JP2005317321A - Plasma display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plasma display panel having a stable writing property. <P>SOLUTION: The plasma display panel comprises a plurality of display electrodes each composed of a scanning electrode 6 and a sustaining electrode 7 which are disposed parallel to each other on a front substrate 1 and covered by a dielectric layer 4, a plurality of data electrodes 9 which are disposed in the direction crossing the display electrode on a rear substrate 2 disposed oppositely to the front substrate 1 with a discharge space 3 interposed between the front and rear substrates, and a plurality of priming electrodes 14 which are disposed on the rear substrate 2 and where discharge takes place between the scanning electrodes 6 and themselves. For each of a plurality of discharge cells 11 formed by the display electrodes and the data electrodes 9, a recess 17 is formed on the surface of the dielectric layer 4, thereby reducing the discharge delay at writing, and stabilizing the writing property. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a plasma display panel used for a wall-mounted television or a large monitor.

  A plasma display panel (hereinafter referred to as a PDP or a panel) is a display device with excellent visibility characterized by a large screen, a thin shape, and a light weight. PDP discharge methods include AC and DC types, and electrode structures include a three-electrode surface discharge type and a counter discharge type. However, at present, AC type three-electrode PDPs, which are AC type and surface discharge type, are mainstream because they are suitable for high definition and easy to manufacture.

  In general, an AC surface discharge type PDP representative as an AC type has a large number of discharge cells between a front plate and a back plate arranged to face each other. The front plate is formed with a plurality of pairs of display electrodes composed of scan electrodes and sustain electrodes on the front glass substrate in parallel with each other, and a dielectric layer and a protective film are formed so as to cover the display electrodes. The back plate has a plurality of parallel data electrodes on the back glass substrate, a dielectric layer so as to cover them, and a plurality of partition walls formed in parallel to the data electrodes on each of the dielectric layers. A phosphor layer is formed on the side surface of the partition wall. The front plate and the back plate are opposed and sealed so that the display electrode and the data electrode cross three-dimensionally, and a discharge gas is sealed in the internal discharge space.

  In the panel having such a configuration, ultraviolet light is generated by gas discharge in each discharge cell by a periodic voltage applied to the data electrode and the display electrode, and phosphors of R, G, and B colors are excited by this ultraviolet light. Thus, color display is performed by emitting light (for example, Patent Document 1).

  As a method for driving the PDP, a so-called subfield method is generally used in which one field period is divided into a plurality of subfields and is driven by a combination of subfields to emit light to perform gradation display. Here, each subfield has an initialization period, an address period, and a sustain period. In order to display image data, different signal waveforms are applied to each electrode in the initialization period, the writing period, and the sustain period.

  In the initialization period, for example, a positive pulse voltage is applied to all the scan electrodes to perform initialization discharge in all the discharge cells at the same time, and the history of wall charges for each previous discharge cell is erased and the subsequent addressing is performed. For operation, necessary wall charges are accumulated on the protective film and the phosphor layer on the dielectric layer covering the scan electrode and the sustain electrode. In addition, it has a function of generating priming (priming for discharge = excited particles) for stably generating address discharge.

  In the address period, a scan pulse is sequentially applied to all the scan electrodes, and a positive address pulse corresponding to an image signal to be displayed is applied to the data electrodes to selectively write between the scan electrodes and the data electrodes. Discharge is caused to form wall charges on the surface of the protective film on the scan electrodes.

  In the subsequent sustain period, a predetermined number of sustain pulses are applied at a voltage sufficient to maintain a discharge between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode for a certain period. As a result, the discharge cells in which the wall charges are formed by the address discharge are selectively discharged, and the phosphor layer is excited to emit light. In the discharge space where no pulse is applied to the data electrode during the address period, no discharge occurs and excitation light emission of the phosphor layer does not occur.

  In such a PDP, in order to display an image correctly, it is important to surely perform selective address discharge in the address period. However, a high voltage cannot be used for the address pulse because of restrictions on the circuit configuration, There are many factors that increase the discharge delay for address discharge, such as the fact that the phosphor layer formed on the electrode makes it difficult for discharge to occur. Therefore, priming for generating the address discharge stably is very important. However, the priming caused by the discharge decreases rapidly with time. Therefore, in the above-described panel driving method, the priming generated by the initialization discharge is insufficient for the address discharge after a long time has elapsed since the initialization discharge, the discharge delay becomes large, and the address operation becomes unstable, causing the image to become unstable. There was a problem that display quality deteriorated. Alternatively, there is a problem that the writing time is set to be long in order to perform the writing operation stably, and as a result, the time spent in the writing period becomes too long.

  In order to solve these problems, a panel and a driving method thereof have been proposed in which an auxiliary discharge electrode is provided on the front plate and discharge delay is reduced by using priming generated by in-plane auxiliary discharge on the front plate side (for example, Patent Document 2).

Further, as one of efficiency improvement methods, a method of increasing the Xe partial pressure in the discharge gas is generally known. However, when the Xe partial pressure is increased, not only the discharge voltage is increased, but also the problem is that luminance saturation occurs because the emission intensity increases rapidly. In order to suppress this luminance saturation, a method of increasing the thickness of the dielectric layer is known. For example, by increasing the thickness of the dielectric layer on the metal electrode forming the display electrode, it is masked by the metal electrode. A method for suppressing the light emission of the portion has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 3). However, simply increasing the film thickness of the dielectric layer causes a problem that the transmittance of the dielectric layer decreases, the luminance decreases, and the discharge voltage also increases.
JP 2001-195990 A JP 2002-297091 A JP-A-8-250029

  However, in such a PDP, when the number of scan electrodes is increased to increase the screen definition, the time spent on the writing time becomes longer and the time spent on the maintenance period becomes insufficient, resulting in a decrease in luminance as a result. Will occur. Further, when the xenon partial pressure is increased in order to achieve high luminance and high efficiency, there is a problem in that the discharge start voltage increases, and the discharge delay becomes large and the address operation becomes unstable. In addition, since the addressing characteristics are greatly affected by the manufacturing process, it is required to shorten the addressing time by reducing the discharge delay at the time of addressing so as not to be affected by manufacturing variations.

  In response to such demands, the conventional PDP that performs auxiliary discharge within the front plate surface has a problem that the discharge delay of addressing cannot be sufficiently shortened due to the large discharge delay of the auxiliary discharge itself, and there is an operating margin of auxiliary discharge. Due to its small size, there are problems such as inducing false discharge depending on the panel, and further causing priming particles more than particles necessary for priming to the adjacent discharge cells to cause crosstalk. In order to realize a stable auxiliary discharge for supplying the priming particles, a predetermined distance between the electrodes is required. Therefore, the auxiliary discharge in the front plate surface has a problem that the auxiliary discharge cell becomes large and the panel cannot be made high definition.

  In addition, in the conventional structure for improving the efficiency, in order to suppress light emission in the portion where the thickness of the dielectric layer on the metal electrode of the display electrode is increased, it is necessary to increase the thickness to such an extent that the discharge can be sufficiently suppressed. There is. Therefore, the scan electrode is separated from the back plate, and the voltage at the time of writing may increase. Further, although discharge in a direction perpendicular to the display electrode is suppressed, discharge in a direction parallel to the display electrode is not suppressed, and the discharge spreads to the vicinity of the partition wall. In addition, the partition wall may lower the electron temperature or cause recombination of electrons and ions, which may reduce efficiency.

  As another countermeasure, there is a method of increasing the extraction efficiency (aperture ratio) of light emission from the phosphor, but the metal electrode formed on the front plate for the purpose of reducing the resistance of the electrode is formed of metal. The portion does not transmit light and the aperture ratio decreases. For this reason, it is necessary to keep the metal electrode as far as possible from the light emitting region. In that case, since the distance from the electrode of the adjacent discharge cell that runs in parallel becomes narrow, the movement of charges easily occurs, so-called crosstalk occurs in which the non-display area emits light, and the display quality is remarkably deteriorated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to realize a PDP that can perform a writing operation stably and at high speed even when the definition is increased, and has high yield and high light emission efficiency.

  In order to achieve such an object, a PDP according to the present invention includes a first substrate having a pair of display electrodes each including a plurality of scan electrodes and a plurality of sustain electrodes that are arranged in parallel with each other and covered with a dielectric layer. A second substrate having a plurality of data electrodes arranged in parallel and a plurality of priming electrodes arranged in a direction intersecting the data electrodes, a scan electrode and a sustain electrode on the first substrate, and a second substrate A plurality of main discharge cells including scan electrodes, sustain electrodes, and data electrodes are formed opposite to each other in a direction intersecting with the data electrodes on the substrate, and barrier ribs are adjacent to the main discharge cells. A partitioned gap and a priming discharge cell having a scanning electrode and a priming electrode are formed, and a recess is formed for each main discharge cell on the surface of the dielectric layer on the discharge space side.

  With this configuration, the capacitance of the bottom surface of the concave portion with the thin dielectric layer is increased, the charge for discharge is concentrated on the bottom surface of the concave portion, and the vertical direction between the first substrate and the second substrate is increased. Thus, it becomes possible to generate a priming discharge. Therefore, the auxiliary discharge cell can be made smaller to easily control the discharge in the main discharge cell, the discharge delay can be made smaller and high-speed and stable address discharge can be realized, and a high-quality image suitable for high definition can be displayed. Can do.

  The PDP according to the present invention includes a first substrate having a pair of display electrodes each including a plurality of scan electrodes and a plurality of sustain electrodes arranged in parallel to each other and covered with a dielectric layer, and a plurality of data electrodes arranged in parallel. And a second substrate having a plurality of priming electrodes arranged in a direction crossing the data electrode, a direction in which the scan electrode and the sustain electrode on the first substrate cross the data electrode on the second substrate A plurality of main discharge cells having scan electrodes, sustain electrodes and data electrodes, and gaps partitioned by barrier ribs adjacent to the main discharge cells, and the scan electrodes and priming A priming discharge cell including an electrode, a recess is formed for each main discharge cell on the surface of the dielectric layer on the discharge space side, and a mixture containing Xe having a Xe partial pressure of 5% to 30% as a discharge gas Ga Encapsulating.

  With this configuration, the auxiliary discharge cell can be made smaller to easily control the discharge in the main discharge cell, and the discharge delay can be reduced to realize high-speed and stable address discharge, which displays a high-quality image suitable for high definition. can do. Furthermore, even when the Xe partial pressure in the discharge gas is increased to 5% to 30%, it is possible to limit the discharge region to control the current and prevent luminance saturation.

  Furthermore, the discharge gas may contain Xe and Ne and / or He, and a high-luminance PDP can be realized with a higher Xe partial pressure.

  Furthermore, it is desirable that the concave portion has a cylindrical shape, a conical shape, an elliptical column shape, an elliptical cone shape, and a polygonal column shape in which corners have curved surfaces. With this configuration, when the concave portion is formed in the dielectric layer and fired, it is possible to suppress the stress from being concentrated on the corner portion of the concave portion and deformation of the concave portion. Therefore, a concave portion having a stable shape can be formed in the dielectric layer.

  Furthermore, it is desirable to form at least two recesses for each main discharge cell, and it is possible to discharge the discharge beyond the portion protruding from the bottom surface of the recess with the discharge gap interposed therebetween, thereby extending the discharge distance. Therefore, the probability that Xe in the discharge gas is excited increases, and both discharge control and high efficiency can be achieved. Furthermore, since discharge occurs only on the bottom surface of the recess, the discharge position inside the cell can be dispersed from the center of the cell.

  Further, it is desirable that the two concave portions are connected by the groove portion, the discharge can be generated from the groove portion, the role as a discharge igniter, the discharge voltage can be lowered, and the efficiency is improved. Can do.

  Furthermore, the display electrodes are each composed of a discharge electrode and a bus electrode for supplying power to the discharge electrode, the display electrodes are arranged to face each other via a discharge gap for each display line, and the discharge electrode of the display electrode is arranged at the bottom region of the recess. In this case, it is desirable to form the protrusion vertically from the bus electrode toward the discharge gap.

  With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the charge accumulated in the vicinity of the partition by separating the discharge electrode from the partition. Therefore, the discharge in the main discharge cell can be limited to the bottom surface of the recess to improve the efficiency.

  Further, it is desirable that the width of the discharge electrode facing through the discharge gap in the bottom region of the recess is equal to or smaller than the width of the recess, and discharge is likely to occur between the scan electrode and the data electrode during writing. It becomes possible to do. Therefore, a wide driving margin of the PDP can be taken.

  Furthermore, it is desirable that the discharge electrodes facing each other through the discharge gap in the bottom region of the recess are divided into a plurality of parts, and it becomes possible to easily generate a discharge between the scan electrode and the data electrode at the time of writing. . Therefore, a wide driving margin of the PDP can be taken.

  Furthermore, it is desirable that the electrode surface facing the discharge electrode through the discharge gap in the bottom region of the recess is hollowed out, and the discharge electrode is reduced in area so that a discharge is generated between the scan electrode and the data electrode at the time of writing. Can be easily generated.

  Furthermore, it is desirable that the discharge electrode is a transparent electrode, so that the light transmittance of the discharge electrode can be increased and the light emission of the phosphor can be efficiently extracted.

  Further, in the main discharge cell formed by the display electrode and the data electrode, the dielectric layer covering the display electrode has a recess so as to overlap the display electrode, and the area where the recess and the scan electrode overlap is defined as the recess and the sustain electrode. It is desirable to configure so that is larger than the overlapping area.

  With this configuration, it is possible to reliably generate an address discharge between the scan electrode and the data electrode during the address operation.

  Further, the position of the recess in the main discharge cell is offset toward the scan electrode, so that the area where the recess and the scan electrode overlap is larger than the area where the recess and the sustain electrode overlap. desirable. With this configuration, the area where the recess and the scan electrode overlap can be easily made larger than the area where the recess and the sustain electrode overlap.

  Further, each of the scan electrode and the sustain electrode is provided with a transparent electrode and a bus electrode made of a metal material, and the concave portion overlaps at least the bus electrode with the scan electrode and on the scan electrode side so that the sustain electrode overlaps only with the transparent electrode. It is desirable to be offset. With this configuration, charges are more likely to accumulate in the dielectric layer on the scan electrode having a low electrical resistance, and address discharge in the address period can be more reliably generated.

  Furthermore, it is desirable that the dielectric layer covering the display electrode has at least a two-layer structure and a recess is formed on the surface of the dielectric layer on the discharge space side. With this configuration, it becomes easy to form the concave portion of the dielectric layer.

  Furthermore, the dielectric layer is composed of a lower dielectric layer formed so as to cover the display electrode, and an upper dielectric layer formed on the discharge space side so as to cover the upper dielectric layer. It is desirable to form a recess by hollowing out. With this configuration, after forming the lower dielectric layer, the recesses can be easily formed by etching the upper dielectric layer.

  Further, it is desirable to form the upper dielectric layer by hollowing out so that the bottom surface of the recess becomes the lower dielectric layer. With this configuration, the concave portion can be easily formed by an exposure pattern or the like in the step of forming the upper dielectric layer.

  Furthermore, it is desirable that the dielectric layer has at least a two-layer structure having different dielectric constants, and discharge in the main discharge cell can be easily controlled.

  Furthermore, it is desirable to make the dielectric constant of the upper dielectric layer smaller than the dielectric constant of the lower dielectric layer, to increase the capacity of the bottom surface of the concave portion where the thickness of the dielectric layer is reduced, and Electric charges are concentrated on the bottom surface of the recess, and discharge can be easily controlled.

  Furthermore, it is desirable that the dielectric layer has at least a two-layer structure formed of materials having different softening points. Further, the softening point of the material forming the upper dielectric layer is different from the softening point of the material forming the lower dielectric layer. It is desirable to make it smaller.

  By adopting such a configuration, the lower layer is not softened again by the step of applying, drying and baking the upper layer after the lower layer is fired, or by the subsequent thermal process. Therefore, a concave portion having a stable shape can be formed.

Furthermore, the dielectric layer is composed of a ZnO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ based mixture, a PbO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ based mixture, or a PbO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ —Al ₂ O ₃ based mixture. It is desirable to use a glass powder selected from a PbO—ZnO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ based mixture and a Bi ₂ O ₃ —B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ based mixture. With this configuration, it is possible to arbitrarily select materials having different dielectric constants or materials having different softening points from materials forming the dielectric layer.

  In addition, the PDP of the present invention includes a first substrate having a pair of display electrodes including a plurality of scan electrodes and a plurality of sustain electrodes that are arranged in parallel to each other and covered with a dielectric layer, and a plurality of parallel arrangements. A scan electrode and a sustain electrode on the first substrate intersect with a data electrode on the second substrate on a second substrate having a data electrode and a plurality of priming electrodes arranged in a direction intersecting the data electrode A plurality of main discharge cells having scan electrodes, sustain electrodes, and data electrodes, and gap portions and scan electrodes adjacent to the main discharge cells and partitioned by barrier ribs. And a priming discharge cell having a priming electrode, and a concave portion for each main discharge cell on the surface of the dielectric layer on the discharge space side, wherein one field period is an initialization period, an address period, and a sustain period And a voltage for generating a priming discharge with the corresponding scan electrode prior to the scan of the scan electrode corresponding to each of the priming electrodes in the subfield address period. Applied to each.

  With this configuration, prior to scanning of each scan electrode in the subfield address period, priming discharge is generated in the vertical direction between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the thickness of the dielectric layer is reduced. It is possible to easily control the discharge in the main discharge cell by increasing the capacity of the bottom surface of the recess and concentrating the charge for discharge on the bottom surface of the recess. Therefore, the auxiliary discharge cell can be made small and the priming discharge can be stably formed. In addition, the address discharge can be performed in a state in which sufficient priming is supplied from the priming discharge generated immediately before the address operation of each main discharge cell. Thereby, discharge delay is small, high-speed and stable address discharge can be realized, and a high-quality image suitable for high definition can be displayed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the priming discharge can be reliably performed in a small space and the address operation can be performed stably and at high speed, the discharge delay at the time of address can be reduced even when the panel has high definition. A PDP having good characteristics can be provided.

  Hereinafter, a PDP according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
First, the structure of the PDP in the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of a PDP according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an electrode arrangement on the front plate side which is the first substrate, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure on the side of the back plate as the second substrate.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a glass front substrate 1 and a rear substrate 2 are disposed to face each other with a discharge space 3 interposed therebetween, and Ne (neon) and Xe (Xe) that radiate ultraviolet rays by a discharge are disposed in the discharge space 3. A mixed gas such as xenon) is enclosed.

  On the front substrate 1, a plurality of scanning electrodes 6 and sustaining electrodes 7 are formed in parallel with each other across a discharge gap 18. Scan electrode 6 and sustain electrode 7 are each composed of transparent electrodes 6a and 7a and bus electrodes 6b and 7b made of Cr / Cu / Cr or Ag formed on and transparently connected to transparent electrodes 6a and 7a. Has been. Further, a light absorption layer 8 made of a black material is provided between the scan electrode 6 and the sustain electrode 7 on the side where the bus electrodes 6b and 7b are formed, and the protrusion 6b ′ of the bus electrode 6b of the scan electrode 6 It is formed so as to protrude onto the absorption layer 8. Furthermore, the dielectric layer 4 is formed so as to cover the display electrode composed of the pair of scanning electrodes 6 and the sustain electrodes 7 and the light absorption layer 8, and the protective film 5 is formed so as to cover the dielectric layer 4. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, a concave portion 17 is formed for each discharge cell 11 on the surface of the dielectric layer 4, and the dielectric layer 4 has a structure having a thick part and a thin part in each light emitting pixel region. It is said.

  On the back substrate 2, a plurality of data electrodes 9 are formed in parallel to each other, a dielectric layer 15 is formed so as to cover the data electrodes 9, and a plurality of discharge cells 11 serving as light emitting pixel regions are partitioned thereon. A partition wall 10 is formed. As shown in FIG. 2, a region surrounded by the display electrode including the pair of scanning electrodes 6 and the sustain electrode 7 and the partition wall 10 becomes a light emitting pixel region 19, and is formed between the adjacent discharge cells 11 to form the light absorption layer 8. This area is a non-light emitting area 20. As shown in FIG. 4, the barrier rib 10 includes a vertical wall portion 10 a extending in a direction parallel to the data electrode 9 and a horizontal wall portion 10 b forming the discharge cells 11 and forming the gap portions 13 between the discharge cells 11. It consists of and. A priming electrode 14 is formed in the gap 13 in a direction orthogonal to the data electrode 9 to form a priming space 13a. A phosphor layer 12 is provided on the surface of the dielectric layer 15 of the back substrate 2 and the side surfaces of the barrier rib 10 corresponding to the discharge cells 11 partitioned by the barrier rib 10.

  When the front substrate 1 and the rear substrate 2 are arranged to face each other and sealed, the protruding portion 6b ′ protruding on the light absorption layer 8 of the bus electrodes 6b of the scanning electrode 6 formed on the front substrate 1 is formed on the rear surface. Alignment is performed in parallel with the priming electrode 14 formed on the substrate 2 so as to face each other with the priming space 13a interposed therebetween. That is, the PDP is configured to perform priming discharge between the protruding portion 6b 'formed on the front substrate 1 side and the priming electrode 14 formed on the back substrate 2 side.

  Next, the control of the discharge region in the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 5A, the capacitance of the bottom surface of the concave portion 17 where the thickness of the dielectric layer 4 is reduced increases, so that charges for discharge are concentrated on the bottom surface of the concave portion 17. Thus, the discharge area A can be limited. In addition, since the thickness of the dielectric layer 4 is thinner at the bottom surface of the recess 17 than at the other portions, the discharge starts from this bottom surface. In other words, since the thickness of the dielectric layer 4 is increased except for the bottom surface of the concave portion 17, the capacity of the portion is reduced, and the electric charge existing in the portion is reduced. Furthermore, since the dielectric layer 4 is thick, the discharge voltage also increases. Due to these effects, the discharge is limited to the bottom surface of the recess 17. In the first embodiment, by applying this principle, if the size of the concave portion 17 is changed, the amount of charge formed in that portion can be arbitrarily controlled. Thereby, the light emission efficiency of PDP can be improved and crosstalk with an adjacent cell can be suppressed significantly.

  On the other hand, in the conventional structure having no recess as shown in FIG. 5B, the thickness of the dielectric layer 4 is constant, so that the capacitance is constant on the surface of the dielectric layer 4. As a result, the discharge area B spreads near the electrode, causing the phosphors in the shielded area other than the discharge area to emit light, resulting in a decrease in efficiency, and charges are formed up to the area close to the adjacent cell, causing erroneous discharge with the adjacent cell. It's easy to do.

  By the way, in order to achieve high efficiency of the PDP, it is necessary to control the discharge and suppress the discharge in the shielded portion as much as possible. As one of the techniques for improving the efficiency, there is known a method of suppressing the light emission of the portions masked by the bus electrodes 6b and 7b by increasing the film thickness of the dielectric layer 4 on the bus electrodes 6b and 7b of the display electrodes. ing. In this case, light emission in a direction perpendicular to the electrode is suppressed, but discharge in a direction parallel to the electrode is not suppressed, and the discharge spreads to the vicinity of the partition wall, which may reduce efficiency. Furthermore, it is known that when discharge is performed in the vicinity of the partition wall, the partition wall is negatively charged and attracts positive ions. As a result, the etched barrier ribs may fall on the phosphor, and the characteristics may be deteriorated. Further, if the thickness of the dielectric layer 4 is increased in order to suppress discharge, the distance from the data electrode 9 to the electrode of the front substrate 1 becomes longer, and the voltage at the time of writing may increase.

  Further, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, a discharge is generated between the front substrate 1 and the rear substrate 2 in the gap 13 of the rear substrate 2 in the space in the gap 13. A priming electrode 14 serving as a fourth electrode is formed in a direction orthogonal to the data electrode 9, and a priming discharge cell is formed by the gap portion 13. The gap 13 is continuously formed in a direction orthogonal to the data electrode 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the priming electrode 14 is formed on a dielectric layer 15 covering the data electrode 9, and a dielectric layer 16 is further formed so as to cover the priming electrode 14. It is formed at a position closer to the space in the gap 13 than 9. A part of the bus electrode 6 b of the scan electrode 6 is formed on the light absorption layer 8 so as to extend to a position corresponding to the gap portion 13. That is, a priming discharge is performed between the bus electrode 6b protruding in the direction of the gap 13 in the adjacent scanning electrodes 6 and the priming electrode 14 formed on the back substrate 2 side.

  In FIG. 1, a dielectric layer 16 is further formed so as to cover the priming electrode 14. However, the dielectric layer 16 may not be formed.

  In the first embodiment of the present invention, the rear substrate 2 is provided with the vertical wall portion 10a and the horizontal wall portion 10b as the partition wall 10 to form the substantially rectangular discharge cell 11, and the gap portion 13 is formed of the scanning electrode 6 and the sustain electrode. Although the space formed in parallel with the electrode 7 is not limited to such a discharge cell shape, it is needless to say that the present invention can also be applied to a case where a partition wall meanders to form a discharge cell. .

Next, a structure for driving the PDP in the first embodiment, a drive waveform and its timing will be described. FIG. 6 is an electrode array diagram of the PDP. M columns of data electrodes D _{1 to} D _m (data electrode 9 in FIG. 1) are arranged in the column direction, and n rows of scan electrodes SC _{1 to} SC _n (scan electrode 6 in FIG. 1) and n rows of data electrodes are arranged in the row direction. Sustain electrodes SU _{1 to} SU _n (sustain electrodes 7 in FIG. 1) are alternately arranged. Furthermore, n rows of priming electrodes PR _{1 to} PR _n are arranged so as to face the protruding portions 6b ′ of the scan electrodes SC _{1 to} SC _n . A discharge cell C _{i, j} (discharge cell 11 in FIG. 1) including a pair of scan electrodes SC _i , sustain electrodes SU _i (i = 1 to n) and one data electrode D _j (j = 1 to _m ). ) Are formed in the discharge space, and the gap portion 13 includes n rows of priming spaces PC _i (priming spaces 13a in FIG. 1) including the protruding portions 6b ′ of the scanning electrodes SC _i and the priming electrodes PR _i . Is formed.

  FIG. 7 is a drive waveform diagram showing a method of driving the PDP. In this embodiment, one field period is composed of a plurality of subfields having an initialization period, an address period, and a sustain period, but each subfield is the same except that the number of sustain pulses in the sustain period is different. In order to perform the above operation, the operation in one subfield will be described below.

In half of the initializing period, holds the data electrodes D ₁ to D _m, sustain electrodes SU ₁ to SU _n and priming electrodes PR ₁ to PR _n to each 0 (V), the scan electrodes SC ₁ to SC _n, A ramp waveform voltage that gradually rises from voltage V _{i1 that is} equal to or lower than the discharge start voltage to voltage V _i2 that exceeds the discharge start voltage is applied to sustain electrodes SU _{1 to} SU _n . While this ramp waveform voltage rises, the _first weakness is _respectively present between scan electrodes SC _{1 to} SC _n and sustain electrodes SU _{1 to} SU _n , data electrodes D _{1 to} D _m , and priming electrodes PR _{1 to} PR _n. Initial discharge occurs, negative wall voltage is accumulated on scan electrodes SC _{1 to} SC _n , data electrodes D _{1 to} D _m , sustain electrodes SU _{1 to} S _n and priming electrodes PR _{1 to} PR _A positive wall voltage is accumulated at the top of _n . Here, the wall voltage at the top of the electrode represents a voltage generated by wall charges accumulated on the dielectric layer covering the electrode.

In the second half of the initializing period, maintaining the sustain electrodes SU ₁ to SU _n to a positive voltage Ve, the scan electrodes SC ₁ to SC _n, the voltage V _i3 which is a discharge start voltage or less with respect to sustain electrodes SU ₁ to SU _{n Is} applied with a ramp waveform voltage that gently falls toward voltage V _i4 exceeding the discharge start voltage. During this time, a second weak initializing discharge occurs between the scan electrodes SC _{1 to} SC _n and the sustain electrodes SU _{1 to} SU _n , the data electrodes D _{1 to} D _m , and the priming electrodes PR _{1 to} PR _n . Then, the negative wall voltage above scan electrodes SC ₁ -SC _n and the positive wall voltage above sustain electrodes SU ₁ -SU _n are weakened, and the positive wall voltage above data electrodes D ₁ -D _m is used for the write operation. The positive wall voltage above the priming electrodes PR _{1 to} PR _n is also adjusted to a value suitable for the priming operation. This completes the initialization operation.

In the address period, scan electrodes SC _{1 to} SC _n are temporarily held at voltage Vc. Then, the voltage Vp is applied to the priming electrode PR ₁ in the first row. Particularly in this case, the voltage Vp is a high voltage sufficiently exceeding the voltage change (Vc−V _i4 ) of the scan electrodes SC _{1 to} SC _n . Then, priming electrodes priming discharges are generated between the PR ₁ and the projection 6b of the scanning electrodes SC ₁ ', 1 row scanning corresponding to the electrodes SC ₁ 1 row discharge cells C _{1, 1} -C ₁ Priming diffuses inside _m .

Next, the scan pulse voltage Va is applied to the scan electrode SC ₁ in the first row, and the data electrode D _k (k is 1) corresponding to the image signal to be displayed in the first row among the data electrodes D _{1 to} D _m. A positive write pulse voltage Vd is applied. In this case the discharge at the intersection between the address pulse voltage data electrode D _k of applying a Vd and scan electrodes SC ₁ is generated, during the corresponding discharge cell C _1, sustain electrodes SU ₁ to _k and the scan electrodes SC ₁ Progresses to discharge. A positive wall voltage is accumulated on scan electrode SC _{1 of} discharge cell C _{1, k} , and a negative wall voltage is accumulated on sustain electrode SU ₁ . As a result, the discharge of the discharge cell C _{1, k in} the first row including the scan electrode SC ₁ in the first row is sufficient from the priming discharge generated between the scan electrode SC ₁ and the priming electrode PR ₁ immediately before that. Since the priming occurs in a supplied state, the discharge delay is very small and the discharge is fast and stable. Further, simultaneously with the address operation by the scan electrode SC ₁ in the first row, the voltage Vp is applied to the priming electrode PR ₂ corresponding to the scan electrode SC ₂ in the second row to generate a priming discharge, thereby causing the scan electrode in the second row. The priming is diffused inside the discharge cells C _{2,1 to} C _{2, m} in the second row corresponding to SC ₂ .

  Similarly, address discharge in the second row is performed and priming discharge in the third row is generated. A series of address discharges at this time occurs in a state where sufficient priming is supplied from the priming discharge generated immediately before the discharge, so that the discharge delay is small, and thus the discharge is fast and stable.

A similar address operation is performed until the discharge cell C _{n, k} in the _n- th row _, and the address operation is completed.

In the sustain period, scan electrodes SC _{1 to} SC _n and sustain electrodes SU _{1 to} SU _n are once returned to 0 (V), and then positive sustain pulse voltage Vs is applied to scan electrodes SC _{1 to} SC _n . At this time, the voltage between the discharge cell having caused the address discharge C _i, and the scan electrode SC _i upper part of _j and sustain electrode SU _i top, in addition to the sustain pulse voltage Vs, the scan electrodes SC _i top and in the address period Since the wall voltage accumulated on the sustain electrode SU _i is added, the discharge start voltage is exceeded and a sustain discharge is generated. Hereinafter, similarly, by applying a sustain pulse alternately to the scan electrodes SC ₁ to SC _n and sustain electrodes SU ₁ to SU _n, discharge cells C _i having generated the address _discharge, the number of times of sustain pulses to _j The sustain discharge is continuously performed.

  FIG. 8 shows the experimental results regarding the relationship between the passage of time from the priming discharge and the discharge delay. Accordingly, it can be experimentally confirmed that writing with a small discharge delay is possible if writing is performed within 10 μs from the priming discharge.

  Since each electrode of the AC type PDP is surrounded by a dielectric layer and insulated from the discharge space, the direct current component does not contribute to the discharge itself. Therefore, it goes without saying that the same effect can be obtained even if a waveform obtained by adding a DC component to the drive waveform described so far is used.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the priming discharge is generated in the vertical direction between the scanning electrode 6 provided on the front substrate 1 and the priming electrode 14 provided on the rear substrate 2, and The priming electrode 14 is formed orthogonally to the data electrode 9 only in the gap 13 region. Therefore, it is possible to generate priming discharge only in the region of the gap portion 13. Therefore, compared with the case where the priming discharge is generated in the plane of the front substrate 1, it is possible to suppress the crosstalk generated when the priming particles more than the particles necessary for the priming are supplied to the adjacent discharge cells 11.

  Further, when the priming discharge is generated within the surface of the front substrate 1, a distance between the electrodes is necessary to cause a stable priming discharge, and the priming discharge cell becomes large. As a result, the area of the priming discharge cell occupying in all the discharge cells is increased, and the panel luminance is lowered. Further, if a priming discharge is generated outside the front substrate 1 at the timing of applying the scan pulse, the structure for wiring a part of the scan electrode 6 to the back substrate 2 side and the electrode extraction structure are complicated. And there are problems such as difficulty in securing a withstand voltage. On the other hand, by generating priming discharge in the vertical direction between the scanning electrode 6 provided on the front substrate 1 and the priming electrode 14 provided on the rear substrate 2, the priming discharge cell can be made smaller and higher definition. However, it is possible to realize a PDP having excellent writing characteristics and improved panel luminance.

  Further, the gap portion 13 that causes priming discharge is formed continuously in a direction orthogonal to the data electrode 9. For this reason, the discharge variation of the priming discharge generated in the long gap portion 13 along the priming electrode 14 can be reduced.

  In addition, unlike the address discharge that relies only on the priming of the initializing discharge, the priming discharge generated immediately before the address operation of each discharge cell is reliably supplied in the region of the gap portion with sufficient priming supplied. Address discharge can be performed. As described above, according to the PDP of the first embodiment, by effectively reducing the discharge delay at the time of writing, high-speed and stable address discharge can be realized, and a high-quality image suitable for high definition is displayed. be able to.

As shown in FIG. 9, the scan electrode 6 and the sustain electrode 7 are arranged so that the electrode arrangement is sustain electrode SU ₁ −scan electrode SC ₁ −scan electrode SC ₂ −sustain electrode SU ₂ −. It goes without saying that the method according to the first embodiment can be applied even to a structure in which the priming electrodes 14 are formed only in the gaps 13 corresponding to the portions where the scanning electrodes 6 are adjacent to each other, alternately arranged one by one. Nor.

(Embodiment 2)
Hereinafter, PDP in Embodiment 2 of this invention is demonstrated using FIGS. 10-12. The second embodiment shows an application example relating to the structure of the discharge cell applicable to the first embodiment.

  10 and 11 show the discharge cell portion of the front plate 121 in an enlarged manner. As shown in the drawing, the dielectric layer 127 covers the lower dielectric layer 127a formed on the front substrate 123 so as to cover the display electrode composed of the pair of scanning electrodes 124 and the sustain electrodes 125, and the upper layer. The lower dielectric layer 127a is formed on the discharge space side, and the upper dielectric layer 127b having a different dielectric constant is formed. A recess 127c is formed for each discharge cell on the surface of the dielectric layer 127b of the dielectric layer 127. The recess 127c may be formed by hollowing out only the upper dielectric layer 127b for each discharge cell so that the bottom surface of the recess 127c becomes the lower dielectric layer 127a. The dielectric layer 127b is preferably formed so that the dielectric constant of the upper dielectric layer 127b is lower than that of the lower dielectric layer 127a.

Moreover, this dielectric layer becomes a glass sintered body (dielectric layer) by firing. Examples of the contained glass powder include ZnO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ based mixture, PbO— B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ mixture, PbO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ —Al ₂ O ₃ mixture, PbO—ZnO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ mixture, Bi ₂ O ₃ —B Examples thereof include ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ -based mixtures. Here, the dielectric constant of the glass used is the lowest in the ZnO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ glass, followed by the PbO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ system, Bi ₂ O ₃ —B ₂ O ₃ —. Continued with SiO ₂ system. In the second embodiment, the glass layers having different dielectric constants are used to form dielectric layers having different dielectric constants.

  In the second embodiment, by forming the concave portion 127c in the dielectric layer 127, the bottom surface of the concave portion 127c having a thin dielectric layer is increased in capacity, so that the charge for discharge is reduced in the concave portion 127c. It is formed in a concentrated manner on the bottom surface, and the discharge region can be limited as shown in FIG. Further, the dielectric layer has a two-layer structure, the capacitance is reduced by lowering the dielectric constant of the upper dielectric layer 127b, and the amount of electric charge accumulated therein is reduced without increasing the thickness of the upper layer. Can be easily controlled. Therefore, in the conventional example shown in FIG. 12, since the discharge region is widened, crosstalk and the like with adjacent cells occur. However, according to the embodiment of the present invention, these problems can be solved.

  Furthermore, as another improvement in efficiency, there is a method of increasing the efficiency of extracting light emitted from the phosphor, that is, increasing the aperture ratio. However, bus electrodes 124b and 125b formed on the front substrate 123 for the purpose of reducing the resistance of the electrodes. Since is made of metal, the portion does not transmit light and the aperture ratio decreases. For this reason, the bus electrodes 124b and 125b need to be separated from the light emitting region as much as possible. However, in this case, the distance from the electrode of the adjacent cell that runs in parallel is narrowed, so that the movement of charges easily occurs, so-called crosstalk occurs where cells that do not want to emit light, and display quality is significantly reduced. To do. From this point of view, it is necessary to suppress the charge used for discharge from the bus electrodes 124b and 125b to the discharge gap side. That is, from the bus electrodes 124b and 125b to the non-light emitting region, it is necessary to have a sufficient thickness of the dielectric layer that can reduce the capacitance of the dielectric layer 127 and suppress crosstalk as described above.

  In the second embodiment, the dielectric constant of the upper dielectric layer 127b whose thickness is increased in the non-light emitting region from the bus electrodes 124b and 125b is made smaller than that of the lower dielectric layer 127a, so that the capacitance of the region is increased. It can be made small, and the electric charge which accumulates there can be suppressed. In addition, when the capacity is reduced, the discharge start voltage at that portion also rises accordingly, so that the discharge at that portion is further suppressed, thereby greatly suppressing crosstalk with adjacent cells. it can.

  The shape of the recess 127c may be a cylinder, a cone, a triangular prism, a triangular pyramid, or the like other than the above shape, and is not limited to the above embodiment.

  Next, a method for manufacturing a PDP will be described.

First, a transparent electrode material film made of ITO, SnO ₂ or the like is uniformly formed on a glass substrate as the front substrate 123 by a sputtering method. The film thickness of the transparent electrode material film is about 100 nm. Next, on the transparent electrode material film, a positive resist mainly composed of a novolak resin is applied in a film thickness of 1.5 μm to 2.0 μm, and ultraviolet rays are exposed through an exposure dry plate having a desired pattern. Is cured. Next, development is performed with an alkaline aqueous solution to form a resist pattern. Thereafter, the substrate is immersed in a solution containing hydrochloric acid as a main component, etching is performed, unnecessary portions are removed, and finally the resist is removed to form transparent electrodes 124a and 125a.

Next, a black electrode material film containing a black pigment made of RuO ₂ or the like, glass frit (PbO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ system, Bi ₂ O ₃ —B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ system, etc.), Ag, An electrode material film composed of a metal electrode material film containing a conductive material such as glass frit (PbO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ system, Bi ₂ O ₃ —B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ system, etc.) To do. Thereafter, ultraviolet light is irradiated through an exposure dry plate having a desired pattern to cure the exposed portion, and thereafter development is performed using an alkaline developer (0.3 wt% aqueous sodium carbonate solution) to form a pattern. Thereafter, firing is performed in air at a temperature equal to or higher than the softening point of the glass material to fix the electrode to the substrate. In this manner, the display electrodes can be formed by forming the bus electrodes 124b and 125b on the transparent electrodes 124a and 125a.

  Next, a paste-like glass powder-containing composition (glass paste composition) containing glass powder, a binder resin, and a solvent is used as a front substrate 123 made of a glass substrate on which display electrodes are fixed using, for example, a die coating method. The dielectric layer 127 is formed by applying to the surface, drying and firing. The glass paste composition is applied onto a support film, the coating film is dried to form a film-forming material layer, and the film-forming material layer (sheet-like dielectric material) formed on the support film is used for 2 A dielectric layer 127 made of layers may be formed. In this case, the dielectric layer 127 is heated from the support film side while peeling the cover film of the sheet-like dielectric material and then superposing the sheet-like dielectric material so that the surface of the dielectric material layer is in contact with the front substrate 123. Crimped with a roller and fixed to the glass substrate. Thereafter, the support film is peeled off from the dielectric material layer fixed on the glass substrate. At this time, the means used for pressure bonding may be a simple roller that does not heat other than the heating roller.

  Moreover, as a method of forming the recess 127c, a photosensitive material is added to the glass paste composition in the upper layer on the discharge space side to prepare a photosensitive glass paste composition, and after covering the electrodes by the above-described method, Examples include a method of forming a desired pattern by exposure and development.

  The dielectric constants of the glass powders contained in the upper dielectric layer 127b and the lower dielectric layer 127a are different from each other. The dielectric layer 127 has a structure having a thick portion and a thin portion by forming a concave portion 127c in a light emitting pixel region to be a discharge cell by etching or the like.

  Thereafter, MgO is uniformly deposited on the dielectric layer 127 by electron beam evaporation to form a protective film having a thickness of about 600 nm, whereby the upper dielectric layer 127b and the lower dielectric layer 127a are formed. A PDP having a dielectric layer 127 having a desired three-dimensional structure having a different dielectric constant is obtained.

  As described above, according to the PDP in the second embodiment of the present invention, the dielectric layer 127 of the front plate 121 has at least a two-layer structure having different dielectric constants, and the discharge cell is formed on the surface of the dielectric layer 127 on the discharge space side. By forming the concave portion 127c every time, it is possible to control the discharge, and it is possible to achieve improvement in efficiency and improvement in image quality.

(Embodiment 3)
Hereinafter, the PDP according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described. The third embodiment is an application example related to the second embodiment.

  Whereas the dielectric layer 127 shown in the second embodiment has a two-layer structure with different dielectric constants, the third embodiment has a two-layer structure with different softening points. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIGS. The basic configuration of the third embodiment is the same as that of the second embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, the dielectric layer 127 is formed of a lower dielectric layer 127a and an upper dielectric layer 127b having a different softening point. Preferably, the upper dielectric layer 127b is formed so as to have a lower softening point than the lower dielectric layer 127a. Further, it is preferable that the concave portion 127c is separated from the partition wall by at least 20 μm, for example, so as to be positioned inside the partition wall. Here, examples of the material of the dielectric layer 127 include the same materials as those of the dielectric layer in the second embodiment.

  Further, the softening point of the upper dielectric layer 127b is lower than the softening point of the lower dielectric layer 127a, and the temperature at the time of forming the protective film, sealing, and exhaust baking after the upper dielectric layer 127b is formed. It is preferable that the temperature is higher. This is to prevent the formed upper dielectric layer 127b from being softened again by a subsequent thermal process.

For example, when the temperature at the time of forming the protective film, the temperature at the time of sealing and exhaust baking is about 500 ° C., the softening point of the upper dielectric layer 127b is required to be higher than that, In such a case, for example, the softening point of the lower dielectric layer 127a is set to 570 ° C. to 600 ° C., and the softening point of the upper dielectric layer 127b is set to 540 ° C. to 570 ° C. Here, the softening point is adjusted by changing the composition ratio of PbO and the composition ratio of SiO _{2 in} the material forming the dielectric layer 127. Generally, when the composition ratio of PbO is increased, the softening point is lowered, and when the composition ratio of SiO ₂ is lowered, the softening point is similarly lowered. Examples of the glass powder having a softening point near 600 ° C. include, for example, 45% to 65% by weight of lead oxide (PbO), 10% to 30% by weight of boron oxide (B ₂ O ₃ ), 100% by weight as a whole. Silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) 10 wt% to 30 wt%, calcium oxide (CaO) 1 wt% to 10 wt%, aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O ₃ ) 0 wt% to 3 wt% as additives. On the other hand, in order to lower the softening point by 30 ° C., the weight percentage of PbO can be reduced by 5% to 10%.

Further, when the temperature at the time of forming the protective film, the temperature at the time of sealing and exhaust baking is about 400 ° C., for example, the softening point of the upper dielectric layer 127b may be 400 ° C. or higher. Since the temperature difference of the softening point between the upper dielectric layer 127b and the lower dielectric layer 127a can be increased, a better effect is exhibited. In this case, for example, the softening point of the upper dielectric layer 127b is set to 400 ° C. to 500 ° C., and the softening point of the lower dielectric layer 127a is set to 500 ° C. to 600 ° C. Here, the component of the glass powder having a softening point of 400 ° C. to 500 ° C. can be produced by increasing the composition ratio of PbO or decreasing the composition ratio of SiO ₂ . For example, lead oxide (PbO) 55 wt.% To 85 wt.%, Boron oxide (B ₂ O ₃ ) 10 wt.% To 30 wt.%, Silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) 1 wt.% To 20 wt. %, Calcium oxide (CaO) 1 wt% to 10 wt%, aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O ₃ ) 0 wt% to 3 wt%, and the like. Further, as a component of the glass powder having a softening point of 500 ° C. to 600 ° C., contrary to the above, it can be produced by decreasing the composition ratio of PbO or increasing the composition ratio of SiO _2. %, Lead oxide (PbO) 45 wt% to 65 wt%, boron oxide (B ₂ O ₃ ) 10 wt% to 30 wt%, silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) 10 wt% to 30 wt%, oxidized as an additive Examples include calcium (CaO) 1 wt% to 10 wt%, aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O ₃ ) 0 wt% to 3 wt%, and the like. As described above, the dielectric layers 127 having different softening points are formed using glass powders having different softening points.

  Further, as a method of forming the concave portion 127c in the dielectric layer 127, for example, the dielectric layer 127 is composed of two layers, the lower dielectric layer 127a is formed, and then the upper dielectric layer 127b having the concave portion 127c thereon. The method of forming by laminating | stacking is mentioned. In this case, if the firing temperature of the upper dielectric layer 127b is the same as the firing temperature of the lower dielectric layer 127a, the lower dielectric layer 127a is also softened again when the upper dielectric layer 127b is fired. . Therefore, the shape of the concave portion 127c formed in the upper dielectric layer 127b is difficult to be maintained, and there may be a problem that the shape of the concave portion 127c of the dielectric layer 127 is deteriorated.

  However, according to the present embodiment, the softening point of the upper dielectric layer 127b on the discharge space side is lower than that of the lower dielectric layer 127a covering the display electrode. In the step of applying, drying and baking the upper layer, the lower layer is not softened again, and the concave portion 127c having a stable shape can be formed.

  As described above, according to the PDP of the third embodiment, the dielectric layer 127 has at least a two-layer structure having different softening points, and the concave portion 127c is accurately provided for each discharge cell on the surface of the dielectric layer 127 on the discharge space side. It is possible to form well, and the discharge can be controlled efficiently to improve the efficiency and improve the image quality.

(Embodiment 4)
Hereinafter, the PDP according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The fourth embodiment shows an application example relating to the structure of the discharge cell applicable to the first embodiment.

  13 and 14 are enlarged views of the discharge cell portion of the front plate. As shown in the drawing, the dielectric layer 127 is formed on the front substrate 123 so as to cover the display electrode 126, and the surface of the dielectric layer 127 on the discharge space side is provided with a recess 100 for each discharge cell. Is formed. Further, the concave portion 100 is formed so as to be located on the inner side of the partition wall, and in this case, it is preferably formed at a position at least 20 μm away from the partition wall.

  Further, a mixed gas containing Xe is enclosed as a discharge gas in the discharge space, and the Xe partial pressure is set to 5% to 30%. Examples of gas components other than Xe include Ne, He, etc. The partial pressure of these gas components can be arbitrarily determined as long as the total is 70% to 95% obtained by subtracting the partial pressure of Xe. Good.

  By the way, in order to achieve high efficiency of the PDP, a method of increasing the Xe partial pressure in the discharge gas is generally known. However, when the Xe partial pressure is increased, there arises a problem that the discharge voltage is increased, and an amount of ultraviolet rays is increased, thereby causing a problem of easily causing luminance saturation. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the film thickness of the dielectric layer to reduce the capacitance of the dielectric and to reduce the charge formed by one pulse. As the film thickness of the dielectric layer increases, the transmittance of the dielectric layer itself decreases and efficiency decreases. Further, simply increasing the film thickness causes a problem that the discharge voltage further increases.

  However, even if the Xe partial pressure in the discharge gas is set to 5% to 30%, a high Xe component can be obtained by controlling the current by forming the recess 100 for each discharge cell on the surface of the dielectric layer 127 on the discharge space side. Luminance saturation caused by pressure can be prevented. That is, the discharge current can be controlled by limiting the discharge region by forming the concave portion 100 having the optimum size in each light emitting pixel region. Further, the amount of current flowing arbitrarily can be limited by changing the shape or size of the recess 100. Further, by forming the recess 100 for each discharge cell and forming the recess 100 inside the partition, discharge can be controlled only on the bottom surface of the recess 100 to suppress discharge near the partition.

  In the fourth embodiment, since current control is performed by forming the recess 100 in the dielectric layer 127, a high Xe partial pressure can be achieved without changing the circuit and the driving method. Even if the dielectric layer 127 is thinned to reduce the discharge voltage, the current can be controlled by reducing the shape of the recess 100 of the dielectric layer 127. In order to obtain a good effect, the Xe partial pressure in the discharge gas may be set to 5% or more. More preferably, the Xe partial pressure is increased due to a decrease in the discharge voltage due to a decrease in the thickness of the dielectric layer 127. From the viewpoint of canceling the discharge voltage that rises due to the pressure, the Xe partial pressure is preferably 10% to 20%.

  Next, another structural example of the recess formed in the dielectric layer 127 will be described.

  The structure example shown in FIG. 14 has a cylindrical recess 101 formed. In the structure example shown in FIG. 15, an octagonal polygonal recess 102 is formed. In the structure example shown in FIG. In addition to a quadrangular prism shape, the corner portion of the recess 103 has a curved surface 103a.

  As described above, when the concave portion is formed in the dielectric layer 127, the shape of the concave portion 101 is a cylindrical concave portion 101, a polygonal concave portion 102 such as an octagon, or a concave portion having a quadrangular prism shape and a curved surface 103a in a square shape. By setting it to 103, it is possible to suppress stress concentration on the corner portion when the dielectric layer 127 is baked, and to suppress shape deformation.

  In addition to the above, the shape of the concave portion applicable to the fourth embodiment includes a conical shape, an elliptical column shape, an elliptical cone shape, a polygonal pyramid shape, or a quadrangular pyramid shape with a curved surface formed in a square shape. Things can be used.

  FIG. 17 shows another structure of the discharge cell portion of the PDP in the fourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 17, on the surface of the dielectric layer 127 on the discharge space side, at least two recesses 104 are formed for each discharge cell forming the light emitting pixel region. As shown in FIG. 17, the recess 104 is formed in an island shape so as to be arranged in parallel to the display electrode 126 in a portion inside the bus electrodes 124b and 125b and the partition wall. Yes. According to such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 18A, the discharge is discharged beyond the portion protruding from the bottom surface of the recess 104 with the discharge gap 134 interposed therebetween, and the discharge distance is extended. The probability that Xe of Xe is excited increases, and it is possible to achieve both discharge control and high efficiency. Furthermore, since discharge occurs only on the bottom surface of the recess 104, the discharge position inside the discharge cell can be dispersed from the center of the cell.

  FIG. 19 to FIG. 21 show the structure of the discharge cell portion that becomes the light emitting pixel region of the panel. In the example shown in FIG. 19, the recess 104 formed in the dielectric layer 127 is formed in an island shape so as to be juxtaposed in a direction perpendicular to the display electrode 126 at portions inside the bus electrodes 124b and 125b and the partition. It was formed separately.

  20 and 21 are examples corresponding to FIGS. 17 and 19, respectively, and have a shape in which at least one groove 105 is formed so as to connect the recess 104 for each discharge cell. Thus, by forming at least one groove portion 105 so as to connect the concave portions 104 for each discharge cell, discharge can be generated from that portion, and a role as a seed of discharge can be provided. Thereby, a discharge voltage can be reduced and efficiency can be improved. In other words, in this case, the discharge can be started from the groove 105, the decrease in the discharge voltage can be secured by the groove 105, and the increase of the discharge distance can be secured by the two recesses 104.

  In the fourth embodiment described above, the dielectric layer 127 has at least a two-layer structure having different dielectric constants, and the recesses 100, 101, 102, 102 are formed on the surface of the dielectric layer 127 on the discharge space side for each discharge cell. 103 and 104 and the groove 105 may be formed. In this case, by reducing the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer 127 formed on the discharge space side from the bottom surface of the recesses 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, the charge accumulated on the upper portion can be reduced. . Thereby, erroneous discharge with an adjacent cell can be prevented.

  Further, the phosphor layer is formed by arranging red, green, and blue colors in order corresponding to the discharge cells, and the size of the recesses 100, 101, 102, 103, 104 for each discharge cell is set to the color of the phosphor layer. It is good also as a structure made different for every. In this case, since light emission can be controlled by the size of the recesses 100, 101, 102, 103, and 104, for example, the bottom area of the blue recesses 100, 101, 102, 103, and 104 is set to other green and red recesses. By making it larger than 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, the color temperature can be improved. Furthermore, the effect can be further increased by using together with high Xe.

  As described above, according to the PDP of the fourth embodiment, the mixed gas containing Xe is sealed as the discharge gas in the discharge space, the Xe partial pressure is set to 5% to 30%, and the discharge space of the dielectric layer On the side surface, a recess is formed for each discharge cell, which makes it possible to control discharge, effectively use the improvement in efficiency due to the high Xe partial pressure, and improve the efficiency of the panel. An improvement in image quality can be achieved.

(Embodiment 5)
Hereinafter, the PDP according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The fifth embodiment shows an application example related to the structure of the discharge cell applicable to the first embodiment.

  FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a part of the front plate of the PDP according to the fifth embodiment. On the surface on the discharge space side of the dielectric layer 227 formed on the front substrate 223 so as to cover the display electrode 226, a recess 227a is formed for each discharge cell. FIG. 23 shows the positional relationship between the recess 227a, the display electrode 226, and the partition wall 232, and the recess 227a is formed inside the partition wall 232 as shown in FIG.

  The display electrode 226 includes a discharge electrode 225a formed of a transparent electrode arranged so as to face each other via a discharge gap 224 for each display line A, and a bus electrode 225b for supplying power to the discharge electrode 225a. The discharge electrode 225a of the display electrode 226 is formed to protrude vertically from the bus electrode 225b toward the discharge gap 224 so as to face the bottom surface of the recess 227a via the discharge gap 224. The discharge electrode 225a is configured such that the width of the portion opposed to the bottom surface of the recess 227a via the discharge gap 224 is equal to the width of the recess 227a or narrower than the width of the recess 227a. The example shown in FIG. 23 shows an example in which the width of the portion opposed to the discharge electrode 225a via the discharge gap 224 is made narrower than the width of the recess 227a.

  Here, in order to achieve high efficiency of the PDP, it is essential to control the discharge in each light emitting pixel region. In particular, in the spread of the discharge in the direction perpendicular to the display electrode 226, the bus electrode 225b blocks the light emitted from the partition wall 232 and is wasted, so that the discharge does not spread to the shielded portion. Is effective.

  In addition to suppressing the discharge in the direction parallel to the display electrode 226, it is effective to improve the efficiency. This is because if the discharge spreads in the direction parallel to the display electrode 226 and the discharge spreads to the vicinity of the partition wall 232, the electron temperature decreases in the vicinity of the partition wall 232, which may cause a reduction in efficiency.

  Furthermore, it is known that when the discharge is performed in the vicinity of the partition wall 232, the partition wall 232 is negatively charged, whereby positive ions are attracted to the partition wall 232. Therefore, the barrier ribs 232 are etched due to the occurrence of recombination between electrons and ions, or ion bombardment of the barrier ribs 232, and the etched barrier ribs 232 are deposited on another phosphor layer or barrier ribs 232, and the characteristics are improved. There is a risk of deterioration.

  In Embodiment 5 of the present invention, since the recess 227a is formed for each discharge cell and the recess 227a is formed inside the partition wall 232, the discharge can be controlled only on the bottom surface of the recess 227a. . Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the discharge from spreading to the bus electrode 225b that blocks light emitted from the partition wall 232 in the direction perpendicular to the display electrode 226, and from extending to the vicinity of the partition wall 232 in a direction parallel to the display electrode 226. can do. Further, since MgO is also formed on the side surface of the recess 227a, there is little risk of etching on the side surface of the recess 227a. Further, since the discharge electrode 225a of the display electrode 226 is formed so as to protrude vertically from the bus electrode 225b toward the discharge gap 224 so as to face the bottom surface of the recess 227a via the discharge gap 224, the partition wall 232 is formed. The discharge electrode 225a is separated from the first electrode. For this reason, accumulation of electric charges in the vicinity of the partition 232 is suppressed, and the effect of suppressing discharge in the vicinity of the partition 232 is further increased.

  Here, when the discharge electrode 225a is made of a transparent electrode, light emitted from the partition wall 232 can be extracted efficiently.

  On the other hand, when the discharge electrode 225a is made of an opaque metal electrode similar to the bus electrode 225b, the cost can be reduced. However, in this case, since the light emitted from the partition wall 232 is shielded by the discharge electrode 225a, the discharge electrode 225a improves the efficiency of extracting light emission by reducing the area without changing the discharge gap 224. It is preferable. As an example of such a configuration, for example, FIG. 24 shows a shape in which a portion of the discharge electrode 225a facing the discharge gap 224 on the bottom surface of the recess 227a is divided into a plurality. FIG. 25 shows a shape in which the portion of the discharge electrode 225a that faces the gap 224a on the bottom surface of the recess 227a is hollow. With these shapes, the effect of reducing current consumption by reducing the area of the discharge electrode 225a can be obtained at the same time. This is the same when a transparent electrode is used as the discharge electrode 225a.

  Here, the shape of the recess 227a is not limited to the rectangle as shown in FIG. 23, and if the width of the recess 227a is wider than the width of the portion where the discharge electrode 225a faces through the discharge gap 224, Any shape is acceptable.

  FIG. 26 shows an example of another shape of the recess 227a. FIG. 26A shows a rounded corner of the recess 227a. FIG. 26B shows a trapezoidal shape as the shape of the recess 227a. FIG. 26 (c) shows a shape including an egg shape and a barrel shape with a trapezoidal shape and rounded corners.

  In addition, the concave portion 227a increases the area of the portion that overlaps the scan electrode that is one display electrode 226, so that the write electrode can be connected between the scan electrode that is one of the display electrodes 226 on the front plate and the data electrode. Discharge is likely to occur, and a panel drive margin can be widened.

  Furthermore, another example of the electrode configuration is shown in FIG. In FIG. 27A, in order to increase the area where the concave portion 227a and the scanning electrode which is one of the display electrodes 226 overlap, the concave portion is shifted toward the scanning electrode which is one of the display electrodes 226 with respect to the discharge gap 224. 27B shows an example in which 227a is formed, and FIG. 27B shows a configuration in which the recess 227a is formed so that a part thereof is positioned on the bus electrode 225b of the scan electrode in order to increase the above-described effect. . In these configurations as well, the shape of the recess 227a can be as shown in FIG.

  Here, in the case of the configuration shown in FIG. 27B, since the thickness of the dielectric layer 227 in the recess 227a is reduced in the bus electrode 225b portion, the dielectric breakdown voltage reliability of the dielectric layer 227 in this portion is improved. May fall. Therefore, it is preferable that the portion of the recess 227a located on the bus electrode 225b is formed as small as possible. As the concave portion 227a having such a shape, a shape in which the concave portion 227a is positioned on the bus electrode 225b by having a protruding portion that partially protrudes can be given. Specifically, for example, FIG. 28A shows an example having a curved projection 227b, and FIG. 28B shows an example having a sharp projection 227b.

  The shape of the recess 227a may be a polygon, a circle, or an ellipse, and is not limited to the above description as long as the above object is achieved.

  Next, regarding the PDP according to the fifth embodiment, application examples in which the configuration of the recesses is different will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 29 is a perspective view of a part of the front plate of the PDP in the fifth embodiment. In FIG. 29, two recesses 227c and 227d are formed for each discharge cell on the surface of the dielectric layer 227 on the discharge space side so as to cover the display electrode 226. 30 shows the positional relationship between the recesses 227c and 227d, the display electrode 226, and the partition wall 232, and the recesses 227c and 227d are formed inside the partition wall 232 as shown in FIG. Yes. The display electrode 226 includes a discharge electrode 225a formed of a transparent electrode formed so as to be opposed to each other via a discharge gap 224 for each display line A, and a bus electrode 225b for supplying power to the discharge electrode 225a. The discharge electrode 225a of the display electrode 226 is formed to protrude vertically from the bus electrode 225b toward the discharge gap 224 so as to face each other via the discharge gap 224 on the bottom surfaces of the recesses 227c and 227d. This discharge electrode 225a is configured such that the width of the portion facing the discharge gap 224 on the bottom surface of the recesses 227c and 227d is equal to the width of the recesses 227c and 227d or narrower than the width of the recesses 227c and 227d. Yes. In the example shown in FIG. 30, the width of the portion of the discharge electrode 225a that faces the discharge gap 224 is narrower than the width of the recesses 227c and 227d.

  FIG. 31 is a diagram for explaining the effect when two concave portions 227c and 227d are formed in the dielectric layer 227 in the PDP according to the fifth embodiment. In FIG. 31, a solid line A indicates discharge. In FIG. 31, since the film thickness of the dielectric layer 227 on the bottom surfaces of the two recesses 227c and 227d is reduced, the capacity of the portion is increased. Therefore, electric charges for discharging are concentrated on the bottom surfaces of the recesses 227c and 227d, and the discharge area can be limited.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 31, two recesses 227c and 227d are formed with the discharge gap 224 interposed therebetween, and discharge A is generated between the bottom surface of the recess 227c and the bottom surface of the recess 227d with the discharge gap 224 interposed therebetween. To do. Therefore, the discharge distance is extended, the probability that the discharge gas is excited increases, and both discharge control and high efficiency can be achieved. This becomes more effective when the partial pressure of Xe in the discharge gas is increased.

  Here, the shape of the discharge electrode 225a is such that, as shown in FIG. 32, the discharge electrode 225a has a shape in which the portion of the bottom surface of the recesses 227c and 227d facing each other through the discharge gap 224 is divided into a plurality of parts. As shown in FIG. 33, when the discharge electrode 225a has a hollow shape, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  Further, the shape of the recesses 227c and 227d is not limited to the rectangle shown in FIG. 30, and the shape is not limited as long as the discharge electrode 225a is wider than the width of the portion facing the discharge gap 224. FIG. 34 shows an example of another shape of the recesses 227c and 227d. FIG. 34 (a) shows that the corners of the recesses 227c and 227d are rounded. FIG. 34 (b) shows the recesses 227c and 227d having different sizes.

  In addition, one of the recesses 227c and 227d has one of the display electrodes 226 on the front plate at the time of writing operation by increasing the area of the portion located on the scanning electrode which is one display electrode 226, that is, the overlapping portion. As a result, a discharge is easily generated between the scan electrode and the data electrode, and a panel drive margin can be widened.

  An example of such an electrode configuration is shown in FIG. FIG. 35A shows a configuration in which the overlapping area is increased by forming the recess 227c larger than the recess 227d. In FIG. 35 (b), the size of the recesses 227c and 227d is the same, but the area where the recess 227c overlaps with the discharge electrode 225a is formed by shifting the discharge gap 224 toward the scan electrode side. Shows a configuration in which the recess 227d is larger than the area where the recess 227d overlaps the discharge electrode 225a. FIG. 35C shows a configuration in which the concave portion 227c is formed so that a part thereof is positioned on the bus electrode 225b of the scanning electrode in order to increase the above-described effect. In these configurations, the recesses 227c and 227d can be shaped as shown in FIG.

  Here, in the case of the configuration as shown in FIG. 35C, the thickness of the dielectric layer 227 in the recess 227c is reduced at the bus electrode 225b portion, and therefore the reliability of the dielectric breakdown voltage of the dielectric layer 227 in this portion is reduced. May be reduced. Accordingly, it is preferable to form the portion of the recess 227c located on the bus electrode 225b as small as possible. An example of the concave portion 227c having such a shape is one in which the concave portion 227c has a protruding portion that partially protrudes so as to be positioned on the bus electrode 225b. Specifically, for example, FIG. 36A shows an example having a curved-shaped protrusion 227b, and FIG. 36B shows an example having a sharp-shaped protrusion 227b.

  FIG. 37 shows another form of the recesses 227c and 227d. In the example shown in FIG. 37 (a), at least one groove portion 227e is formed so as to connect the concave portions 227c and 227d for each discharge cell. In this case, both the decrease in the discharge start voltage and the increase in the discharge distance are achieved. It becomes possible. In the example shown in FIG. 37B, two recesses 227c and 227d are formed side by side so as to be perpendicular to the bus electrode 225b. In this case, the discharge start voltage can be lowered. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 37 (c), at least one groove 227e is formed so as to connect two concave portions 227c and 227d formed so as to be perpendicular to the bus electrode 225b as shown in FIG. 37 (b). It is what.

  In the above description, the example in which the two concave portions 227c and 227d are formed has been described. However, two or more concave portions may be formed, and the shape of the concave portion may be a polygon, a circle, or an ellipse. If it does, it will not be restricted to the said description.

  As described above, according to the PDP of the fifth embodiment, the discharge can be controlled, the driving in the address period can be stabilized, and the efficiency improvement by the high Xe partial pressure can be effectively utilized. The panel efficiency can be improved and the image quality can be improved.

  As described above, according to the PDP of the present invention, it is possible to stabilize the addressing characteristics even at high definition, to prevent erroneous discharge between adjacent discharge cells, and between the scan electrode and the data electrode. Thus, it is possible to realize a PDP capable of reliably generating an address discharge and capable of displaying a good image.

  The PDP according to the present invention realizes a PDP capable of displaying a high-quality image even with high definition, and is useful for a large-area plasma display device or the like.

Sectional drawing which shows the structure of PDP in Embodiment 1 of this invention The top view which shows the electrode arrangement by the side of the front plate of the same PDP The perspective view which shows the structure of the discharge cell part by the side of the front plate of the PDP The perspective view which shows the structure by the side of the back plate of the PDP Sectional drawing of the front plate which shows the discharge state in the discharge cell of the PDP Electrode arrangement of the PDP Driving waveform diagram showing the driving method of the PDP The figure which shows the relationship between the time passage from the priming discharge of the PDP and the discharge delay Sectional drawing which shows the other structural example in the PDP The perspective view which shows the structure of the discharge cell part of PDP in Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 3 of this invention Sectional drawing of the front plate which shows the discharge state in the discharge cell of the PDP Sectional drawing of the front plate showing the discharge state in the discharge cell of the conventional PDP The perspective view which shows the structure of the discharge cell part of PDP in Embodiment 4 of this invention The perspective view which shows the other structure of the discharge cell part of the PDP The perspective view which shows the other structure of the discharge cell part of the PDP The perspective view which shows the other structure of the discharge cell part of the PDP The perspective view which shows the other structure of the discharge cell part of the PDP Sectional drawing of the front plate which shows the discharge state in the discharge cell of the PDP The perspective view which shows the other structure of the discharge cell part of the PDP The perspective view which shows the other structure of the discharge cell part of the PDP The perspective view which shows the other structure of the discharge cell part of the PDP The perspective view which shows the structure of the discharge cell part of PDP in Embodiment 5 of this invention The top view which shows the arrangement | positioning relationship of the principal part of the PDP The top view which shows the other arrangement | positioning relationship of the principal part of the PDP The top view which shows the other arrangement | positioning relationship of the principal part of the PDP The top view which shows the other arrangement | positioning relationship of the principal part of the PDP The top view which shows the other arrangement | positioning relationship of the principal part of the PDP The top view which shows the other arrangement | positioning relationship of the principal part of the PDP The perspective view which shows the other structure of the discharge cell part of PDP of the PDP The top view which shows the other arrangement | positioning relationship of the principal part of the PDP Sectional drawing of the front plate which shows the discharge state in the discharge cell of the PDP The top view which shows the other arrangement | positioning relationship of the principal part of the PDP The top view which shows the other arrangement | positioning relationship of the principal part of the PDP The top view which shows the other arrangement | positioning relationship of the principal part of the PDP The top view which shows the other arrangement | positioning relationship of the principal part of the PDP The top view which shows the other arrangement | positioning relationship of the principal part of the PDP The perspective view which shows the structure of the discharge cell part of the PDP

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,123,223 Front substrate 2 Rear substrate 3 Discharge space 4,15,16,127,127a, 127b, 227 Dielectric layer 5 Protective film 6,124 Scan electrode 7,125 Sustain electrode 6a, 7a, 124a, 125a Transparent Electrode 6b, 7b, 124b, 125b, 225b Bus electrode 6b ', 227b Protruding part 8 Light absorption layer 9 Data electrode 10, 232 Partition 10a Vertical wall part 10b Horizontal wall part 11 Discharge cell 12 Phosphor layer 13 Gap part 13a Priming space 14 Priming electrode 17, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 127c, 227a, 227c, 227d Recessed portion 18, 134, 224 Discharge gap 19 Light emitting pixel region 20 Non-light emitting region 103a Curved surface 105, 227e Groove portion 121 Front plate 126, 226 Display Electrode 225a Discharge electrode

Claims (23)

A first substrate having a pair of display electrodes composed of a plurality of scan electrodes and a plurality of sustain electrodes arranged in parallel to each other and covered with a dielectric layer, a plurality of data electrodes arranged in parallel and the data electrodes intersecting with each other A second substrate having a plurality of priming electrodes arranged in a direction in which the scan electrode and the sustain electrode on the first substrate intersect the data electrode on the second substrate A plurality of main discharge cells including the scan electrode, the sustain electrode, and the data electrode, and a gap section partitioned by a partition wall adjacent to the main discharge cell, A priming discharge cell including the scan electrode and the priming electrode is formed, and a recess is formed for each main discharge cell on the surface of the dielectric layer on the discharge space side. That the plasma display panel. A first substrate having a pair of display electrodes composed of a plurality of scan electrodes and a plurality of sustain electrodes arranged in parallel to each other and covered with a dielectric layer, a plurality of data electrodes arranged in parallel and the data electrodes intersecting with each other A second substrate having a plurality of priming electrodes arranged in a direction in which the scan electrode and the sustain electrode on the first substrate intersect the data electrode on the second substrate A plurality of main discharge cells including the scan electrode, the sustain electrode, and the data electrode, and a gap section partitioned by a partition wall adjacent to the main discharge cell, Forming a priming discharge cell including the scan electrode and the priming electrode; forming a recess for each main discharge cell on the surface of the dielectric layer on the discharge space side; A plasma display panel, wherein the partial pressure of Xe is sealed gas mixture containing 5% to 30% of Xe. The plasma display panel according to claim 2, wherein the discharge gas contains Xe and Ne and / or He. 3. The plasma display panel according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion has any one of a cylindrical shape, a conical shape, an elliptical column shape, an elliptical cone shape, and a polygonal column shape having a curved corner portion. The plasma display panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least two recesses are formed for each main discharge cell. The plasma display panel according to claim 5, wherein the two concave portions are connected by a groove portion. The display electrodes are each constituted by a discharge electrode and a bus electrode for supplying power to the discharge electrode, the display electrodes are arranged to face each other via a discharge gap for each display line, and the discharge electrode of the display electrode is arranged in a recess. 3. The plasma display panel according to claim 1, wherein the plasma display panel is formed so as to protrude perpendicularly from the bus electrode toward the discharge gap in a bottom region. 8. The plasma display panel according to claim 7, wherein the width of the discharge electrodes facing each other through the discharge gap in the bottom region of the recess is equal to or smaller than the width of the recess. 8. The plasma display panel according to claim 7, wherein the discharge electrodes facing each other through the discharge gap in the bottom region of the recess are divided into a plurality of portions. 8. The plasma display panel according to claim 7, wherein the electrode surfaces of the discharge electrodes facing each other through the discharge gap in the bottom region of the recess are hollowed out. The plasma display panel according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the discharge electrode is a transparent electrode. In a main discharge cell formed of a display electrode and a data electrode, the dielectric layer covering the display electrode has a recess so as to overlap the display electrode, and an area where the recess and the scan electrode overlap is maintained as the recess. The plasma display panel according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the plasma display panel is configured to be larger than an area where electrodes overlap. The position of the recess in the main discharge cell is shifted to the scan electrode side so that the area where the recess and the scan electrode overlap is larger than the area where the recess and the sustain electrode overlap. The plasma display panel according to claim 12. Each of the scan electrode and the sustain electrode includes a transparent electrode and a bus electrode made of a metal material, and the concave portion overlaps at least the bus electrode with the scan electrode, and the sustain electrode overlaps only with the transparent electrode. The plasma display panel according to claim 13, wherein the plasma display panel is offset toward the scanning electrode. 3. The plasma display panel according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer covering the display electrode has at least a two-layer structure, and a recess is formed on the surface of the dielectric layer on the discharge space side. The dielectric layer is composed of a lower dielectric layer formed so as to cover the display electrode and an upper dielectric layer formed on the discharge space side so as to cover the upper dielectric layer. The plasma display panel according to claim 15, wherein a recess is formed by hollowing out. 17. The plasma display panel according to claim 16, wherein the upper dielectric layer is hollowed out so that the bottom surface of the recess becomes the lower dielectric layer. 18. The plasma display panel according to claim 15, wherein the dielectric layer has at least a two-layer structure having different dielectric constants. 19. The plasma display panel according to claim 18, wherein the dielectric constant of the upper dielectric layer is made smaller than the dielectric constant of the lower dielectric layer. 18. The plasma display panel according to claim 15, wherein the dielectric layer has at least a two-layer structure formed of materials having different softening points. 21. The plasma display panel according to claim 20, wherein the softening point of the material forming the upper dielectric layer is made smaller than the softening point of the material forming the lower dielectric layer. The dielectric layer is composed of a ZnO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ based mixture, a PbO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ based mixture, a PbO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ —Al ₂ O ₃ based mixture, PbO 21. A glass powder selected from the group consisting of —ZnO—B ₂ O ₃ —SiO ₂ and Bi ₂ O ₃ —B ₂ O ₃ —SiO _2. The plasma display panel described. A first substrate having a pair of display electrodes composed of a plurality of scan electrodes and a plurality of sustain electrodes arranged in parallel to each other and covered with a dielectric layer, a plurality of data electrodes arranged in parallel and the data electrodes A second substrate having a plurality of priming electrodes arranged in a direction in which the scan electrode and the sustain electrode on the first substrate intersect the data electrode on the second substrate A plurality of main discharge cells including the scan electrodes, the sustain electrodes, and the data electrodes, and a gap section partitioned by a partition wall adjacent to the main discharge cells, A priming discharge cell having the scanning electrode and the priming electrode is formed, and a surface of the dielectric layer on the discharge space side is provided with a recess for each main discharge cell; A plurality of subfields each having an initialization period, an address period, and a sustain period, and in the address period of the subfield, the scan electrodes corresponding to the scan electrodes corresponding to the priming electrodes before scanning A plasma display panel, wherein a voltage for generating a priming discharge is applied to each of the priming electrodes.

Images