JP2006332070A - Plasma display device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To drive a display device without making a sustaining pulse voltage higher in the case that a scanning pulse width is shortened even if a data pulse of the other scanning electrode line is impressed after the completion of the scanning pulse impression of one scanning electrode line. <P>SOLUTION: Out of a portion in which a potential fixed electrode 34 faces a sustaining electrode 23, the line width of a portion crossing a data electrode 29 is made to be smaller than that of the other portion, and the center line of the electrode of the portion made smaller in the potential fixed electrode 34 is established to be nearer the discharge gap of a scanning electrode 22 and the sustaining electrode 23 than the center line of the potential fixed electrode 34 of the other portion facing the sustaining electrode 23. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a plasma display apparatus, and more particularly to an AC type plasma display apparatus.

  In recent years, it is a well-known fact that information electronic devices such as mobile phones are widely used in the world. Of these information electronic devices, display devices such as wall-mounted televisions and public display boards are well known.

  Furthermore, it is a well-known fact that display devices such as wall-mounted televisions and public display boards are attracting attention as flat displays.

  In general, a plasma display panel (hereinafter also abbreviated as PDP) used for the above-described wall-mounted television, public display board, and the like is also well known as a flat display.

  This PDP has many features such as being thin and capable of displaying a large screen relatively easily, having a wide viewing angle, and having a high response speed.

  For this reason, as described above, this PDP is used as a flat display, as a wall-mounted television, a public display board, or the like.

  The PDP has a DC discharge type (DC type) in which an electrode is exposed to a discharge space (discharge gas) and operates in a DC discharge state, and an electrode is covered with a dielectric layer so that the discharge gas is directly applied to the discharge gas. It is classified into an AC discharge type (AC type) that is operated without being exposed and in an AC discharge state. In the DC type, discharge is generated during a period in which the voltage is applied, and in the AC type, the discharge is sustained by reversing the polarity of the voltage. Further, the AC type includes two electrodes in one cell and three electrodes.

  Here, the structure and driving method of a conventional three-electrode AC type plasma display panel will be described. FIG. 15 is a cell sectional view showing an example of a conventional plasma display panel.

  The AC3 electrode type plasma display panel includes a front substrate 20 and a rear substrate 21 facing each other, a plurality of scan electrodes 22, a sustain electrode 23 and a data electrode 29 disposed between the two substrates 20, 21, and a scan electrode. 22, display cells arranged in a matrix at each intersection of the sustain electrode 23 and the data electrode 29.

  A glass substrate or the like is used as the front substrate 20, and the scan electrodes 22 and the sustain electrodes 23 are provided at a predetermined interval. A metal electrode 32 is laminated on the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23 in order to reduce the wiring resistance. On these, a transparent dielectric layer 24 and a protective layer 25 made of MgO or the like for protecting the transparent dielectric layer 24 from discharge are formed. On the other hand, a glass substrate or the like is used as the back substrate 21, and the data electrodes 29 are provided so as to be orthogonal to the scan electrodes 22 and the sustain electrodes 23. Further, a white dielectric layer 28 and a phosphor layer 27 are provided on the data electrode 29. A gap 33 is formed between the two glass substrates so as to surround each cell. The partition plays a role of securing the discharge space 26 and partitioning the pixels. A mixed gas such as He, Ne, and Xe is sealed in the discharge space 26 as a discharge gas.

  FIG. 14 is a plan view of a conventional three-electrode AC plasma display panel. A display cell is provided at each intersection of each electrode Si of the scan electrode 22 and each electrode Ci (i = 1 to m) of the sustain electrode 23 and each electrode Dj (j = 1 to n) of the data electrode 29. 31 are arranged in a matrix.

  Next, a method for driving the PDP will be described. Currently, the mainstream is the scan sustaining separation method (ADS method) in which the scanning period and the sustaining period are separated. Hereinafter, a driving method of this scanning maintenance separation method will be described. FIG. 16 is an example of a driving waveform diagram of one subfield (hereinafter abbreviated as SF) of a three-electrode AC plasma display panel. One subfield is composed of three periods of a preliminary discharge period 2, a scanning period 3, and a sustain period 4.

  First, the preliminary discharge period 2 will be described. Before the preliminary discharge period 2, there is a sustain period 1 of the previous subfield, and whether or not the sustain discharge is performed there occurs on the dielectric layer on each electrode in the cell by discharge. The amount of wall charges that are charges differs.

  If the next address is performed as it is, it is difficult to cause an address discharge due to the influence of the different wall charges, or the address is erroneously performed. One of the roles of the preliminary discharge period 2 is to reset the wall charge state, which is the charge generated by the discharge, on the dielectric layer in the different cell depending on the lighting state in the sustain period 1 of the previous subfield. That is. In addition, there is a role of generating a priming effect that facilitates discharge when data is written line-sequentially based on display data.

  Next, the scanning period 3 starts. The scan base voltage Vbw is about 80 to 110V, and the sustain voltage Vs is about 170V. In the scanning period 3, the scanning pulse 6 is sequentially applied to the individual electrodes (S 1 to Sm) of the scanning electrode 22. The data pulse 7 is applied to the individual electrodes (D1 to Dn) of the data electrode 29 according to the display pattern in accordance with the scanning pulse 6.

  In the pixel to which the data pulse 7 is applied, since a high voltage is applied between the scan electrode 22 and the data electrode 29, the scan electrode 22 and the data electrode are accompanied by a certain delay (referred to as a discharge delay) after the voltage application. An address discharge occurs between the electrodes 29 and positive wall charges are formed on the scanning electrode 22 side. As a result of this discharge, charge movement also occurs between the sustain electrode 23 and the scan electrode 22 that are largely biased to a positive potential, and a negative wall charge is formed on the sustain electrode 23.

  On the other hand, in the pixel to which the data pulse 7 is not applied, the applied voltage is low, so that no discharge occurs and the wall charge state does not change. Thus, two types of wall charge situations can be created depending on the presence or absence of the data pulse 7.

When the scan pulse 6 is applied to all lines, the sustain period 4 is started. The sustain pulse is applied to all the scan electrodes 22 and all the Y electrodes 23 alternately. The voltage value Vs of the sustain pulse is
In a pixel where no address discharge has occurred, the voltage is set such that the discharge (referred to as surface discharge) between the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23 does not start. Here, it is 170V.

  On the other hand, in the pixel where the write discharge has occurred, positive wall charges are present on the scan electrode 22 side and negative wall charges are present on the sustain electrode 23 side. Therefore, the first positive sustain pulse applied to the scan electrode 22 is present. The positive and negative wall charges are superimposed on (referred to as the first sustain pulse), a voltage equal to or higher than the discharge start voltage is applied to the discharge space, and a sustain discharge is generated. Due to this discharge, negative wall charges are accumulated on the scan electrode 22 side, and positive wall charges are accumulated on the sustain electrode 23 side.

  The next sustain pulse (referred to as the second sustain pulse) is applied to the sustain electrode 23 side, and the above-mentioned wall charges are superimposed, so that a sustain discharge is generated here, and the wall has the opposite polarity to the first sustain pulse. Electric charges are accumulated on the scan electrode 22 side and the sustain electrode 23 side. Subsequent discharges are continuously generated on the same principle. That is, the potential difference due to the wall charges generated by the xth sustain discharge is superimposed on the (x + 1) th sustain pulse, and the sustain discharge continues. The light emission luminance is determined by the number of sustain discharges.

  The preliminary discharge period 2, the scanning period 3, and the sustain period 4 are collectively referred to as a subfield. When gradation display is performed, one field, which is a period for displaying image information of one screen, is composed of the plurality of sub-feeds. Grayscale display can be performed by changing the number of sustain pulses in each subfield and lighting each subfield.

  In the scan sustaining separation AC plasma display panel and the plasma display driving method as described above, in order to generate an address discharge corresponding to the image signal in each scanning line, the data pulses are sequentially corresponding to the image signal. Applied during the scanning period.

  Therefore, the data electrode potential varies corresponding to the image signal during the scanning period. The wall charge formed on each electrode by the address discharge is affected by the potential of each electrode after the end of the scan pulse.

  Accordingly, the wall charges formed on each electrode differ depending on the application state of the data pulse after the scanning electrode line where the address discharge is completed. In particular, when the scanning pulse width is shortened, the influence is great. When the panel becomes high-definition and the scan pulse width has to be reduced as the number of scan lines increases, a data pulse for generating an address discharge in the next scan electrode line after the end of this scan pulse application When no data is applied, even if the operation is normal, if a data pulse is applied, an address discharge occurs, but a sustain discharge does not occur in the sustain period or the display flickers. In order to improve this, the sustain pulse voltage must be increased. However, when the sustain pulse voltage is increased, the power consumption is increased, and an expensive driver with a high breakdown voltage must be used, resulting in an increase in cost.

  The object of the present invention is to drive without increasing the sustain pulse voltage even when the data pulse of the other scan electrode line is applied after the scan pulse application of the own scan electrode line is completed when the scan pulse width is shortened. It is an object of the present invention to provide a plasma display and a plasma display device that can perform the above.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that the first insulating substrate and the second insulating substrate are arranged to face each other, and the first insulating substrate has a scan electrode and a sustain electrode. A plasma display comprising a display panel in which a plurality of electrode pairs arranged in parallel to each other are arranged, and a plurality of data electrodes orthogonal to the scan electrodes and sustain electrodes are arranged on the second insulating substrate According to the apparatus, the storage electrode disposed on the first insulating substrate is opposed to the data electrode in a one-to-one manner at a position above the data electrode via an insulating layer and perpendicular to the data electrode. In the aspect, the scanning corresponding to the video signal is performed by applying a scanning pulse in a line sequential manner to the plurality of potential fixing electrodes provided on the second insulating substrate of the display panel and each of the scanning electrodes. Write data for each electrode The potential corresponding to a constant potential for a certain period that starts after a lapse of a predetermined period after the application of a scan pulse to each of the scan electrodes is completed. A potential supply means for continuing to supply to the fixed electrode is added, and a portion of the portion where the potential fixed electrode is opposed to the sustain electrode has a line width intersecting with the data electrode. The center line of the electrode of the portion that is thinner than the width and the line width of the potential fixing electrode is narrower than the center line of the potential fixing electrode of the other portion facing the sustain electrode, It is characterized in that it is close to the discharge gap between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the first insulating substrate and the second insulating substrate are arranged to face each other, and the scan electrode and the sustain electrode are arranged in parallel to each other on the first insulating substrate. A plasma display apparatus comprising: a plurality of electrode pairs configured; and a display panel provided with a plurality of data electrodes orthogonal to the scan electrodes and sustain electrodes on the second insulating substrate. The display panel is configured to face the sustain electrode disposed on the first insulating substrate in a one-to-one manner at a position above the electrode via an insulating layer and perpendicular to the data electrode. A plurality of potential fixing electrodes provided on the second insulating substrate, and a constant potential is continuously supplied to the potential fixing electrode during a scanning period in which data is written for each scanning electrode corresponding to a video signal. Potential supply means Of the portion where the potential fixing electrode is opposed to the sustain electrode, the line width of the portion intersecting the data electrode is smaller than the line width of the other portion, and The discharge gap between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode is greater than the center line of the potential fixed electrode in the other portion of the portion facing the sustain electrode, where the center line of the portion where the line width of the potential fixed electrode is narrower It is characterized by being close.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the first insulating substrate and the second insulating substrate are arranged to face each other, and the scan electrode and the sustain electrode are arranged in parallel to each other on the first insulating substrate. A plasma display apparatus comprising: a plurality of electrode pairs configured; and a display panel provided with a plurality of data electrodes orthogonal to the scan electrodes and sustain electrodes on the second insulating substrate. The display panel is configured to face the sustain electrode disposed on the first insulating substrate in a one-to-one manner at a position above the electrode via an insulating layer and perpendicular to the data electrode. And a plurality of potential fixing electrodes provided on the second insulating substrate, and potential supply means for continuously supplying a constant potential to the potential fixing electrode over the entire driving period, and the potential fixing electrode But said maintenance Of the part facing the pole, the line width of the part intersecting with the data electrode is narrower than the line width of the other part and the line width of the potential fixing electrode is narrower. The center line is characterized in that the center line is closer to the discharge gap of the scan electrode and the sustain electrode than the center line of the potential fixing electrode in the other part facing the sustain electrode.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the plasma display device according to the first, second or third aspect, wherein the electrode is covered with a dielectric layer and is not directly exposed to a discharge gas, but operates in an AC discharge state. It is characterized by being an AC discharge type.

  As described above, according to the configuration of the present invention, even when the scan pulse is shortened, the minimum sustain voltage Vdsmin that can be normally driven can be kept low. Specifically, when the scan pulse is shortened to 1 μsec, conventionally, the sustain pulse voltage has to be increased to at least 176 V in consideration of the application of the data pulse after the end of the scan pulse. If the plasma display panel and the driving method are used, the sustain pulse voltage can be lowered to 143V.

As a first best mode, by applying scanning pulses to individual scanning electrodes in a line-sequential manner, within a scanning period in which data is written for each scanning electrode corresponding to a video signal, And a potential supply means for continuing to supply a constant potential to the corresponding fixed potential electrode for a certain period starting after a predetermined period has elapsed after the application of the scan pulse is added to the scan electrode. In addition, the portion of the portion where the potential fixing electrode is opposed to the sustain electrode has a line width that intersects with the data electrode is narrower than the line width of the other portion, and the line of the potential fixing electrode. The center line of the electrode in the narrowed portion is closer to the discharge gap between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode than the center line of the potential fixing electrode in the other portion facing the sustain electrode. Is set.
As a second best mode, a potential supply means for continuously supplying a constant potential to the potential fixing electrode during the scanning period, which is a period for writing data for each scanning electrode corresponding to the video signal, is added. Of the portion of the potential fixing electrode facing the sustain electrode, the line width of the portion intersecting with the data electrode is narrower than the line width of the other portion, and the line width of the potential fixing electrode is narrower. The center line of the part of the electrode is set to be closer to the discharge gap of the scan electrode and the sustain electrode than the center line of the potential fixing electrode of the other part of the part facing the sustain electrode.
As a third best mode, a potential supply means that continues to supply a constant potential to the potential fixing electrode over the entire driving period is added, and among the portions where the potential fixing electrode faces the sustain electrode, The line width of the portion intersecting with the data electrode is thinner than the width of the other portion, and the center line of the portion where the line width of the potential fixing electrode is narrow is opposed to the sustain electrode. It is set to be closer to the discharge gap between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode than the center line of the potential fixing electrode in the other part.

  Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of one cell of the plasma display panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a plan view thereof. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 shows a cross section between AA in FIG.

  The planar structure of the entire panel is a structure in which the potential fixing electrode 34 is formed in the same direction as the sustain electrode 23 in the plan view of the conventional plasma display panel of FIG.

  Specific dimensions will be described with an example in which the cell pitch is 0.27 mm in the horizontal direction and 0.81 mm in the vertical direction. As the two upper and lower insulating substrates 20 and 21, for example, soda lime glass substrates having a thickness of about 2 to 5 mm are used. The upper insulating substrate 20 is provided with a pair of transparent electrodes made of tin oxide or indium oxide as the scanning electrode 22 and the sustaining electrode 23. The electrode width is about 250 to 300 μm and the discharge gap is about 70 to 120 μm. It was. A metal electrode 32 is provided on a part of each transparent electrode in order to reduce the wiring resistance. A dielectric layer 24 is formed on the electrode to a thickness of about 10 to 50 μm, and MgO is further formed thereon as a protective layer 25.

  On the other hand, a data electrode 29 is formed on the lower insulating substrate 21 with an electrode width of 100 to 150 μm using Ag or the like. A white dielectric layer 28 is provided thereon. A potential fixing electrode 34 is formed thereon with Ag or the like so as to be orthogonal to the data electrode 29. The electrode width of the potential fixing electrode 34 was about 100 to 200 μm. Further thereon, the barrier ribs 33 are formed with a height of about 100 to 150 μm, and finally the phosphor 9 is applied. At this time, if the types of phosphors are separately applied to RGB (red, green, blue) for each cell, full color display is possible. The above two insulating substrates are bonded together, and a mixed gas of He, Ne, and Xe is sealed as a discharge gas in a range of 200 to 600 torr and sealed.

  Next, a method for driving the plasma display panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 10 shows a driving waveform of one subfield. In the present invention, the potential fixing electrode 34 is always set to the ground potential (waveform Fm). Scan electrode waveforms (S1 to Sm), sustain electrode waveforms (C1 to Cm), and data electrode waveforms (D1 to Dn) in preliminary discharge period 2 and sustain period 4 are the same as the conventional drive waveforms in FIG. In addition, since the potential fixed electrode waveforms (F1 to Fm) in this period are the same as the data electrode waveforms (D1 to Dm), the driving state in this period is considered to be almost the same as that in the prior art.

  On the other hand, in the scanning period 3, the data pulse 7 is applied or not depending on the video signal. In the conventional cell structure as shown in FIG. 15, the potential of the data electrode 29 varies depending on the application state of the data pulse 6. On the other hand, as in the first embodiment of the present invention, the potential fixing electrode 34 is arranged on the data electrode, and the potential is fixed together with the sustaining electrode 23, whereby the sustaining electrode 23 in the scanning period 3 The potential difference between the opposing fixed potential electrodes 34 is constant.

  Next, the state of wall charge formation when the data pulse 7 is applied and the address discharge is generated when the scan pulse 6 is applied will be described. In the address discharge, the counter discharge space between the scan electrode 22 and the data electrode 29 includes the wall voltage, which is a voltage due to wall charges, in addition to the voltage applied from the outside. The counter discharge start voltage, which is the minimum voltage at which discharge occurs between the electrodes (hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the scan electrode 22 or the sustain electrode 23 is used as a cathode and the data electrode 29 or the potential fixing electrode on the opposing substrate) A voltage exceeding the minimum voltage applied to the discharge space that is generated between the scanning electrode 22 and the data electrode 29 is simply applied to the counter discharge space. Discharge occurs. This discharge generates a large amount of space charge in the discharge space, so that the discharge is triggered by this discharge even between the other electrodes in the cell, or wall charges are formed by drawing the charge by the electric field. Is done. Here, considering the case where the width of the scan pulse 6 is short and only discharge is generated within the scan pulse 6 period, the amount of wall charge formation is greatly influenced by the electrode potential after the end of the scan pulse 6. When a strong discharge such as an address discharge occurs, it is considered that a wall voltage corresponding to a voltage applied from the outside is formed between the electrodes, depending on the discharge location and the position of the electrodes.

  Therefore, in the case of the driving waveform of the conventional plasma display as shown in FIG. 16, a wall voltage of approximately (Vs−Vbw) is formed between the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23. On the other hand, the wall voltage formed between the sustain electrode 23 and the data electrode 34 is considered to change depending on the presence or absence of the data pulse 7 at the time of writing the next scan line. When the data pulse 7 is applied, a wall voltage of approximately (Vs−Vd) is formed between the sustain electrode 23 and the data electrode 29, and when the data pulse is not applied, a wall voltage of approximately Vs is formed. .

  Due to this difference, the intensity of the sustain discharge (referred to as the first sustain) by the first sustain pulse in the sustain period 4 is different, and the amount of wall charges formed between the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23 by the first sustain is different. Come.

  This is because, when the wall voltage becomes Vs, in the first sustain, in addition to the surface discharge generated between the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23, when the sustain electrode 23 and the data electrode 29 are grounded together, This is because a weak counter discharge is generated between the sustain electrode 23 and the data electrode 29 due to the voltage. On the other hand, in the case of Vs−Vd, since the potential difference is small, this weak counter discharge hardly occurs, the sustain discharge becomes weak, and the sustain discharge is not stably maintained by the subsequent sustain pulse.

  In FIG. 17, the minimum sustain voltage Vdsmin when the data electrode potential Vda after the end of the scan pulse 6 is changed in a simulated manner is indicated by ◯. The minimum sustain voltage Vdsmin is the minimum sustain voltage Vs at which the lighting display can be normally displayed. The scan pulse width is 1 μsec.

  In FIG. 17, when Vda = 0V, the data pulse is not applied at the time of writing the next scan line. On the other hand, when the data pulse voltage Vd is 65V, when Vda = 65V, the data pulse is applied when writing the next scan line. When the data pulse is applied, the minimum sustain voltage Vdsmin is increased by about 6 V as compared with the case where the data pulse is not applied.

  On the other hand, in the plasma display according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the potential difference between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 is always fixed to the wall voltage Vs during the scanning period 3. Therefore, a wall voltage of approximately Vs is formed between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 by the address discharge.

  Thus, by providing the potential fixing electrode 23, the potential between the opposing electrodes of the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 is constant even if the potential of the data electrode 29 fluctuates depending on the presence or absence of a data pulse, and a certain amount of A wall voltage can be formed. FIG. 17 shows the dependence of Vdsmin on the data electrode potential Vda after the end of the scan pulse. As can be seen from the figure, even if the data electrode potential Vda rises after the end of the scan pulse, Vdsmin does not rise as in the conventional case indicated by.

  Further, if the drive waveform of FIG. 10 is further set to the voltage Vsw higher than the sustain voltage Vs, as shown in FIG. 11, the potential Vdsmin can be further lowered. In particular, the voltage Vsw is set to be equal to or higher than the counter discharge start voltage between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 when the sustain electrode 23 is a cathode. The counter discharge start voltage here may be considered as a voltage at which discharge starts when a voltage equal to or higher than the voltage is applied between the counter electrodes in a state where no wall charges are formed.

  This counter discharge start voltage varies greatly depending on the polarity of the applied voltage. An Mg0 film is formed as a protective layer 25 on the dielectric layer of the sustain electrode 23. If the side on which the protective layer is formed is a cathode, secondary electrons are emitted by collision of positive charges, and a new layer is formed. Electrons are supplied to the discharge space, and discharge continues at a low voltage.

  On the other hand, if there is no MgO layer on the cathode side, there will be no supply of new secondary electrons, and therefore discharge will not continue unless a high voltage is applied. Therefore, even if the voltage Vsw is set as the counter discharge start voltage between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 when the sustain electrode 23 is a cathode, no erroneous discharge occurs in the scanning period 3, and the write discharge is not generated. Discharge does not occur unless it occurs.

  Actually, in the scanning period 3, a substantially equivalent wall voltage is formed on the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 at a position far from the discharge gap where the sustain discharge occurs between the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23. Since the potential difference applied to the counter discharge space here is considered to be the highest, if the sustain electrode 23 is set to be less than the counter discharge start voltage between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 when the sustain electrode 23 is used as the anode, Does not occur.

  After the occurrence of the address discharge, the total wall voltage formed on the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 becomes substantially equal to the potential difference between the two electrodes. Therefore, by setting the voltage Vsw as described above, the total wall voltage formed on the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 after the address discharge is approximately between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixed electrode 34. The potential difference can be made equal to or higher than the counter discharge start voltage between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 when the sustain electrode 23 is a cathode.

  In such a state that the wall voltage is formed, in the first maintenance in the sustain period 4, the potential on the low potential side of the sustain electrode 23 and the potential of the potential fixing electrode 34 are made equal to each other in this opposing space. Wall charges corresponding to the voltage Vsw are applied.

  Since the wall voltage Vsw is equal to or higher than the counter discharge start voltage between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 when the sustain electrode 23 is a cathode, the counter discharge surely occurs in the first sustain. Thus, in addition to the occurrence of the surface discharge between the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23, the counter discharge is surely generated in the first sustain, so that the discharge intensity is increased and a sufficient wall charge amount is obtained between the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23. The sustain discharge is formed on the sustain electrode 23, and the sustain discharge is reliably maintained by the subsequent sustain pulse.

  The minimum sustain voltage Vdsmin in the first embodiment of the present invention is indicated by ● in FIG. It is not affected by the data electrode potential Vda after the end of the scan pulse, has a constant Vdsmin with respect to Vda, and is significantly lower in voltage than the conventional Vdsmin. This is because Vsw is set to be equal to or higher than the counter discharge start voltage between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 when the sustain electrode 23 is a cathode.

  The period of time equal to or higher than the counter discharge start voltage is not necessarily the entire period of the scanning period 3. The same Vdsmin characteristic was obtained even when the voltage before applying the scan pulse was lowered to Vs. Further, there is no effect even if the potential of the sustain electrode 23 is lowered from Vsw to Vs after 10 μsec or more immediately after the application of the scan pulse. On the other hand, even if the sustain electrode potential is raised from Vs to Vsw after 2 μsec or more from the end of the scanning pulse, Vdsmin becomes 170 V and the effect of raising the voltage to Vsw cannot be obtained. Even if the sustain electrode potential is raised to the voltage Vsw within 2 μsec after the end of the scanning pulse application, the effect is very weak unless the Vsw potential is continued for 2 μsec or more, and Vdsmin can hardly be lowered. It was.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the voltage Vsw is not affected by the presence or absence of the application of the data pulse, and the potential is fixed to the sustain electrode 23 when the sustain electrode 23 is a cathode. By setting the counter discharge start voltage between the electrodes 34 to be equal to or higher, the minimum sustain voltage Vdsmin can be significantly reduced, and a sustain driver with a low breakdown voltage can be used even when the scan pulse width is short.

  Next, specific voltage setting values will be described. First, when the sustain period 1 of the previous subfield ends, a preliminary discharge period 2 starts. The waveform here is basically the same as the conventional waveform of FIG. 16, with Vs set to 160V and Vp set to 380V. The slope width of each sawtooth wave was about 50 μsec. The preliminary discharge period 2 is a period in which a charge (wall charge) accumulated on the dielectric layer due to the sustain discharge of the previous SF is reset and a priming discharge is generated to make an address discharge easy to occur. Mainly, the wall charge formed in the sustain period is reset by the first sawtooth wave, the priming discharge is generated by the two subsequent sawtooth waves, and the wall charge generated by the priming discharge is adjusted thereafter. .

  Next, the scanning period 3 is started. A scanning base voltage Vbw is applied to the scanning electrode 22, and scanning pulses 6 are sequentially applied in a line sequential manner. The scan base voltage Vbw was about 110 V, the scan pulse width was 1 μsec, and the potential was GND. The potential of the sustain electrode 23 is fixed at Vsw. The potential fixing electrode 34 is grounded. Here, the counter discharge start voltage of this cell was 185 V between the scan electrode 22 and the data electrode 29 and between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34. FIG. 18 shows the dependency of the minimum sustain voltage Vdsmin on the voltage Vsw.

  It can be seen that when the voltage Vsw is increased to 185 V or more, the minimum sustain voltage Vdsmin decreases rapidly. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the voltage Vsw is 190 to 210 V so that the voltage Vsw is equal to or higher than the counter discharge start voltage.

  Finally, maintenance period 4 is entered. This is the same as in the prior art, and only when an address discharge occurs in the scanning period 3, since a large wall charge is formed in the vicinity of the surface discharge gap between the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23, the sustain discharge occurs and the lighting state It becomes. In this way, lighting and non-lighting can be controlled. The voltage of the sustain pulse is Vs = 160V.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the cell plan view of FIG. The drive waveform of the second embodiment of the present invention is the same as the drive waveform of the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In the first embodiment of the present invention, the area where the data electrode 29 and the potential fixing electrode 34 face each other through the dielectric layer 28 is large, and the capacitance between the electrodes is increased. The reactive power increases due to fluctuations in data, and heat generation of the data driver becomes a problem.

  In the second embodiment of the present invention, the capacity between the data electrode 29 and the potential fixing electrode 34 is reduced, and the discharge is surely generated with respect to the address discharge.

  The cell structure of the second embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the present invention except that the shape of the data electrode 29 is thin at the portion facing the potential fixing electrode 34 and thick at the portion facing the scanning electrode 22. This is the same as the one embodiment. The area where the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 face each other is the same as that of the first embodiment of the present invention, and Vdsmin has the same value as that of the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The line width of the data electrode 29 was 40 to 80 μm at the portion facing the potential fixing electrode 34, and 120 to 170 μm at the portion facing the scanning electrode 22. By doing so, the capacitance between the potential fixing electrode 34 and the data electrode 29 can be reduced, the reactive current can be reduced, the power consumption can be reduced, and the heat generation can be suppressed. Further, since the area of the data electrode 29 facing the scanning electrode 22 is large, the probability of address discharge can be increased and the discharge delay can be reduced.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the cell plan view of FIG. The drive waveform of the third embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The cell structure of the third embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the second embodiment of the present invention except that the line width of the potential fixing electrode 34 is narrowed and provided near the discharge gap. In the transition to the sustain discharge, the wall charge formation state near the discharge gap at the time of the address discharge becomes important. In order to reduce the capacitance between the data electrode 29 and the sustain electrode 23, the line width of the potential fixing electrode 34 is made as narrow as possible, and a desired wall voltage is formed between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 near the discharge gap. Therefore, the electrode position is close to the discharge gap. The width of the potential fixing electrode 34 was about 40 to 50 μm. Even with such a structure, Vdsmin substantially similar to that of the second embodiment of the present invention was obtained. Further, the reactive current can be reduced and the power consumption can be reduced.

  Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the cell plan view of FIG. The drive waveform of the fourth embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The cell structure of the fourth embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the potential fixed electrode 34 of the third embodiment of the present invention except that another electrode having the same line width is added as the potential fixed electrode. This is the same as the third embodiment of the invention. The interval between the two potential fixing electrodes 34 was about 40 to 60 μm.

  As described above, the addition of the electrodes increases the line capacitance of the data electrode 29, the sustain electrode 23, and the potential fixing electrode 34, but is separated into two, so that the second embodiment of the present invention is implemented. The line-to-line capacitance is smaller than the form.

  On the other hand, by adding another potential fixing electrode 34, the wall charge accumulation state was effectively the same as that of one solid electrode without a slit in between.

  As a result, the discharge in the first maintenance is stronger and more reliable than in the third embodiment of the present invention. In the conventional cell and the third embodiment of the present invention, the sustain discharge is weaker than the sustain discharge in the second half of the sustain period 4 from the first sustain to the tenth sustain pulse application, and is unstable. It is a state.

  On the other hand, as in the fourth embodiment of the present invention, by adding another potential fixing electrode 34, a sustain discharge having a strength close to a steady sustain discharge is generated from the first sustain. I was able to. As described above, since stable discharge can be achieved from the first sustain, the value of Vdsmin can be obtained exactly the same value as in the second embodiment of the present invention, and the number of sustain pulses is small. Stable display can be obtained even in sub-fields of lower gradations.

  Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the cell plan view of FIG. In the fifth embodiment of the present invention, while the capacitance between the data electrode 29 or the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 is kept low, the effective potential fixing electrode 34 has a large area. This is another form of the fourth embodiment of the present invention in which the wall charges formed between the potential fixing electrodes 34 can be formed up to a region away from the discharge gap.

  The drive waveform of the fifth embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the first embodiment of the present invention. The cell structure of the fifth embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the second embodiment of the present invention except that the shape of the potential fixing electrode 34 is narrower than the line width of the portion intersecting the data electrode 29. It is the same. The reason for reducing the area of the intersecting portion in this way is to reduce the capacitance between the potential fixing electrode 34 and the data electrode 29. The narrow portion is close to the surface discharge gap, and the wall charges formed between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 at the time of writing are formed as close to the discharge gap as possible. The width of the potential fixing electrode 34 is about 100 to 200 μm at the thick part, and the thin part at the intersecting part is about 50 μm. In this example, Vdsmin almost the same as that of the fourth embodiment of the present invention can be obtained, and stable display can be obtained even in a sub-field of a lower gradation with a small number of sustain pulses.

  Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the cell plan view of FIG. The sixth embodiment of the present invention is also different from the fourth and fifth embodiments of the present invention in that the wall charges can be formed on almost the entire surface facing the sustain electrode 23 while keeping the interelectrode capacitance low. It is an embodiment.

  The drive waveform of the sixth embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the first embodiment of the present invention. The cell structure of the sixth embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the second embodiment of the present invention except that the shape of the potential fixing electrode 34 is a mesh.

  By forming the mesh in this way, the area of the intersection is reduced, and the capacitance between the fixed potential electrode 34 and the data electrode 29 and the capacitance between the fixed potential electrode 34 and the sustain electrode 23 are reduced. The mesh-like line width was about 10 to 40 μm, and the mesh-like hole portion was 40 to 50 μm square.

  By using such a mesh-shaped electrode, the capacity decreases, but if the hole portion is 50 μm square or less, the discharge spreading state due to the address discharge is the same as the shape of the potential fixing electrode 34. As in the second embodiment, it was possible to obtain almost the same state as that having a large electrode area. By adopting such a mesh electrode structure, the line capacitance can be kept low, and Vdsmin and sustain discharge stability similar to those of the fifth embodiment of the present invention can be obtained.

  Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the cell plan view of FIG. The drive waveform of the seventh embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The cell structure of the seventh embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the second embodiment of the present invention except for the potential fixing electrode 34. When the data electrode 29 is formed, the cell structure is the same as that of the data electrode 29. A potential fixing electrode 34 is formed on the layer.

  Therefore, the terminal of the potential fixing electrode 34 is taken out in the vertical direction in FIG. With this structure, the potential fixing electrode 34 and the data electrode 29 can be formed at a time, and the potential fixing electrode 34 can be added without increasing the number of processes.

  The line width of the data electrode 29 is reduced to about 50 μm at the portion facing the sustain electrode 23. The potential fixing electrode 34 is formed so that the distance from the data electrode 29 can be about 30 μm. Thereby, the potential fixing electrode 34 can be made larger than the data electrode 29 in the area of the portion facing the sustain electrode 23. Thereby, the fluctuation of the voltage applied to the counter discharge space due to the fluctuation of the potential of the data electrode 29 can be suppressed. As a result, the minimum sustain voltage Vdsmin characteristic almost equivalent to that of the first embodiment of the present invention can be obtained.

  Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the cell plan view of FIG. The drive waveform of the eighth embodiment of the present invention is the same as that of the first embodiment of the present invention.

  The cell structure of the eighth embodiment of the present invention is the same as the seventh embodiment of the present invention except for the shape of the fixed potential electrode 34 and the shape of the data electrode 29, and the seventh embodiment of the present invention. Similarly to the case where the data electrode 29 is formed, the potential fixing electrode 34 is formed in the same layer as the data electrode 29. The line widths of the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23 are narrowed at the portion where the partition wall 33 intersects.

  This is to reduce the capacity of the data electrode 29 and the potential fixing electrode 34, and can be applied to the first to fifth embodiments of the present invention thus far. In the discharge space portion of the cell, the sustain electrode 23 is only opposed to the potential fixing electrode, and the influence of the data electrode potential can be surely eliminated from the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

  Next, a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drive waveform of FIG. The drive waveform of the ninth embodiment of the present invention can be applied to the cells of any shape of the first to eighth embodiments of the present invention described above.

  In this driving waveform, by making the potential of the sustain electrode 23 in the scanning period 3 equal to the sustain pulse voltage Vs, the potential of the potential fixing electrode 34 is set to a negative potential instead of reducing the number of power supply potentials of the sustain electrode 23. Yes. Here, the potential Vfw of the potential fixing electrode 34 was set so that the potential difference between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 was 185 V or more of the counter discharge start voltage.

  Specifically, sustain pulse voltage Vs was set to 160V, and potential Vfw was set to -30 to -60V. By doing so, a wall voltage of approximately (Vs−Vfw) can be formed between the sustain electrode 23 and the potential fixing electrode 34 at the time of writing, as in the drive waveform of FIG. By maintaining, a counter discharge can be generated between the two electrodes, and a minimum sustain voltage Vdsmin similar to that of FIG. 8 can be obtained.

  Next, a tenth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drive waveform of FIG. The cell structure of the tenth embodiment of the present invention is the same as the conventional cell structure. The counter discharge start voltage of the cell according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention is 185V. The waveform of the sustain period 4 of the drive waveform according to the tenth embodiment of the present invention is the same as the conventional drive waveform.

  The voltage Vsw of the sustain electrode 23 in the scanning period 3 is set high so that the voltage applied between the sustain electrode 23 and the data electrode 29 is equal to or higher than the counter discharge start voltage even when the data pulse 7 is applied. . When the potential of the sustain electrode 23 is thus increased, the high voltage Vsw is also applied between the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23 at the timing when the scan pulse 6 is applied.

  In the tenth embodiment of the present invention, the scan is performed in the preliminary discharge period 2 so that no erroneous discharge occurs between the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23 even when such a high voltage is applied during the scan pulse application. The wall charge in the vicinity of the discharge gap between the electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23 is adjusted.

  The drive waveform in the preliminary discharge period 2 of the tenth embodiment of the present invention is higher in potential difference between the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23 immediately before the scan period 3 than Vsw as compared with the conventional drive waveform in FIG. Designed to be In the preliminary discharge period 2, it is considered that a large negative wall voltage is formed on the scan electrode 22 and a positive wall voltage is formed on the sustain electrode 23 when the Vp voltage is applied to the scan electrode 22. It is done.

  Thereafter, the polarities of the electrode potentials of the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23 are reversed, and the potential of the scan electrode 22 is gradually lowered, whereby a weak sustained discharge (weak discharge) is generated between the scan electrode 22 and the data electrode 29. And a weak discharge occurs between the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23.

  Due to the weak discharge between the scan electrode 22 and the sustain electrode 23, the negative wall voltage of the scan electrode 22 near the surface discharge gap decreases, and a negative wall voltage is formed on the sustain electrode 23 side. By increasing Vsw which is the final potential difference of the ramp waveform at this time, the negative wall voltage of the scan electrode 22 is further decreased, and the negative wall voltage of the sustain electrode 23 is increased. By making the negative wall voltage of sustain electrode 23 in the vicinity of the discharge gap larger than the negative wall voltage of scan electrode 22, the voltage applied to the surface discharge space of scan electrode 22 and sustain electrode 23 can be made smaller than Vsw.

  In the tenth embodiment of the present invention, erroneous discharge at the time of applying the scan pulse is thus prevented. The reason why the ramp waveform applied to the scan electrode 22 is such that the ramp waveform is directly lowered from the Vp voltage is that the potential of the scan electrode 22 is lowered simultaneously with the application of Vsw to the sustain electrode 23. This is to prevent erroneous discharge on the surface of the electrode 23.

  The specific setting voltage of the drive waveform is as follows. The sustain pulse voltage was 160V and the data pulse voltage was 65V. The potential Vsw of the sustain electrode 23 in the scanning period 3 is set to 250 V to 270 V so that the potential difference between the sustain electrode 23 and the data electrode 29 becomes equal to or higher than the counter discharge start voltage even when the data pulse 6 is applied.

  As a result, even when a data pulse of 65V is applied, a voltage of 185V to 205V is applied between the sustain electrode 23 and the data electrode 29.

  If no data pulse is further applied, a voltage of 250V to 270V is applied. Accordingly, in any case, a wall voltage equal to or higher than the counter discharge start voltage is roughly formed by the address discharge, and the counter discharge is generated in the first sustain.

  When the sustain electrode 23 side is used as an anode, the counter discharge start voltage is about 350 V. Therefore, even if such a voltage is applied, if no address discharge occurs, a discharge occurs between the sustain electrode 23 and the data electrode 29. do not do. The period of time equal to or higher than the counter discharge start voltage is not necessarily the entire period of the scanning period 3. The same Vdsmin characteristic was obtained even when the voltage before applying the scan pulse was lowered to Vs. Further, there is no effect even if the potential of the sustain electrode 23 is lowered from the voltage Vsw to the voltage Vs after 10 μsec or more immediately after the end of the scanning pulse application.

  On the other hand, even if the sustain electrode potential is raised from the voltage Vs to the voltage Vsw after 2 μsec or more from the end of the scan pulse, Vdsmin becomes 170 V, and the effect of raising the voltage to the voltage Vsw cannot be obtained. Even if the sustain electrode potential is raised to Vsw within 2 μsec after the end of the scanning pulse application, if the Vsw potential is not continued for 2 μsec or more, the effect becomes very weak and Vdsmin could hardly be lowered. .

  By using such a waveform, a Vdsmin characteristic similar to that of the first embodiment of the present invention can be obtained even with a conventional cell structure without the potential fixing electrode 34.

It is sectional drawing of 1 cell of the plasma display panel in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of 1 cell of the plasma display panel in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of 1 cell of the plasma display panel in 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of 1 cell of the plasma display panel in 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of 1 cell of the plasma display panel in 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of 1 cell of the plasma display panel in 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of 1 cell of the plasma display panel in 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of 1 cell of the plasma display panel in 7th Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of 1 cell of the plasma display panel in 8th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the drive waveform of the plasma display panel in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the other drive waveform of the plasma display panel in 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the drive waveform of the plasma display panel in 9th Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the drive waveform of the plasma display panel in 10th Embodiment of this invention. It is a top view of the conventional 3 electrode AC type | mold plasma display panel. It is sectional drawing of 1 cell of the conventional 3 electrode AC type | mold plasma display panel. It is a figure which shows the drive waveform of the conventional 3 electrode AC type | mold plasma display panel. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a relationship between a data electrode potential Vda and a minimum sustain voltage Vdsmin after the end of a scan pulse. It is a figure which shows the Vsw dependence of the minimum maintenance voltage Vdsmin.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Previous subfield sustain period 2 Predischarge period 3 Scan period 4 Sustain period 5 1 Subfield 6 Scan pulse 7 Data pulse 8 Write wall charge formation pulse 9 Sustain base voltage 20 Upper insulating substrate 21 Lower insulating substrate 22 Scan electrode 23 Sustain electrode 24 Transparent dielectric layer 25 Protective layer 26 Discharge space cell 27 Phosphor layer 28 White dielectric layer 29 Data electrode 30 Display display screen 31 1 cell 32 Metal trace electrode 33 Bulkhead 34 Potential fixed electrode 35 Discharge gap 36 Non-discharge gap

Claims (4)

The first insulating substrate and the second insulating substrate are arranged opposite to each other, and the first insulating substrate is provided with a plurality of electrode pairs configured by arranging scan electrodes and sustain electrodes in parallel with each other, And the second insulating substrate is a plasma display device comprising a display panel in which a plurality of data electrodes orthogonal to the scan electrodes and sustain electrodes are arranged,
In a mode of facing the sustain electrode disposed on the first insulating substrate in a one-to-one manner at an upper layer portion through the insulating layer than the data electrode and perpendicular to the data electrode, A plurality of potential fixing electrodes provided on the second insulating substrate of the display panel;
By applying scanning pulses to each of the scanning electrodes in a line-sequential manner, within a scanning period in which data is written for each scanning electrode corresponding to a video signal, and for each of the scanning electrodes, A potential supply means for continuing to supply a constant potential to the corresponding potential fixing electrode for a certain period starting after a predetermined period after the application of the scan pulse is added, and
Of the portion of the potential fixing electrode facing the sustain electrode, the line width of the portion intersecting the data electrode is narrower than the line width of the other portion, and the line width of the potential fixing electrode is The center line of the electrode of the narrowed portion is closer to the discharge gap of the scan electrode and the sustain electrode than the center line of the potential fixing electrode of the other portion of the portion facing the sustain electrode Plasma display device. The first insulating substrate and the second insulating substrate are arranged opposite to each other, and the first insulating substrate is provided with a plurality of electrode pairs configured by arranging scan electrodes and sustain electrodes in parallel with each other, And the second insulating substrate is a plasma display device comprising a display panel in which a plurality of data electrodes orthogonal to the scan electrodes and sustain electrodes are arranged,
In a mode of facing the sustain electrode disposed on the first insulating substrate in a one-to-one manner at an upper layer portion through the insulating layer than the data electrode and perpendicular to the data electrode, A plurality of potential fixing electrodes provided on the second insulating substrate of the display panel;
And potential supply means for continuously supplying a constant potential to the potential fixing electrode during a scanning period, which is a period for writing data for each scanning electrode corresponding to a video signal,
Of the portion of the potential fixing electrode facing the sustain electrode, the line width of the portion intersecting the data electrode is narrower than the line width of the other portion, and the line width of the potential fixing electrode is The center line of the electrode of the narrowed portion is closer to the discharge gap of the scan electrode and the sustain electrode than the center line of the potential fixing electrode of the other portion of the portion facing the sustain electrode Plasma display device. The first insulating substrate and the second insulating substrate are arranged to face each other, and the first insulating substrate is provided with a plurality of electrode pairs configured by arranging scan electrodes and sustain electrodes in parallel with each other, And the second insulating substrate is a plasma display device comprising a display panel in which a plurality of data electrodes orthogonal to the scan electrodes and sustain electrodes are arranged,
In a mode of facing the sustain electrode disposed on the first insulating substrate in a one-to-one manner at an upper layer portion through the insulating layer than the data electrode and perpendicular to the data electrode, A plurality of potential fixing electrodes provided on the second insulating substrate of the display panel;
And potential supply means for continuously supplying a constant potential to the potential fixing electrode over the entire driving period, and
Of the part where the potential fixing electrode is opposed to the sustain electrode, the line width of the part intersecting the data electrode is narrower than the line width of the other part, and the line width of the potential fixing electrode is The center line of the electrode in the thinned portion is closer to the discharge gap of the scan electrode and the sustain electrode than the center line of the potential fixing electrode in the other portion facing the sustain electrode. Plasma display device. 4. The plasma display device according to claim 1, wherein the electrode is of an AC discharge type which is covered with a dielectric layer and is not directly exposed to a discharge gas but is operated in an AC discharge state.

Images