JP2010277775A - Method of manufacturing plasma display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a manufacturing method for uniformly, readily, and inexpensively removing an altered layer of a protection layer surface. <P>SOLUTION: The method of manufacturing a PDP (plasma display panel) includes; (i) a step of preparing a front panel and a rear panel; (ii) a step of applying a glass frit material onto the front panel and rear panel, and arranging the front panel and rear panel oppositely; (iii) a step of arranging a gas supply nozzle on side parts of the oppositely arranged front panel and rear panel; (iv) a step of blowing gas from the gas supply nozzle and blowing the gas in between the oppositely arranged front panel and rear panel from a lateral direction under a state where the front panel and rear panel are heated; and (v) a step of melting the glass frit material and sealing the front panel and rear panel. In the gas supply nozzle arranged on the side parts of the front panel and rear panel in the step (iii), a nozzle part a positioned on a side of the substrate with the glass frit material coated is located on an outer side than a nozzle part b positioned on a side of the other substrate. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a plasma display panel. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for removing “an altered layer formed on the surface of a protective layer of a front plate” during the manufacture of a plasma display panel.

  As a display device for displaying a high-definition television image on a large screen, there is an increasing expectation for a display device using a plasma display panel (hereinafter also referred to as “PDP”).

  In a PDP (for example, a three-electrode surface discharge type PDP), a front plate on the front side and a back plate on the back side are viewed from the viewer, and their peripheral portions are sealed with a sealing material. It has a structure. A discharge gas such as neon and xenon is sealed in a discharge space formed between the front plate and the back plate. The front plate includes a display electrode composed of a scan electrode and a sustain electrode formed on a glass substrate, and a dielectric layer and a protective layer that cover these electrodes. The back plate includes a plurality of address electrodes formed in a stripe shape in a direction orthogonal to the display electrodes on the glass substrate, a base dielectric layer covering these address electrodes, and a partition wall (for partitioning the discharge space for each address electrode) Ribs) and red (R), green (G), and blue (B) phosphor layers formed on the side surfaces of the partition walls and the underlying dielectric layer (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The display electrodes and the address electrodes are orthogonal to each other, and the intersections form discharge cells. These discharge cells are arranged in a matrix, and three discharge cells having red, green, and blue phosphor layers are pixels for full-color display. In such a PDP, a predetermined voltage is sequentially applied between the scan electrode and the address electrode and between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode to generate gas discharge. A color image display is realized by exciting the phosphor layer with ultraviolet rays generated by the gas discharge to emit visible light.

  As a component of such a protective layer of PDP, magnesium oxide (MgO) is generally widely used. The operating voltage of the PDP depends on the secondary electron emission coefficient of the protective layer. Therefore, it has been proposed to use an alkaline earth metal oxide (for example, calcium oxide, strontium oxide, barium oxide, etc.) having a lower work function as a protective layer component in order to reduce the operating voltage. However, these alkaline earth metal oxides are highly hygroscopic and can adsorb moisture in the ambient atmosphere after the protective layer is formed. As a result, the surface region of the protective layer is changed to hydroxide, which causes a problem that unstable discharge characteristics are caused.

  In order to cope with the above problems, a method of continuously performing the process from the protective layer forming process to the sealing process in a dry atmosphere (for example, see Patent Document 2), or the process from the protective layer forming process to the sealing process in a vacuum atmosphere. Among them, a method (for example, see Patent Document 3) that is continuously performed has been proposed. Such a method is intended not to adsorb impurities such as moisture to the protective layer after the protective layer is formed. However, in the former method (“method in which the process from the protective layer forming step to the sealing step is continuously performed in a dry atmosphere”), a certain amount of moisture or carbon dioxide is contained in the dry air. Unless the content is sufficiently small, an altered layer is formed by exposure for several tens of minutes to several hours (for example, 0.1% moisture in dry air at a dew point of −20 ° C., drying at a dew point of −40 ° C. The air contains 0.013% moisture, and the dry air with a dew point of −60 ° C. contains 0.0011% [11 ppm] moisture). In the manufacturing process of PDP, since there is generally a process inventory of several hours or more from the protective layer forming process to the sealing process, dry air with a very low dew point (for example, dry air with a dew point of −60 ° C. or lower) is used. Even so, it can be said that the formation of an altered layer is inevitable. In addition, even in the latter method (“method in which the process from the protective layer forming step to the sealing step is continuously performed in a vacuum atmosphere”), the configuration of the transport system and the sealing device is extremely complicated. Absent. Moreover, it is necessary to keep a vast space in a vacuum at all times, which requires a great deal of cost.

  There has also been proposed a method of sealing while cleaning the protective layer on which impurities are adsorbed. This method is intended to remove the deteriorated layer containing impurities as a result by detaching impurities from the protective layer in a gas state. For example, by providing a first glass tube and a second glass tube on the front plate or the back plate, and supplying the dry gas from the second glass tube to the inside of the panel while exhausting the inside of the panel from the first glass tube, A method for reducing residual impurities is disclosed (see Patent Document 4). However, in this method, two glass tubes are required, so that the configuration of the sealing device is extremely complicated and is not easy to realize. Even if this is realized, there is a large difference in the flow rate of the dry gas and the impurity gas concentration between the position near and far from the air supply glass tube, resulting in in-plane unevenness in the operating voltage of the panel (that is, The panel operating voltage is not uniform across the panel surface). Even if it is a case where a single glass tube is used, dry gas is supplied from the glass tube into the panel before sealing, and the same glass tube is exhausted after sealing, the position is close to the air supply glass tube. At a distant position, a large difference occurs in the flow rate of the dry gas and the impurity gas concentration, resulting in in-plane unevenness in the operating voltage of the panel.

  Further, the front and back plates arranged opposite to each other are charged in the heating furnace, the heating furnace is sealed, and then the gas is discharged from the heating furnace while introducing the atmospheric gas into the heating furnace. A method for sealing is also proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 5). However, in such a method, most of the dry gas flows outside the panel, resulting in a large amount of gas usage. Moreover, it is necessary not only to make the heating furnace a sealed structure but also to move the back plate at a high temperature, which makes the configuration of the apparatus extremely complicated. Moving the back plate at high temperatures can pose a risk of “misalignment”.

  As described above, in the conventional PDP manufacturing, the deteriorated layer on the surface of the protective layer cannot be removed easily and at low cost with good uniformity.

JP 2002-216620 A JP 2002-231129 A JP 2000-156160 A JP 2002-150938 A JP 2001-35372 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a production method capable of removing a deteriorated layer on the surface of a protective layer with good uniformity, simply and at low cost.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides:
(i) A front plate in which the electrode A, the dielectric layer A, and the protective layer are formed on the substrate A, and a back in which the electrode B, the dielectric layer B, the barrier rib, and the phosphor layer are formed on the substrate B. Preparing a face plate,
(ii) applying a glass frit material to a peripheral region of the main surface of the substrate A or the substrate B, and disposing the front plate and the back plate so as to sandwich the applied glass frit material;
(Iii) a step of disposing a gas supply nozzle at the side portions of the front plate and the back plate arranged to face each other;
(Iv) a step of blowing gas from a gas supply nozzle in a state where the front plate and the rear plate are heated, and blowing gas from the lateral direction between the front plate and the rear plate arranged opposite to each other; and (v) glass Melting the frit material and sealing the front plate and the back plate,
With respect to the gas supply nozzles arranged on the side portions of the front plate and the back plate in the step (iii), the nozzle portion a located on the substrate side coated with the glass frit material is more than the nozzle portion b located on the other substrate side. Further, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a PDP characterized by being outside.

  The manufacturing method of the present invention is characterized in that a gas supply nozzle is provided so as to avoid the influence of the molten glass frit material at the time of sealing as much as possible while suppressing leakage at the time of gas blowing to some extent. Specifically, for the gas supply nozzles arranged on the side portions of the front plate and the back plate, the nozzle portion a located on the substrate side coated with the glass frit material is more than the nozzle portion b located on the other substrate side. It is outside. This makes it possible to prevent the gas supplied from the gas supply nozzle from leaking to the outside of the panel, while preventing the molten glass frit material from coming into contact with the gas supply nozzle at the time of sealing, realizing the desired PDP production. it can.

  In particular, the gas supply nozzle is in close contact with the main surface end A on the substrate side coated with the glass frit material, and the gas supply nozzle is also in close contact with the side surface portion B on the other substrate side (the side surface portion B is the main surface). Preferably, the gas supply nozzle is configured and arranged. In other words, the gas supply nozzle is configured and arranged so that the ejection surface of the gas nozzle provided to face the panel side is substantially oblique. Note that the “gas supply nozzle” in the present specification substantially means a gas supply member having a manifold portion and a plurality of jet ports in fluid communication with the manifold portion. As a material of such a gas supply nozzle, metal is preferable. In particular, it is preferable to use a metal (for example, titanium) having a thermal expansion coefficient that is as close as possible to that of the glass substrate in order to avoid dust and misalignment due to rubbing between the gas supply nozzle and the substrate when the substrate is heated.

  In the present specification, “flowing gas from the side between the front plate and the back plate” substantially means flowing gas into the gap between the front plate and the back plate. This means that gas flows from the side to the gap between the front plate and the back plate along a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the face plate and the back plate face each other (for example, “horizontal direction”). (See FIG. 1).

  In this specification, the “peripheral region of the main surface of the substrate A or the substrate B” is a peripheral region located outside various elements provided on the substrate, and a sealing material is applied in general PDP manufacturing. It means the area to be made.

  Further, in this specification, “outside” substantially means a position / direction farther from the center of the front plate or the back plate (that is, the center of the panel) (see FIG. 1). .

  In a preferred aspect, in the step (iii), the gas supply nozzle is held integrally with the front plate or the back plate by the clip member. Thereby, the gas supply nozzle can be arranged at the time of panel alignment. In other words, since the gas nozzle attachment / detachment and the PDP alignment can be performed substantially simultaneously, there is no timing for generating an alignment shift thereafter, and the manufacturing process can be performed simply, stably and at low cost. The clip member is preferably a metal member having a spring force.

  In the present invention, the gas supply nozzle may be composed of a plurality of sub-gas supply nozzles, and may be arranged linearly along the edge of the panel. In such a case, at least one clip member is provided for each of the sub gas supply nozzles.

  In another preferable aspect, the gas supply nozzle has an opening other than the gas outlet, and in step (iii), the opened nozzle portion is formed on the main surface of the substrate A or the substrate B. Adhere to the end. In this aspect, the manifold part and / or the gas ejection part of the gas supply nozzle need not have a hollow structure. That is, the gas supply nozzle may be provided with an open manifold portion and / or a gas ejection portion that is easier to process, and gas can be blown in by using the manifold portion and / or the gas ejection portion.

  In still another preferred aspect, the gas exhaust nozzle may be provided for “side portions of the front plate and the back plate” different from the arrangement position of the gas supply nozzle. In such a case, the gas blown between the front plate and the back plate in the step (iv) can be exhausted from the gas exhaust nozzle. As a result, the internal space flow of the panel is improved by the injected gas, and the altered layer on the surface of the protective layer can be removed more effectively.

  According to the production method of the present invention, the altered layer on the surface of the protective layer can be removed with good uniformity, simply and at low cost, and a plasma display panel having an excellent panel life can be obtained. “Removal of altered layer” as used herein refers to removing impurities from the protective layer on which the impurities are adsorbed, or recovering the part of the protective layer that has become hydroxide or carbonate to the original oxide. It means that

The effects of the present invention including the above effects will be described separately as follows:

  ● In the manufacturing method of the present invention, heating is performed in the presence of a gas flow (for example, an inert gas flow such as nitrogen) in the vicinity of the surface of the protective layer, so the impurities forming the altered layer are desorbed and entrained in the gas flow. Is done. Therefore, the altered layer is removed from the surface of the protective layer, and the protective layer is cleaned. In particular, in the manufacturing method of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1 (b) and FIG. 2, gas is blown into the panel in parallel from a plurality of blowing portions, so that gas is introduced into the gap between the front plate and the back plate. The whole can be poured. That is, the uniformity of the blown gas flow within the panel surface is good. Therefore, the in-plane uniformity of the cleanliness of the protective layer can be improved, and as a result, a PDP with improved uniformity of panel characteristics such as drive voltage, luminance, and chromaticity can be realized. Here, in the conventional technique as disclosed in Patent Document 4, a large difference occurs in the flow rate of gas to be blown in and the concentration of impure gas between a position near and far from the air supply glass tube. In-plane unevenness occurs in luminance, chromaticity, and the like. Similarly, even in the conventional technology, “one glass tube is used, dry gas is supplied from the glass tube into the panel before sealing, and the glass tube is exhausted after sealing”. Since a large difference occurs in the flow rate of the dry gas and the concentration of impure gas between the position close to and the position far from the position, in-plane unevenness occurs in the driving voltage, luminance, chromaticity, and the like of the panel. In this respect, in the manufacturing method of the present invention, a substantially uniform “gas flow” can be formed in the plane, so that it can be said that the in-plane uniformity of the cleanliness of the protective layer is good. Uniformity of various characteristics can be improved.

  ● In the case of the conventional technology such as “one glass tube, dry gas is supplied from this glass tube into the panel before sealing, and exhausted from the glass tube after sealing”, while the dry gas is being supplied In order to prevent the internal pressure between the two substrates from rising excessively, it is necessary to reduce the amount of nitrogen gas blown at a temperature equal to or higher than the softening point of the glass frit material, or to make the amount of nitrogen gas blown substantially zero. There is. In other words, this conventional technique is complicated in that it is necessary to change the gas flow rate in a timely manner. In this regard, in the manufacturing method of the present invention, the melted glass frit material has a function of automatically stopping the gas blowing, and therefore the timing for changing the gas flow rate may be rough. In other words, the glass frit material is melted in the sealing process between the front plate and the back plate, but each blowing groove is gradually closed by the melting, and the inside of the panel (that is, the front plate) The gas flow rate blown into the space between the back plate and the back plate gradually decreases. When the blowing groove is completely closed with the “melted glass frit material”, the gas blowing into the panel is completely stopped, so that it is not necessary to strictly change the gas flow rate.

  In the present invention, for the gas supply nozzles arranged on the sides of the front plate and the back plate in the step (iii), the nozzle portion a located on the substrate side coated with the glass frit material is located on the other substrate side. It has the characteristic that it is outside the nozzle part b to do. Due to such characteristics, contact between the glass frit material melted in the step (v) and the gas supply nozzle can be prevented at the time of panel sealing. Assuming that “the molten glass frit material comes into contact with the gas supply nozzle”, the molten glass frit is cooled and solidified, and the gas supply nozzle sticks to the substrate due to the solidified glass frit. As a result, the gas supply nozzle cannot be removed from the finally manufactured PDP, and not only the target PDP cannot be finally obtained, but also the manufacturing yield is likely to decrease during mass production. Become. In this regard, in the present invention, since the contact between the molten glass frit material and the gas supply nozzle is effectively prevented, desired PDP production can be achieved.

In the production method of the present invention, it is possible to produce a PDP in which moisture, carbon dioxide and the like are hardly adsorbed not only on the surface of the protective layer but also on the partition walls of the back plate and the surface of the phosphor layer. That is, the produced PDP contains almost no gas that causes deterioration or deterioration of the surface of the protective layer, such as moisture and carbon dioxide. As a result, even if the PDP is driven for a long time, it is possible to prevent “the protective layer and the phosphor layer from being altered due to the release of impure gases such as H ₂ O and CO ₂ into the discharge space”. In addition, a PDP with little change in discharge voltage, brightness, etc., and an excellent panel life can be realized. In addition, “there is no altered layer on the surface of the protective layer and there is no gas adsorption on the back plate” means that aging is substantially unnecessary or even if necessary, it takes only a very short time.

  ● In the present invention, after “alignment of step (ii)” is performed, “sealing of step (v)” is performed. This is because the top part of the glass frit and the back plate are in contact after alignment. It means that heating can be carried out in the state. Therefore, in the manufacturing method of the present invention, “alignment deviation at the time of sealing” hardly occurs and a highly reliable manufacturing method can be realized.

The figure which showed typically the mode of the gas flow which flows between a front board and a back board The top view which showed typically the aspect in which gas is blown in the inside of a panel in parallel from several blowing part FIG. 3A: a perspective view schematically showing a schematic configuration of the PDP, FIG. 3B: a cross-sectional view schematically showing a PDP front plate. FIG. 4 (a): Perspective view schematically showing the applied glass frit material and the blow groove part, FIG. 4 (b) schematically showing the annular glass frit material part, the blow groove part and the gas flow. Plan view shown The perspective view which showed the form of the partition typically The perspective view which showed the aspect of the front plate and back plate which were opposingly arranged typically Sectional drawing which showed typically the aspect of the garaf frit material part and partition between a front plate and a back plate FIG. 8A: a cross-sectional view schematically showing an arrangement mode of the gas supply nozzle, FIG. 8B: an enlarged view of the mode of FIG. The perspective view which represented typically the gas supply member used with the manufacturing method of this invention The perspective view which showed typically the aspect which hold | maintains a gas supply nozzle and PDP alignment substantially simultaneously The perspective view which showed typically the aspect by which gas supply nozzle holding | maintenance and panel holding | maintenance were performed Sectional drawing which showed the aspect after sealing treatment typically The flowchart which showed the outline of the PDP manufacturing process which concerns on the manufacturing method of this invention. The perspective view which represented typically the gas supply member which can be used with the manufacturing method of this invention Sectional drawing which showed typically the arrangement | positioning aspect of the gas supply nozzle of FIG. The perspective view which represented typically the gas supply member which can be used with the manufacturing method of this invention Sectional drawing which showed typically the arrangement | positioning aspect of the gas supply nozzle of FIG. The perspective view which represented typically the gas supply member which can be used with the manufacturing method of this invention The top view which showed typically the aspect of the gas supply nozzle which consists of a several sub member Results of “Confirmation test of fluctuation range of discharge start voltage” conducted in Example (FIG. 20A shows the result of the conventional example, and FIG. 20B shows the result of the present invention)

  Below, the manufacturing method of the plasma display panel of this invention is demonstrated in detail.

[ Configuration of plasma display panel ]
First, a plasma display panel finally obtained through the manufacturing method of the present invention will be briefly described. FIG. 3A schematically shows the structure of the PDP by a cross-sectional perspective view, and FIG. 3B schematically shows a cross-sectional view of the front plate of the PDP.

  As shown in FIG. 3 (a), the PDP (100) of the present invention has a structure in which an electrode A (11), a dielectric layer A (15), and a protective layer (16) are provided on a substrate A (10). The front plate (1) ”and the back plate (on which the electrode B (21), the dielectric layer B (22), the partition wall (23), and the phosphor layer (25) are provided on the substrate B (20)). 2) ".

  As shown in the figure, the front plate (1) is provided with the electrode A (11) on the substrate A (10), and the dielectric layer A (15) is disposed on the substrate A (10) so as to cover the electrode A (11). In addition, a protective layer (16) is provided on the dielectric layer A (15). In the back plate (2), an electrode B (21) is provided on the substrate B (20), and a dielectric layer B (22) is provided on the substrate B (20) so as to cover the electrode B (21). A partition wall (23) and a phosphor layer (25) are provided on the body layer B (22). The front plate (1) and the back plate (2) are arranged to face each other so that the protective layer (16) and the phosphor layer (25) face each other. The peripheral portions of the front plate (1) and the back plate (2) are hermetically sealed by a sealing member made of, for example, a low melting point frit glass material (not shown). A discharge space (30) formed between the front plate (1) and the back plate (2) is filled with a discharge gas (such as helium, neon or xenon) preferably at a pressure of 20 kPa to 80 kPa.

More specifically, the PDP (100) of the present invention will be described. As described above, the front plate (1) of the PDP (100) of the present invention includes the substrate A (10), the electrode A (11), the dielectric layer A (15) and the protective layer (16). . The substrate A (10) is a transparent and insulating substrate (having a thickness of about 1.0 mm or more and about 3 mm or less). Examples of the substrate A (10) include a float glass substrate manufactured by a float process or the like, and a soda lime glass substrate or a borosilicate glass substrate. A plurality of electrodes A (11) are arranged in parallel in the form of stripes on the substrate A (10), and are, for example, display electrodes including scan electrodes (12) and sustain electrodes (13). In this case, the scanning electrode (12) and the sustaining electrode (13) are respectively “transparent electrodes (12a, 13a) which are transparent conductive films made of indium oxide (ITO) or tin oxide (SnO ₂ )” and the like. It is comprised from "the bus electrode (12b, 13b) which has silver as a main component" formed on the transparent electrode (refer FIG.3 (b)). The transparent electrodes (12a, 13a) mainly function as electrodes that transmit visible light generated in the phosphor layer, while the bus electrodes (12b, 13b) provide conductivity in the longitudinal direction of the transparent electrodes. Mainly functions as an electrode. The thickness of the transparent electrodes (12a, 13a) is preferably about 50 nm to about 500 nm. The thickness of the bus electrodes (12b, 13b) is preferably about 1 μm or more and about 20 μm or less. As shown in FIG. 3A, a black stripe (14) (light shielding layer) can also be formed on the substrate A (10).

  The dielectric layer A (15) is provided so as to cover the electrode A (11) formed on the surface of the substrate A (10). The dielectric layer A (15) is a film made of a glass composition obtained by applying and heat-treating a dielectric raw material paste mainly composed of a glass component and a vehicle component (= a component containing a binder resin and an organic solvent). A protective layer (16) made of, for example, magnesium oxide (MgO) is formed on the dielectric layer A (15) (thickness is, for example, not less than about 0.5 μm and not more than about 1.5 μm). The protective layer (16) has a function of protecting the dielectric layer A (15) from discharge impact (more specifically, “ion impact by plasma”).

  As described above, the back plate (2) of the PDP of the present invention has the substrate B (20), the electrode B (21), the dielectric layer B (22), the partition wall (23), and the phosphor layer (25). It consists of The substrate B (20) is preferably a transparent and insulating substrate (thickness is, for example, not less than about 1.0 mm and not more than about 3 mm), for example, a float glass substrate manufactured by a float method or the like. In addition, a soda lime glass substrate, a borosilicate glass substrate, various ceramic substrates, and the like can be given. The electrode B (21) is an electrode (thickness is about 1 μm or more and about 10 μm or less) made mainly of silver and formed in stripes on the substrate B (20). Data electrode). The address electrode mainly has a function of selectively discharging each discharge cell.

  The dielectric layer B (22) is generally called a base dielectric layer, and is provided so as to cover the electrode B (21) formed on the surface of the substrate B (20). The dielectric layer B (22) is a film made of a glass composition obtained by applying and heat-treating a dielectric material paste mainly composed of a glass component and a vehicle component (= a component containing a binder resin and an organic solvent). The thickness of the dielectric layer B (22) is, for example, not less than about 5 μm and not more than about 50 μm. On the dielectric layer B (22), a phosphor layer (25) mainly composed of a phosphor material is formed (the thickness is, for example, about 5 μm or more and about 20 μm or less). The phosphor layer (25) mainly has a function of converting ultraviolet rays emitted by the discharge into visible light. The phosphor layer (25) has phosphor layers emitting red, green and blue as structural units, and each is separated by a partition wall (23). The barrier ribs (23) are formed on the dielectric layer B (22) in a stripe shape or in a grid pattern for the purpose of partitioning the discharge space for each address electrode (21). The partition wall (23) is formed from a paste raw material including a glass component, a vehicle component, a filler, and the like.

  In the PDP (100) of the present invention, the front plate (1) and the back plate (2) are arranged so that the display electrode (11) of the front plate (1) and the address electrode (21) of the back plate (2) are orthogonal to each other. Are arranged opposite to each other across the discharge space (30). In such a PDP (100), the discharge space (30) partitioned by the partition wall (23) and intersecting the address electrode (21) and the display electrode (11) functions as a discharge cell (32). In other words, the discharge cells arranged in a matrix form an image display area. Accordingly, the discharge gas is discharged by selectively applying the video signal voltage from the external drive circuit to the display electrode (11), and the phosphor layers of the respective colors are excited by the ultraviolet rays generated by the discharge, thereby red, green, and blue. As a result of generating visible light, color image display is realized.

[General manufacturing method of PDP]
Next, a general method for manufacturing a PDP will be briefly described. The PDP according to the present invention can be obtained based on a general PDP manufacturing method in principle. In the present invention, unless otherwise specified, raw materials (raw material paste) / constituent materials of various constituent members may be those conventionally used in general PDP manufacturing methods.

First, on the substrate A (10) which is a glass substrate, the display electrode (11) composed of the scanning electrode (12) and the sustain electrode (13) is formed, and the light shielding layer (14) is also formed. The transparent electrodes (12a, 13a) and the bus electrodes (12b, 13b) of the scan electrode (12) and the sustain electrode (13) can be patterned using a photolithography method that exposes and develops. The transparent electrodes (12a, 13a) can be formed by using a thin film process or the like, and the bus electrodes (12b, 13b) are obtained by drying (about 100 to 200 ° C.) and baking (about 400 to 600 ° C.) a paste containing a silver (Ag) material. ). Similarly, the light shielding layer 7 is patterned using a method of screen printing a raw material paste containing a black pigment or a photolithographic method in which a raw material containing a black pigment is provided on the entire surface of a glass substrate and then exposed and developed. It can be formed by firing. Next, a glass component (material formed from SiO ₂ , B ₂ O _3, etc.) and a vehicle on the substrate A (10) so as to cover the scan electrode (12), the sustain electrode (13), and the light shielding layer (14). A dielectric material paste mainly composed of components is applied by a die coating method or a printing method to form a dielectric paste layer. After application, if left for a predetermined time, the surface of the applied dielectric paste is leveled to form a flat surface. Thereafter, when the dielectric paste layer is fired, a dielectric layer A (15) is formed. After forming the dielectric layer A (15), a protective film (16) is formed on the dielectric layer A (15). The protective film (16) can be formed using a vacuum deposition method, a CVD method, a sputtering method, or the like.

  Through the above steps, electrodes A (scanning electrode (12) and sustaining electrode (13)), dielectric layer A (15) and protective layer (16), which are predetermined constituent members, are formed on substrate A (10). The front plate (1) is completed.

On the other hand, the back plate (2) is formed as follows. First, a method of screen printing a paste containing a silver (Ag) material on a substrate B (20), which is a glass substrate, or photolithography in which a metal film mainly composed of silver is formed on the entire surface, and then exposed and developed. A precursor layer is formed by a method such as patterning using a method, and the address layer is baked at a desired temperature (for example, about 400 to about 600 ° C.) to form an address electrode (21). This “address electrode” may be formed by patterning a chrome / copper / chromium three-layer thin film coated with a photoresist by photolithography and wet etching. Next, a dielectric layer B (22) serving as a base dielectric layer is formed on the substrate B (20) on which the address electrodes (21) are formed. First, a “dielectric material paste mainly composed of a glass component (a material formed from SiO ₂ , B ₂ O ₃ or the like) and a vehicle component” is applied by a die coating method or the like to form a dielectric paste layer. Thereafter, the dielectric layer B (22) can be formed by firing the dielectric paste layer. Next, a partition wall (23) is formed. Specifically, a partition wall forming raw material paste is applied onto the dielectric layer B (22) and patterned into a predetermined shape to form a partition wall material layer, which is then fired to form a partition wall ( 23). For example, by a photolithography method in which a raw material paste mainly composed of a low-melting glass material, a vehicle component and a filler is applied by a die coating method or a printing method, dried at about 100 ° C. to 200 ° C., and then exposed and developed. The partition wall (23) is formed by patterning and then baking at about 400 ° C. to about 600 ° C. The partition wall (23) can also be formed by using a sandblast method, an etching method, a molding method, or the like. Next, a phosphor layer (25) is formed. A phosphor raw material paste containing a phosphor material is applied on the dielectric layer B (22) between the adjacent barrier ribs (23) and on the side surfaces of the barrier ribs (23), and baked to form the phosphor layer (25). . More specifically, the phosphor paste is prepared by applying a raw material paste mainly composed of phosphor powder and a vehicle component by a die coating method, a printing method, a dispensing method, an ink jet method or the like, and then drying at about 100 ° C. A layer (25) is formed.

  Through the above steps, the electrode B (address electrode (21)), the dielectric layer B (22), the partition wall (23), and the phosphor layer (25), which are predetermined constituent members, are formed on the substrate B (20). The back plate (2) is completed.

  In this way, the front plate (1) and the back plate (2) provided with predetermined constituent members are arranged to face each other so that the display electrodes (11) and the address electrodes (21) are orthogonal to each other. Next, the periphery of the front plate (1) and the back plate (2) is sealed with a glass frit, and a discharge gas (helium, neon, xenon, etc.) is sealed in the discharge space (30) to be formed. 100) is completed.

[ Production method of the present invention ]
The present invention has a special feature in the manufacturing process from the formation of the front plate and the back plate to the panel sealing among the above-mentioned PDP manufacturing steps.

  In the production method of the present invention, step (i) is first performed. That is, “a front plate in which an electrode A, a dielectric layer A, and a protective layer are formed on a substrate A” is prepared, and “an electrode B, a dielectric layer B, a partition, and a phosphor layer are formed on a substrate B. Prepare the back plate ". Since the preparation of the front plate and the back plate has been described in the above-mentioned [General manufacturing method of PDP], description thereof will be omitted to avoid duplication. The protective layer is typically magnesium oxide, but may be a layer obtained by adding a trace amount of elements (silicon, aluminum, etc.) to this. Furthermore, it is desirable that the protective layer includes at least one selected from the group consisting of magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, strontium oxide, and barium oxide. Although these materials can realize a PDP having a lower driving voltage than when only magnesium oxide is used, the effect of the cleaning of the present invention is particularly large and the effectiveness of the present invention can be remarkable.

  Subsequent to step (i), step (ii) is performed. That is, a glass frit material is applied to the peripheral region of the substrate A or the substrate B, and the front plate and the back plate are arranged to face each other so as to sandwich the glass frit material. The applied glass frit material functions to seal the periphery of the front substrate and the back substrate in the “sealing step (v)” to be performed later. The glass frit material is preferably applied so as to form a continuous ring around the overlapping region when the front plate and the back plate are bonded together. The glass frit material to be used is not particularly limited as long as it is used for the same purpose in general PDP production. For example, low melting point glass materials (lead oxide-boron oxide-silicon oxide system, lead oxide-boron oxide) It may be a glass frit material comprising a silicon oxide-zinc oxide system). Further, it may contain a vehicle component or the like so as to be easily applied. The thickness of the glass frit material applied to the peripheral portion of the front substrate or the back substrate is preferably about 200 to 600 μm, and the width is preferably about 3 to 10 mm.

  In addition, it is preferable to form a plurality of grooves (86a) in the applied glass slit material so as to ensure a ventilation path for the gas blown in step (iv) (FIG. 4 (a)). reference). The blow groove portion may be formed by cutting out a portion corresponding to the groove portion after forming the annular glass frit material portion, or may be formed by intermittently applying the glass frit material. Here, the size La of the blowing groove portion (86a) as shown in FIG. 4B is about 0.1 to 5 mm, for example, and the pitch Lp of the blowing groove portion can vary depending on the substrate size, for example, It is about 50 to 500 mm. It is preferable to provide a plurality of such blowing grooves along the long side of the edge of the front plate (1) or the back plate (2). As a result, the gas blown in the step (iv) generally flows from the “long side”, so that the front plate and the back plate are compared with the case where the blow opening is provided on the “short side”. As a result, the altered layer on the surface of the protective layer can be removed more uniformly. Further, the partition wall (23a) along the long side direction of the panel is lower than the partition wall (23b) along the short side direction (see FIG. 5). Gas can be effectively passed between the front plate and the back plate. The “plurality” in the “plurality of blowing grooves” substantially means the number of about 2 to 16.

  After applying the glass frit material, the front plate (1) and the back plate (2) face each other so that the applied glass frit material (86) is positioned between the substrate A and the substrate B. (See FIG. 6). From another viewpoint, the front plate and the back plate are disposed to face each other so that the protective layer and the phosphor layer face each other, and so that the display electrode and the address electrode are orthogonal to each other. The back plate is disposed substantially in parallel. When the front plate and the back plate are arranged to face each other, the annular glass frit material portion (86) is sandwiched between the front plate (1) and the back plate (2) as shown in FIGS. Will exist in different forms. The front plate (1) and the back plate (2) arranged to face each other are held by a clip member (70) or the like so as not to move thereafter (see FIG. 6).

  In step (ii), the front plate edge and the back plate edge are not aligned, but are shifted from each other. Specifically, the substrate edge on which the glass frit material is applied is outside the substrate edge corresponding to the other substrate side in the portion where the gas supply nozzle is to be disposed in step (iii). To.

  The distance between the front plate and the back plate arranged opposite to each other (that is, the gap width) depends on the thickness of the glass frit material portion, etc., but is preferably 0.1 mm to 0.6 mm, for example. Preferably it is 0.3-0.6 mm, More preferably, it is 0.3 mm-0.5 mm. Incidentally, the rear plate (2) is provided with a partition wall (23), but as shown in FIG. 7, the glass frit material portion (86) is higher than the height of the partition wall (23) in the state before the sealing process. Since the height is larger, the top of the partition wall (23) is not in contact with the front plate (1). That is, there is a gap inside the panel, and the blowing gas can flow through the gap.

  Subsequent to step (ii), step (iii) is performed. That is, the gas supply nozzles are arranged on the sides of the front plate and the back plate that are opposed to each other. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8 (a), the nozzle portion a located on the substrate side to which the glass frit material (86) is applied is located outside the nozzle portion b located on the other substrate side. In addition, a gas supply nozzle (90) is arranged. In particular, in the illustrated embodiment, since the glass frit material is applied to the back side, the nozzle part a is located on the back side (2), while the nozzle part b is located on the front side (1). Yes. As can be seen from the illustrated embodiment, the gas supply nozzle disposed in the step (iii) is formed asymmetrically between the front side and the back side.

  As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 8B, the gas supply nozzle is brought into close contact with the main surface end A on the substrate side coated with the glass frit material, and the gas supply nozzle is also provided on the side surface portion B on the other substrate side. Adhere closely. It will be understood that the main surface end portion A is located outside the side surface portion B, and the nozzle surface provided with the ejection portion (92) can be substantially inclined. In other words, the innermost position (“point p”) of the nozzle portion in close contact with the substrate side coated with the glass frit material is outside the side surface position (“point q”) of the other substrate. Is located.

  In such a configuration and arrangement of the gas supply nozzle, the nozzle is provided at a position further away from the applied glass frit material. More specifically, the nozzle portion a is located on the outer side as compared with the “nozzle in which the surface provided with the ejection portion (92) is not inclined”. In short, in the present invention, the side surface K of the nozzle portion a (see FIG. 8B) is located on the outer side. In FIG. 8 (b), the nozzle portion a 'when "the surface on which the ejection portion (92) is provided is not inclined" is indicated by a dotted line, so that the intended mode can be understood.

  In the present invention, the nozzle is provided at a position farther from the applied glass frit material, that is, the nozzle portion a and the glass frit material portion (86) that are in close contact with the back plate are separated from each other as shown in the figure. Therefore, even when the glass frit material melts and spreads on the back plate surface at the time of sealing in the step (v), the molten glass frit material is difficult to contact the nozzle portion a. That is, in the present invention, the contact between the molten glass frit material and the gas supply nozzle is effectively prevented, and “the phenomenon in which the gas supply nozzle sticks to the substrate due to the glass frit material solidified by cooling”. Can be avoided. As a result, the gas supply nozzle can be reliably removed after exhausting the panel, and the yield during mass production of PDPs can be improved.

  In addition, that the surface in which the ejection part (92) is provided is slanting means that contact with the molten glass frit material and the nozzle part b is also prevented. The nozzle portion b is provided in close contact with the side surface portion B (side surface portion of the front plate). As shown in FIG. 8B, the side surface L of the nozzle portion b is “oblique”, so the glass frit material portion (86). It is a form that leaves. Therefore, even if the glass frit material melted at the time of sealing greatly wets and spreads not only on the back plate surface but also on the front plate surface, the molten glass frit material is difficult to contact the nozzle portion b.

  FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the gas supply nozzle (90). As illustrated, the gas ejection surface of the gas supply nozzle (90) is formed obliquely. If the angle α of the oblique side surface (90a) of the gas supply nozzle is large, it is preferable because the nozzle portions a and b are further away from the glass frit material portion (86). However, if the angle α is too large, the gas leakage space becomes large (gas leakage). The space corresponds to a dotted line encircled portion indicated by “Z” in FIG. Accordingly, the angle α of the oblique side surface (90a) of the gas supply nozzle is preferably about 25 ° to 65 °, more preferably about 35 ° to 55 ° (see FIG. 9 for “α”). thing). As described above, since the side surface of the gas supply nozzle is formed obliquely, leakage at the time of gas blowing can be suppressed to some extent while avoiding contact with the molten glass frit material. Reducing gas leakage is advantageous in that less gas is used during blowing. The number of jet nozzles of the gas supply nozzle is not particularly limited, but is about 2 to 20, for example.

  When arranging the gas supply nozzle, it is preferable that the front plate or the back plate and the gas supply nozzle are integrally held by a clip member. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, it is preferable to hold the back plate and the gas supply nozzle integrally with the clip member (70b). Since the clip member holds from the outside, the gas supply nozzle can be easily attached and detached. The holding of the gas supply nozzle may be performed substantially simultaneously with the PDP alignment. That is, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the front plate (1) and the back plate (2) arranged to face each other are held by the clip member (70a), and the gas supply nozzle (90) is held by the clip member. It is preferable to hold at (70b). As a result, there is no cause for the occurrence of misalignment thereafter, and the PDP manufacturing process can be performed simply, stably and at low cost. For example, as can be understood well from the mode shown in FIG. 8A, it is preferable that the two holding portions of the clip member are positioned to face each other on the front side and the back side.

  Subsequent to step (iii), step (iv) is performed. That is, gas is blown from the gas supply nozzle while the front plate and the back plate are heated. The blown gas is poured into the panel through a plurality of blow groove portions of the glass frit material portion. Thereby, gas will be blown in from the lateral direction between the front plate and the back plate arranged to face each other.

A heating furnace or a sealed discharge furnace may be used for heating. That is, when heating, the “front plate and back plate arranged opposite to each other” may be put into a chamber such as a heating furnace or a sealed discharge furnace. In such a case, it is preferable to heat the “front plate and the back plate arranged opposite to each other” in the furnace while blowing the gas while starting the blowing of the gas at room temperature. The heating temperature is not particularly limited as long as “impurities forming an altered layer on the surface of the protective layer (for example, CO ₃ ²⁻ or OH ⁻ bonded to the protective layer component)” are eliminated, and for example, 350 to 450 It is about ℃.

  The gas to be blown is preferably a gas inert to the protective layer. For example, nitrogen gas can be mentioned. Further, a rare gas such as helium, argon, neon, or xenon may be used. Incidentally, it is desirable that the gas to be blown in is a gas containing at least almost no water vapor. For example, the moisture concentration of the blown gas is preferably 1 ppm or less. The “gas moisture concentration (ppm)” here is the volume fraction of moisture (water vapor) in the total volume of gas (standard state at 0 ° C. and 1 atm) expressed in parts per million. It refers to the value obtained by measuring with a dew point meter. Since nitrogen gas is relatively expensive, a cost-effective PDP manufacturing method can be realized by using dry air. The optimum flow rate of the gas to be injected varies depending on the size of the panel, the number and size of the blowing grooves, the thickness of the glass frit material portion, the size of the top unevenness, etc., but is generally 0.1 SLM to 10 SLM. Range (SLM: unit of liters of gas delivered per minute at standard gas conditions). If the gas flow rate is too small, external air may be mixed in or the cleaning may be insufficient. Conversely, if the gas flow rate is too high, it may be disadvantageous in terms of cost.

  Since the gas blown from the gas supply nozzle is supplied to the inside of the panel through a plurality of blowing grooves arranged in parallel, as a result, the gas is passed between the front plate and the back plate. It can be flowed as a whole. As used herein, “overall flows between the front plate and the back plate” means that the gas flows through the entire area where the front plate and the back plate arranged opposite to each other overlap each other. I mean.

  Although the top of the annular glass frit material portion and the substrate are in contact with each other, the top of the annular glass frit material portion is not a perfect plane and has irregularities of about several tens to hundreds of micrometers. For example, a slight gap is formed at the contact interface between the top of the annular glass frit material portion formed on the back plate and the surface of the front plate due to the unevenness. Therefore, the gas blown into the “space between the front plate and the back plate” is finally the gap region between the annular glass frit material portion and the substrate (for example, FIG. 4B). From the region M). In addition, if necessary, a discharge groove is provided in a part of the annular glass frit material portion, and the gas flowing from there to the “space between the front plate and the back plate” is positively discharged. May be. Further, a gas exhaust nozzle may be separately provided to forcibly exhaust the injected gas from the panel. More specifically, a gas exhaust nozzle is provided for the “side portions of the front plate and the back plate” that are different from the locations of the gas supply nozzles, and the gas blown between the front plate and the back plate is gas. The exhaust nozzle may be forcibly exhausted. Since the exhaust nozzle is connected to the exhaust pump through the exhaust pipe, the gas blown between the front plate and the back plate is forcibly exhausted by the intake action of the exhaust pump. In particular, when the gas exhaust nozzle is provided at a position facing the gas supply nozzle (for example, provided in the region M shown in FIG. 4B), the gas flow lines formed between the front plate and the back plate are more improved. As a result, the altered layer on the surface of the protective layer can be removed with higher uniformity.

  Subsequent to step (iv), step (v) is performed. That is, the front plate and the back plate are sealed by melting the annular glass frit material portion. More specifically, the annular glass frit material portion is melted by heating, and the front plate and the back plate are hermetically bonded in the peripheral region. The heating temperature in the step (v) is not particularly limited as long as the annular glass frit material part can be melted. That is, it may be a “sealing temperature” used in general PDP production, for example, a temperature of about 400 ° C. to 500 ° C. When performing the sealing in the step (v), the gas may be blown in the step (iv). This will be described in detail below.

  Gas blowing starts at room temperature. Further, the “front and back plates arranged opposite to each other” are heated in the furnace while blowing gas. When the softening point of the glass frit is exceeded, the annular glass frit material portion softens and melts, and gradually the gap between the annular glass frit material portion and the front plate (that is, the uneven portion present at the top of the glass frit material portion described above). ) Will fill up. Due to such softening and melting of the glass frit material portion, the blowing groove portion is gradually closed. Eventually, the blowing groove is completely closed, but the gas blown from the gas supply nozzle cannot flow between the front plate and the back plate, and the gas into the panel is not allowed to flow. Supply will automatically stop. Thus, the fact that gas blowing automatically stops during the sealing process means that the amount of gas used can be minimized. After the softening, the panel is held for several minutes to several tens of minutes in a temperature range where the annular glass frit material part is completely melted (for example, a temperature about 10 to 70 ° C. higher than the melting temperature of the glass frit), and then cooled. As a result, the glass frit material is cured, and the front plate and the back plate are securely sealed.

  After sealing, the “sealed front plate and back plate” are slightly lower in temperature than when sealed (that is, the temperature at which the solidified state of the glass frit material is maintained, which is higher than the melting temperature of the glass frit material. The temperature between the front plate and the back plate is evacuated while being maintained at a temperature of about 10 to 50 ° C.).

  When the evacuation operation is completed, a discharge gas is sealed between the front plate and the back plate. As the discharge gas to be sealed, a mixed gas of Xe and Ne can be exemplified, but only Xe may be sealed or He may be mixed. Such exhaust and sealing are preferably performed through a through hole provided in the front plate or the back plate. FIG. 12 shows a through hole (29) provided in the back plate (2). Such a “through hole” can have any shape, form, and size as long as it can exhaust the gas between the front plate and the back plate arranged opposite to each other and supply the discharge gas. (For example, in the case of a circular through-hole, the diameter size is about 1 to 5 mm). Further, although the through-hole (29) needs to be positioned inside the region where the glass frit material portion is provided, in the PDP display portion, the image display of the completed PDP is not hindered. It is preferably located in the peripheral part of the front plate or the back plate not present. The through hole can be formed by an appropriate method such as drilling or laser processing after preparing the front plate or the back plate, for example. When providing the through hole on the back plate side, it is preferable to provide the through hole after the phosphor paste material is applied and dried.

  The “through hole (29)” and related parts will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 12, a tip tube (55) is provided in the through hole (29) via a frit ring (56). A chuck head (57) constituting the tip of the pipe (58) is connected to the end of the tip tube (55). The chuck head (57) is provided with a water-cooled pipe / seal mechanism (not shown), and even when the tip pipe (55) and the pipe (58) are heated to the sealing temperature, they are sealed together. The structure is configured to be maintained. Since the gas supply device and the exhaust device (not shown) are connected to the pipe (58), the gas between the front plate and the back plate can be exhausted through the through hole (29), or The discharge gas can be supplied to such a space. The frit ring (56) is an annular solid material obtained by solidifying a glass frit material. Accordingly, when the temperature in the furnace is raised to the melting temperature and then the temperature is lowered, the frit ring (56) is melted and solidified in the same manner as the glass frit material, so that the back plate (2) and the tip tube (55) are bonded to each other. The

  Incidentally, it should be noted that the through-hole (29) is substantially in a “closed” state during gas injection (ie, step (iv)). More specifically, the tip tube (55) is pressed against the back plate (2) in accordance with the through hole (29) through the frit ring (56). Since the “surface in contact with the frit ring (56)” and the “surface in which the frit ring (56) and the back plate (2) are in contact” are smooth surfaces, there is almost no gas leakage on these surfaces. Since the gas is blown in a state where the valve closest to the tip pipe (55) among the valves provided in the pipe (58) communicating with the tip pipe (55) is closed, the tip pipe ( There is almost no leakage of gas via 55).

<Production flow>
Embodiments of the present invention will be described over time. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an outline of the PDP manufacturing method according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, first, a front plate and a back plate are prepared. Next, after aligning the front plate and the back plate in the alignment apparatus, the front plate and the back plate are held facing each other through the glass frit material. Next, a gas supply nozzle is provided at the “side portion between the front plate and the back plate”. In addition, a chip tube is attached in accordance with a through hole provided in the back plate. From the formation of the protective layer to this point, since the protective layer is exposed to the atmosphere, an altered layer can be formed on the surface of the protective layer. Next, gas is blown into the “space between the front plate and the back plate” through the gas supply nozzle. Then, the front plate and the back plate are heated in the furnace while blowing the gas to melt the glass frit material and seal the front plate and the back plate. Subsequently, gas is exhausted through the tip tube until the space between the front plate and the back plate is in a vacuum state while maintaining the front plate and the back plate at a temperature slightly lower than that at the time of sealing. After this exhaust process is completed, the front plate and the back plate are cooled to approximately room temperature. After cooling, the discharge gas is introduced into the “space between the front plate and the back plate”, and the introduction of the discharge gas is stopped at a predetermined pressure (encapsulation). Finally, the chip tube is cut and the gas supply nozzle is removed to complete the PDP.

<< Modified aspect of the present invention >>
Various forms are conceivable for the gas supply nozzle used in the present invention. In particular, there are various modes in which “the nozzle part a located on the substrate side coated with the glass frit material is outside the nozzle part b located on the other substrate side”, which is a characteristic part of the present invention. Can be considered. This will be described in detail below.

(Stepped nozzle side)
The gas supply nozzle arranged in the step (iii) of the present invention may have a form as shown in FIGS. 14 (a) and 14 (b). That is, the surface on which the ejection portion (92) is provided may be stepped. Even in such a case, as shown in FIG. 15, the gas supply nozzle is brought into close contact with the main surface end A on the substrate side coated with the glass frit material (86), and also on the side surface B on the other substrate side. Close contact with the gas supply nozzle. As can be seen from the illustrated embodiment, even if it is a “gas supply nozzle having a stepped surface on which a jet port is provided”, the “surface on which the jet port is provided is a slant surface as shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. 9. It will be understood that the same effect as the “gas supply nozzle in the shape” is produced. Further, as can be seen from the difference between FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B, the shape of the ejection port (discharge port) is not particularly limited, and for example, a circular shape as shown in FIG. Or a quadrangular shape as shown in FIG.

(Gas supply member having an open structure)
The gas supply nozzle may have an open structure as shown in FIGS. In other words, the gas supply nozzle may have a form that is open other than the gas ejection port. In other words, the gas supply nozzle has a shape in which the top of at least one of the manifold part and the ejection part is open, and the nozzle part that is in close contact with the substrate side coated with the glass frit material is open. have. In such a case, the manifold part (91) and / or the gas ejection part (92) of the gas supply nozzle need not have a hollow structure. As a result, processing of the gas supply nozzle becomes relatively easy (more specifically, it is not necessary to form a “manifold portion in a closed space form that is difficult to process”), which contributes to low-cost PDP manufacturing. become. Even in such a case, as shown in FIG. 17, the gas supply nozzle is brought into close contact with the main surface end A on the substrate side coated with the glass frit material, and the gas supply nozzle is also applied to the side surface portion B on the other substrate side. (In the embodiment shown in the figure, the opened nozzle portion is in close contact with the main surface end A on the back side (2)). As can be seen from the illustrated embodiment, it is understood that the “gas supply nozzle having an open structure” has the same effect as the “gas supply nozzle having a hollow structure” shown in FIGS. It will be possible. As shown partially in FIGS. 16 (a) and 16 (b), the jet port (92) may have a ceiling (92a).

(Gas supply nozzle with gas leakage prevention structure)
From the standpoint of effectively preventing gas leakage during gas blowing, the gas supply nozzle (90) may be configured as shown in FIG. That is, the nozzle slope (90a) may be formed leaving the edge portions S and T. In such a form, when the gas supply nozzles are arranged on the sides of the front plate and the back plate, the gas leakage space indicated by “Z” in FIG. 8A can form a substantially closed space. The gas leak at the time can be effectively prevented.

(Gas supply nozzle consisting of sub members)
The gas supply nozzle may be composed of a plurality of sub-gas supply nozzles. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19, the sub-gas supply nozzles (90 _a , 90 _b ,...) May be arranged linearly along the edge of the panel. In this case, it is preferable not to form a gap between adjacent sub-gas supply nozzles. Further, it is preferable to provide at least one clip member for each of the sub-gas supply nozzles. With such a sub-configuration, not only the processing of each gas nozzle is facilitated, but also the gap between the gas nozzle and each glass substrate generated due to warping of the back plate or the front plate can be made smaller. As can be seen from the difference between (a) and (b) in FIG. 19, the arrangement of the gas supply pipe (95) is not particularly limited, and may be provided at the center of the gas nozzle. It may not be so. However, from the viewpoint of improving the uniformity of gas introduction, it is preferable to provide the gas supply pipe at the center of the gas nozzle.

<Confirmation test of fluctuation range of discharge start voltage>
In order to confirm the effect of the present invention, the in-plane distribution of the fluctuation width (hereinafter, abbreviated as “fluctuation width”) of the discharge start voltage was compared between the conventional example and the present invention. The discharge start voltage at a predetermined position of a certain panel is measured as V _f1 , the panel is continuously lit for 15 minutes, and then the discharge start voltage at the same place is again measured as V _f2 after the substrate temperature has dropped to room temperature. The absolute value of the difference | V _f1 −V _f2 | was defined as the fluctuation range. The fluctuation range is an index related to the afterimage characteristics of the PDP, and it is desirable that the fluctuation range is uniform within the panel surface. The results are shown in FIG. 20A shows the result of the conventional example, and FIG. 20B shows the result of the present invention (note that the fluctuation width at each position when the fluctuation width at the center of the panel is 1.00). Is shown as a relative value). Here, the conventional example is one in which one glass tube is used, dry gas is supplied from the glass tube into the panel before sealing, and exhausted from the glass tube after sealing. As is apparent from the results shown in FIG. 20, it was found that the use of the production method of the present invention significantly improves the uniformity.

  Since the PDP finally obtained through the manufacturing method of the present invention has an excellent panel life, it can be suitably used as a plasma television for general homes and a commercial plasma television as well as other various display devices. It can be used suitably.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Front board 2 Back board 10 Board | substrate A by the front board side
11 Front panel side electrode A (display electrode)
12 Scan electrode 12a Transparent electrode 12b Bus electrode 13 Sustain electrode 13a Transparent electrode 13b Bus electrode 14 Black stripe (light shielding layer)
15 Dielectric layer A on the front plate side
16 Protective layer 20 Substrate B on the back plate side
21 Back plate side electrode B (address electrode)
22 Dielectric layer B on the back plate side
23 partition wall 23a partition wall extending along the long side direction 23b partition wall extending along the short side direction 25 phosphor layer 29 through-hole (for encapsulation treatment)
30 discharge space 32 discharge cell 55 chip tube 56 frit ring 57 chuck head 58 piping 70 clip member 70a clip member 70b for holding the substrate 70b clip member for holding the gas supply nozzle 86 glass frit material portion 86 'glass frit after sealing processing the sealing portion 86a blown groove 86b gas discharge grooves 90 gas supply nozzle 90a the gas supply oblique sides 90 _a sub-gas supply nozzle 90 _b sub-gas supply nozzle 91 manifold 92 gas supply spout of a nozzle of the gas supply nozzles of the nozzle 92a Ceiling 95 Gas supply pipe 100 PDP

Claims (4)

A method for manufacturing a plasma display panel, comprising:
(i) A front plate in which the electrode A, the dielectric layer A, and the protective layer are formed on the substrate A, and a back in which the electrode B, the dielectric layer B, the barrier rib, and the phosphor layer are formed on the substrate B. Preparing a face plate,
(ii) applying a glass frit material to a peripheral region of the main surface of the substrate A or the substrate B, and disposing the front plate and the back plate so as to sandwich the glass frit material;
(Iii) a step of disposing a gas supply nozzle at the side portions of the front plate and the back plate arranged to face each other;
(Iv) A step of blowing gas from a gas supply nozzle in a state where the front plate and the rear plate are heated, and blowing a gas from the lateral direction between the front plate and the rear plate arranged opposite to each other, and (v) glass Melting the frit material and sealing the front plate and the back plate,
The gas supply nozzle arranged in the step (iii) is characterized in that the nozzle portion a located on the substrate side coated with the glass frit material is outside the nozzle portion b located on the other substrate side. Manufacturing method.   The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein in step (iii), the front plate or the back plate and the gas supply nozzle are integrally held by a clip member.   The gas supply nozzle has a form opened other than the gas outlet, and in the step (iii), the opened nozzle part is brought into close contact with the main surface end of the substrate A or the substrate B. The manufacturing method according to claim 1 or 2. A gas exhaust nozzle is provided for the “side portions of the front plate and the back plate” different from the arrangement location of the gas supply nozzle in the step (iii),
The manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein in step (iv), the gas blown between the front plate and the back plate is exhausted through a gas exhaust nozzle.

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