about 0.5 (μm), and is a thin film or a thick film mainly composed of MgO 2 or the like. The protective film 50 prevents the dielectric film 48 from being sputtered by the discharge gas ions. However, since the protective film 50 is formed of a dielectric material having a high secondary electron emission coefficient, the opposing portions are substantially used as discharge electrodes. It works.
[0023]
The PDP 10 having the electrode structure as described above is operated as follows. That is, first, a predetermined AC pulse is applied to one of the strip-shaped thick film conductors 52 which is made independent, and sequentially scanned, and the data in the write electrode 28 is synchronized with the scanning timing. When a predetermined AC pulse is applied to a desired electrode corresponding to the above (that is, a writing electrode corresponding to the one selected as a section to emit light), as shown by an arrow A in FIG. Discharge is generated, and charges are accumulated on the protective film 50. After a predetermined AC pulse is applied between all the thick-film conductors 52 functioning as the scanning electrodes in this way and all the thick-film conductors 52 are scanned, light emission with accumulated charges is performed. In the section, since the potential due to the accumulated charge is superimposed on the applied voltage and exceeds the discharge starting voltage, a discharge is generated between the discharge surfaces 56 and 56 as shown by other arrows in FIG. It is maintained for a predetermined period of time by the newly generated wall charges and the like. As a result, the phosphor layers 32 and 36 in the section selected by the ultraviolet rays generated by the gas discharge are excited to emit light, and the light is emitted through the front plate 16 to display one image. Then, by changing the data-side electrode (writing electrode 28) to which the AC pulse is applied in each cycle of the scanning-side electrode, a desired image is continuously displayed. FIG. 4 is a view showing a cross section along the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 22 of the PDP 10, that is, a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped thick film conductor 52.
[0024]
The sustain discharge is generated between the strip-shaped thick film conductors 52, 52. Since the discharge space 24 is continuous along the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 22, the ultraviolet light generated by the discharge causes the strip-shaped thick conductor in that direction. It spreads outside the film conductors 52, 52. Therefore, the phosphor layers 32 and 36 located outside thereof are also allowed to emit light in the range where the ultraviolet rays reach. The partition of the light emitting unit (cell) in the PDP 10 is divided by the partition wall 22 in a direction perpendicular to the partition wall 22, that is, in the left-right direction in the drawing, and substantially in the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 22, that is, in the vertical direction in the drawing, the range of the ultraviolet rays. Is defined by In this embodiment, the partition of the light-emitting section in the longitudinal direction of the partition wall 22, that is, the cell pitch is, for example, in the range of 100 (μm) to 3.0 (mm), for example, about 3.0 (mm). This corresponds to six times the center interval of the lattice of the member 20. That is, in this embodiment, six openings of the lattice of the sheet member 20 are provided in one cell, and sustain discharge is performed between three pairs of discharge surfaces 56 facing the six openings. As described above, the center interval of the partition walls 22 is about 1.0 (mm), and one pixel (pixel) is formed by three colors of RGB. Therefore, the pixel pitch is 3.0 in any of the two directions of the lattice. (Mm), and the size of one pixel is about 3.0 × 3.0 (mm).
[0025]
Since the front plate 12 and the back plate 14 are separated from each other, the PDP 10 which is required to have a substantially vacuum space in which the inside is filled with a low-pressure gas, as shown in FIG. Are hermetically sealed by a sealing agent 54. Hereinafter, a main part of a manufacturing process including a sealing process of the PDP 10 will be described.
[0026]
In FIG. 5, first, in a metal sheet manufacturing process P1, for example, an alloy sheet made of 426 alloy having the same coefficient of thermal expansion as the front plate 12 and the back plate 14 is cut into plate pieces of a predetermined size. A long metal sheet 58 as shown in FIG. The thin metal plate 58 is preferably thick enough to have flexibility or bendability so as to facilitate the peeling operation. For example, a thin metal plate having a thickness of about 0.3 to 3.0 mm is used. The thin metal plate 58 is subjected to a heat treatment as needed, and an oxide film is formed on the surface thereof. For example, the oxide film formation process is performed by maintaining the temperature at 850 to 1100 (° C.), for example, 1000 (° C.) in a hydrogen (H ₂ ) atmosphere. Next, in the release layer forming step P2, inorganic material particles having a melting point sufficiently higher than the low melting point glass frit constituting the sealing agent 54, for example, silicon dioxide SiO ₂ , alumina Al ₂ O ₃ , zirconia The release layer 60 made of the above-mentioned release paste is formed by using an appropriate coating, applying, or fixing method such as printing, dipping, spraying, electrodeposition, or pasting a tape-shaped release paste containing the powder of the above. Is formed on substantially the entire surface inside the thin metal plate 58. Next, in the sealing layer forming step P3, the sealing paste containing the low-melting glass frit constituting the above-described sealing agent 54 is, for example, printed, dipped, sprayed, electrodeposited, or pasted into a tape-shaped one. The sealing layer 62 made of the sealing paste is formed on substantially the entire surface of the release layer 60 inside the thin metal plate 58 by using an appropriate coating, coating, or fixing method.
[0027]
Next, in the calcination step P4, the resin paste, which is an organic component contained in the peeling paste and the sealing paste, is kept at a holding temperature of, for example, 350 to 500 (° C.), for example, about 450 (° C.). Is applied to remove calcination, that is, a binder removal treatment. FIG. 6B shows the stage after the application of the release layer 60 and the sealing layer 62 or after the calcination. The thickness of each of the release layer 60 and the sealing layer 62 is, for example, in the range of 10 to 100 (μm) after calcination, for example, about 50 (μm). Next, in the sticking step (pressing step) P5, the front plate 12, the rear plate 14, and the sheet member 20, which were separately manufactured, were overlapped with each other and, as shown in FIG. The metal plate material 58 to which the layer 60 and the sealing layer 62 are fixed is pressed against each other and fixed with a heat-resistant clip or the like. The release layer 60 and the sealing layer 62 fixed to the metal plate member 58 have already lost their tackiness by being calcined. FIGS. 7A and 7B show the state of implementation of this step. FIG. 8 shows a firing setter 70 suitably used for sealing and heating in such a state. Before the metal sheet 58 is pressed, the sealing paste may be applied to the end faces of the four sides. At this time, the applied thickness is, for example, in the range of 10 to 100 (μm) in terms of the thickness after drying, for example, about 20 (μm).
[0028]
In FIG. 8, the firing setter 70 includes a rectangular substrate 72 made of, for example, stainless steel, a pair of long fixed-side pressing members 74 fixed on the substrate 72 at right angles to each other, and a pair of these fixed pressing members 74. A pair of movable pressing members 76 provided in parallel with the fixed-side pressing member 74, a pair of leaf springs 78 pressing the back surfaces of the pair of movable pressing members 76, and both ends of the pair of leaf springs 78. And two pairs of locking pins 80 to be hooked. Thereby, the front plate 12, the back plate 14, and the sheet member 20 which are overlapped with each other, and the metal plate material 58 pressed against the end surfaces of the four sides with the fixing surfaces of the release layer 60 and the sealing layer 62 inside. Is fixed on the substrate 72 while being pressed between the pair of fixed-side pressing members 74 and the pair of movable pressing members 76, and is passed through the firing furnace together with the firing setter 70.
[0029]
In the subsequent firing step, ie, the sealing heating step P6, a predetermined firing temperature corresponding to the melting point of the glass frit included in the sealing layer 62, for example, 400 to 500 at which the glass frit included in the sealing layer 62 is sufficiently melted. A baking furnace having a baking temperature in the range of about (° C.), for example, about 450 (° C.) is heated by passing through the baking setter 70. As a result, the glass frit is softened and the flowability is enhanced, so that the front plate 12, the rear plate 14, and the sheet member 20 are superimposed on each other, and the front plate 12 and the rear plate 14 spreads slightly toward the inner peripheral side in the gap between them, and also spreads in the narrow gap between the end faces thereof and the metal sheet 58, and this is hardened or solidified as it is in the cooling process, so that only molten glass. The sealing agent 54 is made of frit. However, the high-melting-point inorganic material contained in the peeling layer 60 does not melt at the above-mentioned firing temperature, and the powder state is maintained.
[0030]
Then, in the peeling step P7, the front plate 12, the back plate 14, and the sheet member 20, which are overlapped with each other and are mutually connected by the sealing agent 54, are removed from the baking setter 70, and the metal is removed from the outer peripheral edge surface thereof. The end of the thin plate 58 is peeled by being pulled. As described above, the high-melting-point inorganic material contained in the release layer 60 does not melt at the above-mentioned firing temperature, and the sealing agent 54 does not reach the metal sheet 58, so that the metal sheet 58 is easily removed. The PDP 10 in FIG. 1 shows this state.
[0031]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the sealing layer 62 including the sealing agent 54 for closing the gap between the outer peripheral edges of the front plate (first flat plate) 16 and the back plate (second flat plate) 18. Is applied to the outer peripheral end surfaces of the front plate 16 and the rear plate 18 using a metal sheet 58 via a release layer 60 containing an inorganic material having a higher melting point than the sealing agent 54 (metal sheet pressing). Step) The front plate 16 and the back plate 18 are hermetically sealed by the sealing agent 54 by performing a baking treatment at a predetermined temperature at which P5 and the sealing agent 54 can be melted but the inorganic material cannot be melted. And a peeling step p7 for peeling the thin metal plate 58 from the sealing agent 54 fixed to the outer peripheral edges of the front plate 16 and the rear plate 18. Therefore, the outer peripheral end surfaces of the front plate 16 and the back plate 18 are fixed to each other by the sealing agent 54, and the thin metal plate 58 that has pressed the sealing layer 62 including the sealing agent 54 is peeled off. Since the protrusion is removed, the protrusion on the outer peripheral end surface at the interconnected portion of the front plate 16 and the rear plate 18 is reduced, so that the effective display area is prevented from being reduced on the inner surface due to sealing. At the same time, a PDP (flat display device) 10 capable of securing a large ratio of the effective display area to the external dimensions is suitably obtained.
[0032]
Further, according to the present embodiment, since the sealing layer 62 is applied to the inner surface of the metal sheet 58 via the release layer 60, the release layer 60 and the sealing Since the adhesion layer 62 is laminated, the metal sheet 58 is easily pressed and fired in a state of being pressed against the outer peripheral end face of the joint portion between the front plate 16 and the back plate 18, thereby easily performing sealing.
[0033]
Further, according to the present embodiment, the firing step P6 uses the firing setter 70 for fixing the front plate 16 and the rear plate 18 while pressing the thin metal plate 58 against the outer peripheral end surfaces of the front plate 16 and the rear plate 18. Since the sealing agent 54 is melted during firing, the sealing agent 54 is pressed against the outer peripheral end surfaces of the front plate 16 and the rear plate 18 by the thin metal plate 58, and is fixed by a temperature decrease in that state. Therefore, the protrusion from the edge of the PDP (flat panel display) 10 due to the sealing agent 54 or the like is suitably suppressed.
[0034]
Further, according to the present embodiment, since the metal thin plate 58 is removed from the outer peripheral edge of the PDP 10, electric noise during use is reduced as compared with the PDP 10 in which the metal thin plate 58 is fixed to the outer peripheral end surface. There are advantages.
[0035]
Further, according to the present embodiment, there is an advantage that the metal sheet 58 can be reused a plurality of times by forming it into a relatively thick shape.
[0036]
As described above, the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be implemented in other embodiments.
[0037]
For example, in the embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to the AC type PDP 10 for color display and the sealing method thereof has been described. However, the present invention relates to a flat panel display device which requires a sealing structure at the outer peripheral end. If so, the internal electrode configuration and the like are not particularly limited, and the present invention is similarly applied not only to the AC type PDP for monochrome display but also to other types of display devices, for example, LCD, FED, SED, and the like. That is, the present invention is not limited to the one provided with the sheet member 20, and can be applied to a PDP having a conventional three-electrode surface discharge structure.
[0038]
Further, the PDP 10 of the embodiment is of a type that includes three color phosphor layers 32 and 36 to perform full color display. However, the present invention relates to a display device including one or two color phosphor layers. The same applies to. Further, the present invention is similarly applied to a structure in which a phosphor layer is provided only on one of the inner surfaces of the front plate 12 and the back plate 14.
[0039]
Further, in the embodiment, the calcining is performed after the release layer 60 and the sealing layer 62 are sequentially applied in advance on the inner surface of the metal sheet 58 to be attached, but the metal sheet 58 is attached to the outer peripheral end face of the PDP 10. When pressing, the sealing layer 62 and the release layer 60 may be applied to the outer peripheral end surface side.
[0040]
Further, in the embodiment, the metal thin plate 58 is made of the 426 alloy. However, in the embodiment, the constituent materials of the front plate 12 and the back plate 14, and in the embodiment, an appropriate metal material having a low softening point glass and a similar thermal expansion coefficient. Is preferably used.
[0041]
Although not specifically exemplified, the present invention can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an entire flat panel display device to which an example of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a view for explaining an internal structure of the PDP of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a thick film sheet member provided inside the PDP of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view for explaining the operation of the PDP of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a process diagram illustrating a main part of a manufacturing process of the PDP of FIG. 1;
6A and 6B are views for explaining a method of sealing a PDP in the manufacturing process of FIG. 5, wherein FIG. 6A shows a thin metal plate, and FIG. 6B shows a release layer and a sealing layer on the inner surface of the thin metal plate. (C) shows a state in which the metal sheet is pressed against the four end faces of the PDP.
7A and 7B are views for explaining a method of sealing a PDP in the manufacturing process of FIG. 5; FIG. 7A is a diagram in which a metal sheet coated with a release layer and a sealing layer is pressed against an end face of the PDP; (B) shows a state in which the metal sheet coated with the release layer and the sealing layer is pressed against the end face of the PDP, (c) shows a state in which the pressed metal sheet is baked in the pressed state, d) shows a state in which the metal sheet has been peeled off after firing.
FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating a configuration of a firing setter used in the firing step of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
10: PDP
12: Front plate (first flat plate)
14: back plate (second flat plate)
24: Discharge space (airtight space)
54: sealing agent 58: metal sheet 60: release layer 62: sealing layer 70: baked setter P5: sticking step (metal sheet pressing step)
P6: Sealing heating step (firing step)
P7: peeling process

Claims (3)

When manufacturing a flat panel display of a type in which light generated in an airtight space formed between a first flat plate having a light transmitting property and a second flat plate parallel to the first flat plate is emitted through the first flat plate. A method of hermetically sealing the first flat plate and the second flat plate at an outer peripheral edge thereof,
A sealing layer containing a sealing agent for closing a gap between outer peripheral edges of the first flat plate and the second flat plate, and a sealing layer containing a material having a melting point higher than that of the sealing agent; A metal sheet pressing step of pressing the outer peripheral end surfaces of the first flat plate and the second flat plate using a thin metal plate;
By performing a baking treatment at a predetermined temperature, the baking step of melting the sealing agent and bonding the first flat plate and the second flat plate airtightly and the sealing agent melted in the baking process are cooled. Peeling the metal sheet after solidification. A method for sealing a flat panel display device, comprising the steps of: The sealing method for a flat panel display according to claim 1, wherein the sealing layer is applied to an inner surface of the metal sheet via the release layer. In the firing step, a firing process is performed using a firing setter that fixes the first and second flat plates while the thin metal plate is pressed against the outer peripheral end surfaces of the first and second flat plates. A method for sealing a flat panel display device according to claim 1.

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