JP3347040B2 - Plasma address display - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a plasma addressed display device having a liquid crystal cell and a plasma cell.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a matrix type electro-optical device using a liquid crystal cell, for example, a liquid crystal display device has been improved in resolution.
As a means for increasing the contrast, a method of providing a switching element such as a thin film transistor for each pixel and driving the switching element in a line-sequential manner is generally known. However, in this method, it is necessary to provide a large number of semiconductor elements such as thin film transistors, and there is a problem that the production yield is deteriorated when the area is increased.

As means for solving this problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 217396 discloses a plasma addressed display device using a plasma switch instead of a switching element formed of a thin film transistor. Less than,
A configuration of a plasma addressed display device that drives a liquid crystal cell using a switch based on plasma discharge will be described.

The plasma addressed display device shown in FIG. 1 has a liquid crystal cell 112 and a plasma cell 113.

In the liquid crystal cell 112, the opposing substrate 107 and the intermediate substrate 105 are separated from each other by a predetermined gap.
The liquid crystal layer 11 is provided in the gap.
0 is formed. Note that the inside of the liquid crystal layer 110 is filled with liquid crystal, and a spacer 108 is provided to make the cell gap uniform. Also, the counter substrate 107
Are formed with stripe-shaped data electrodes 109 made of a transparent conductive material or the like, which extend in the row direction and are arranged with a predetermined gap in the column direction.

On the other hand, the plasma cell 113 has a plasma substrate 101 and an intermediate substrate 105 bonded together with a predetermined gap by a frit seal 104. The plasma substrate 113 extends in the column direction and has a predetermined gap in the row direction. The stripe-shaped discharge electrodes 102 are formed so as to be arranged in a row. A barrier rib 1 is formed on the discharge electrode 102.
03 are superposed at the same pitch. The plasma substrate 1 is connected via these discharge electrodes 102 and barrier ribs 103.
Reference numeral 01 faces the intermediate substrate 105 with a predetermined gap.

The discharge electrode 102 and the barrier rib 103
, A partition 114 is formed, and a plasma chamber 111 is formed by the sealed space defined by the partition 114. The plasma chamber 111 extends in the column direction, is formed at a predetermined interval in the row direction, and is filled with an ionizable gas.

As described above, the discharge electrode 102 and the barrier rib 103 form the partition 114 that separates the respective plasma chambers 111.
, And also functions as a gap spacer for each plasma chamber 111. Note that the discharge electrodes 102 are connected to the drivers so that they alternately become the anode electrode 102A and the cathode electrode 102K.

In the plasma addressed display device, the data electrode 109 is a column drive unit and the plasma chamber 111 is a row drive unit. The data electrode 109 and the plasma chamber 111 are formed so as to be orthogonal to each other, and a pixel is defined at the intersection. Things.

In such a plasma addressed display device, the adjacent anode electrode 102A and cathode electrode 1A
When a predetermined voltage is applied between the anode electrode 102K and the cathode electrode 102K, the gas in the plasma chamber 111 sandwiched between the anode electrode 102A and the cathode electrode 102K is selectively ionized to generate plasma discharge.

When the plasma discharge ends, the plasma chamber 1
Numeral 11 indicates a floating potential, and the voltage written in the liquid crystal layer 110 of each pixel is held until the next writing period (for example, after one frame). At this time, the plasma chamber 111 functions as a sampling switch, and the liquid crystal layer 11 of each pixel is used.
0 functions as a sampling capacitor.

Since the liquid crystal operates on the liquid crystal layer 110 of each pixel by the driving voltage written to the data electrode 109, display is performed in pixel units. Therefore, the liquid crystal layer 11 of a plurality of pixels arranged in the column direction by generating a plasma discharge
A two-dimensional image can be displayed by sequentially scanning the plasma chamber 111 for writing a voltage to 0 in the row direction.

An example of a method for manufacturing such a plasma addressed display device will be described with reference to FIG. First, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1A, a discharge electrode pattern is printed on the plasma substrate 101 in a stripe pattern by a screen printing method or the like, and then dried to form a discharge electrode 102.

Next, a discharge electrode 1 formed in a stripe shape
The barrier rib 103 is screen-printed on
The layers are laminated as shown in FIG. In this case, the barrier rib 1
No. 03 was repeatedly screen-printed so as to have a height of about 200 μm, and was repeatedly coated.
03 is baked, and the upper part is polished and adjusted to a predetermined height.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6C, a frit seal 104 is formed around the plasma substrate 101 by a dispenser or the like, and an intermediate substrate 105 made of glass is placed on the barrier rib 103 via the frit seal 104. The plasma chamber 11 is bonded to the plasma
Form one. After the plasma chamber 111 is evacuated, gas is injected.

Next, an alignment process is performed, and as shown in FIG. 6D, spacers 108 are scattered to make the liquid crystal layer 110 to have a uniform thickness, and a liquid crystal sealing material 106 for bonding the periphery is formed. Then, as shown in FIG. 6E, the intermediate substrate 105 and the opposing substrate 10
7, and a liquid crystal layer 110 is formed by injecting and sealing a liquid crystal into a gap therebetween, thereby obtaining a plasma addressed display device as shown in FIG.

[0017]

The above-mentioned conventional intermediate substrate 1
In the case 05, the intermediate substrate 105 may be locally deformed greatly by being pressed by the barrier ribs 103, the frit seal 104, and the like when being bonded to the plasma substrate 101, and may be broken or broken.
Further, when the intermediate substrate 105 and the opposing substrate 107 are bonded to each other, the intermediate substrate 105 may be broken or cracked or chipped by being pressed by the liquid crystal sealing material 106.

There is another problem that the intermediate substrate 105 is damaged due to a slight impact during transportation, other than during bonding. Note that such a panel becomes a defective product, which causes an increase in manufacturing cost.

To solve this problem, the intermediate substrate 1
It is conceivable to increase the thickness of the plate 05.

However, the voltage applied to the liquid crystal layer 110 is V _LC , the voltage applied to both the liquid crystal layer 110 and the intermediate substrate 105 is V ₀ , the electric capacity of the liquid crystal layer 110 is C _LC , and the electric capacity of the intermediate substrate 105 is Let C ₁ be V _LC = V ₀ × C
_Since the relational expression of ₁ / (C ₁ + C _LC ) holds, the ratio of the voltage V ₀ applied to the intermediate substrate 105 increases as the thickness of the intermediate substrate 105 increases and the capacitance C ₁ decreases. The driving voltage applied to the electrode 109 becomes weak. Accordingly, when the thickness of the intermediate substrate 105 is large, the conductivity is deteriorated, and thus there is a problem that a high driving voltage is required.

A plasma addressed display device using a flexible dielectric material as an intermediate substrate is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-31.
No. 7786. As described above, by giving flexibility to the intermediate substrate, breakage such as cracking and chipping is less likely to occur, but the intermediate substrate is easily deformed when a strong force is applied, such as when bonding to a plasma substrate. It is possible. In this case, the flatness of the intermediate substrate cannot be ensured, and the thickness of the liquid crystal layer becomes uneven, so that the display quality is significantly reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems. By improving the strength of an intermediate substrate, it is possible to prevent breakage such as cracking and chipping, and to operate a plasma driven at a low voltage. An object of the present invention is to provide an address display device.

[0023]

In a plasma addressed display device according to a first aspect of the present invention, a counter substrate is bonded to one surface of an intermediate substrate with a predetermined gap therebetween, and the gap is filled with liquid crystal. And a plasma cell in which a plasma substrate is bonded to the other surface of the intermediate substrate with a predetermined gap therebetween, and a plasma gas is injected into the gap. Accordingly, in the plasma addressed display device for switching the liquid crystal filled in the liquid crystal cell, the intermediate substrate includes a first substrate having an opening, and a dielectric material provided at least in the opening. It is characterized by:

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the plasma addressed display device, the first substrate has a thickness of 0.5.
mm to 2.0 mm.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the plasma addressed display device, the intermediate substrate is formed by bonding a second substrate to a surface of the first substrate facing the liquid crystal cell. It is characterized by:

In the plasma addressed display device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the second substrate has a thickness of 10 μm.
m to 50 μm.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the plasma addressed display device, the intermediate substrate is formed by bonding a plurality of the second substrates to the first substrate. I have.

The plasma addressed display device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the intermediate substrate has a light-shielding property except for a region corresponding to a pixel portion.

Hereinafter, the operation of the present invention will be described. Since the plasma addressed display device of the present invention includes, as the intermediate substrate, a first substrate having an opening and at least a dielectric material disposed in the opening, the thickness of the first substrate is increased. Even if the thickness of the dielectric material is reduced, the capacitance of the intermediate substrate at the opening can be reduced.

Therefore, it is possible to improve the strength of the intermediate substrate by increasing the thickness of the first substrate and to reduce the driving voltage by reducing the thickness of the dielectric material.

The thickness of the first substrate is 0.5 mm
With the above, it is possible to secure the strength against cracking and chipping of the intermediate substrate as described above, and by setting the plate thickness to 2.0 mm or less, it is difficult to handle the display device due to weight. Can be prevented.

At this time, by providing a plurality of openings in the first substrate for one pixel, the strength of the first substrate is increased as compared with a configuration in which one opening is provided for one pixel. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the strength of the intermediate substrate, and by providing one opening for the first substrate for a plurality of pixels, it is possible to provide one opening for one pixel. Since the manufacturing of the first substrate is easier than the configuration in which the first substrate is provided, the manufacturing yield of the intermediate substrate can be further improved.

At this time, by using a ferroelectric material as the dielectric material disposed in the opening, it is possible to increase the dielectric constant of the intermediate substrate and lower the driving voltage.

According to the plasma addressed display device of the present invention, the intermediate substrate has a structure in which the second substrate is bonded to the surface of the first substrate facing the liquid crystal layer. Since the surface is flat, it is possible to suppress variation in the thickness of the liquid crystal layer and perform a desired rubbing treatment.

Further, by setting the thickness of the second substrate to 10 μm or more, it becomes possible to secure the strength against a slight impact at the time of spraying or rubbing the spacer or after completion. Further, by setting the plate thickness to 50 μm or less, the dielectric constant increases and the driving voltage can be reduced.

At this time, by forming the second substrate from a polymer thin film having better thermal, optical, electrical and mechanical properties than glass, the strength of the second substrate is improved, and handling is improved. An easy intermediate substrate can be obtained.

Further, the intermediate substrate has a structure in which a plurality of second substrates are bonded to the first substrate,
The size of one second substrate can be reduced, and the handling of the second substrate can be facilitated.

Further, at this time, since the area other than the area corresponding to the pixel portion of the intermediate substrate has a light-shielding property, it is possible to block unnecessary light on the intermediate substrate.
This eliminates the need to form a black mask of metal or resin that is usually formed on the counter substrate side of the liquid crystal layer, and alleviates unevenness on the surface of the counter substrate. It becomes possible to suppress. Specifically, by providing a non-light-transmitting material over the first substrate, unnecessary light can be blocked.
This can be realized by a process of merely providing a non-translucent material on the first substrate, and there is no need to pattern this material, so that the manufacturing process can be simplified.

[0039]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.

(Embodiment 1) Hereinafter, Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described.
Will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. FIG.
1 is a cross-sectional view of a plasma addressed display device according to the present embodiment, wherein 1 is a plasma substrate, 2 is a discharge electrode, 3 is a barrier rib, 4 is a frit seal, 5 is an intermediate substrate, 6 is a liquid crystal seal material, and 7 is a counter substrate. , 8 are spacers, 9 is a data electrode, 10 is a liquid crystal layer, 11 is a plasma chamber, 12 is a liquid crystal cell, 13 is a plasma cell, and 14 is a partition.

In the present embodiment, as the intermediate substrate 5, a thin glass plate 5B is attached on a glass substrate 5A having an opening 16 in order to lower the driving voltage and improve the strength against impact during manufacturing or transportation. Configure together.

In the present embodiment, the openings 16 are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the pixel regions defined by the intersections between the plasma chamber 11 and the data electrodes 9 orthogonal to the plasma chambers 11. The plate thickness does not affect the driving voltage. Therefore, the strength of the intermediate substrate can be improved by increasing the thickness of the glass substrate 5A. The glass substrate 5A
By setting the thickness of the substrate to 0.5 mm or more, the strength against cracking and chipping of the intermediate substrate can be secured.
By doing so, it is possible to prevent the intermediate substrate from becoming heavy and making it difficult to handle the display device.

As described above, by increasing the thickness of the glass substrate 5A, the thickness of the thin glass plate 5B to be bonded can be further reduced. Although a glass substrate having a thickness of about 50 μm is used as an intermediate substrate in the related art, in the present embodiment, the thin glass 5B has a thickness smaller than that, for example, 10 μm to
The driving voltage can be reduced by using a layer having a thickness of about 5 μm. The thinner the thickness of the thin glass 5B, the lower the driving voltage applied to the data electrode can be. However, if the thickness is too thin, the spreader or the rubbing process may be performed.
Alternatively, a slight impact after completion may cause breakage such as cracking or chipping.
It is desirable that the thickness be 0 μm or more.

It is desirable that the thin glass substrate 5B is arranged on the liquid crystal layer 10 side of the glass substrate 5A. This is because the surface of the intermediate substrate 5 on the liquid crystal layer 10 side becomes flat,
This is because the thickness of the liquid crystal layer 10 becomes uniform, and a desired rubbing treatment can be performed.

Further, as shown in FIG.
1B is divided into a plurality of pieces to provide a thin glass 2
Since the size per sheet of 1B is reduced, the handling of the thin glass 21B becomes very easy and the production becomes easy. In particular, in the case of manufacturing a large-screen display device, such a configuration is very effective. 2A and 2B are views showing an intermediate substrate 21 in which a plurality of thin glass plates 21B are bonded to a glass substrate 21A having an opening 16; FIG. 2A is a top view, and FIG. It is A sectional drawing. At this time, since the opening 16 is provided in the region corresponding to the pixel, the end of each thin glass 21B may be arranged other than on the opening 16 of the glass substrate 21A, and the adjacent thin glass 21B is bonded. No need.

In place of the thin glass 5B,
It is also possible to use a polymer thin film having excellent mechanical, electrical and optical properties. As the polymer thin film, as disclosed in JP-A-6-317786,
Poly (ether / ketone), polyimide, or the like can be used. In this case, since the polymer thin film is bonded to the first substrate, it is possible to prevent the polymer thin film from being easily deformed when bonding the intermediate substrate to the plasma substrate.

Although not shown, one opening may be provided for a plurality of pixels or a plurality of openings may be provided for one pixel in a glass substrate.
In the former case, there is an effect that the processing of the glass substrate 5A becomes easy, and in the latter case, there is an effect that the strength of the intermediate substrate is further improved.

Further, the plasma addressed display device of the present embodiment may be a plasma addressed display device in which a groove is formed in a translucent substrate and the groove is used as a plasma chamber. This is the same in the following embodiments.

(Embodiment 2) Hereinafter, Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described.
Will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the plasma addressed display device according to the present embodiment, in which the configuration of an intermediate substrate 35 is different from that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and therefore, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

The intermediate substrate 35 according to the present embodiment has the opening 16
Glass, mica (mica),
By providing the dielectric material 35B made of quartz or the like, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, as the dielectric material 35B, barium titanate,
The drive voltage can be further reduced by using a ferroelectric material such as PZT. In order to lower the driving voltage, it is desirable that the dielectric material 35B has a high dielectric constant.

Further, the strength can be maintained by using a glass substrate having a thickness of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm as in the first embodiment as the glass substrate 35A.

Although a plurality of openings 16 are provided for one pixel in the glass substrate 35A in FIG. 3, one opening 16 is provided for one or a plurality of pixels.
It is also possible to provide.

(Embodiment 3) Embodiment 3 according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the plasma addressed display device according to the present embodiment. The configuration of the intermediate substrate 45 is different from that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. The other configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, so that the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

The intermediate substrate 45 according to the present embodiment has the opening 16
A black resin 45C, which is a non-light-transmitting material, is provided between the glass substrate 45A provided with and the thin glass 45B except for the region corresponding to the pixel. In this way, by providing light shielding properties in a region other than the region corresponding to the pixel, it becomes possible to block unnecessary light in the intermediate substrate. Therefore, it is not necessary to form a black mask made of metal or resin which is usually formed on the counter substrate side of the liquid crystal layer, so that unevenness on the surface of the counter substrate is reduced, and it is possible to suppress variations in the thickness of the liquid crystal layer. Become.

Although not shown, a similar effect can be obtained by forming the first substrate itself from a non-translucent material, or by shielding the area other than the area corresponding to the pixels from light with resin or the like. . Note that, also in the present embodiment, the first embodiment
Similarly to the above, one opening can be provided for a plurality of pixels, and a plurality of openings can be provided for one pixel. It is also possible to use a plurality of thin glass sheets. Furthermore, it is also possible to use a polymer thin film instead of a thin glass.

[0056]

As described above, the plasma addressed display device of the present invention has, as an intermediate substrate, a first substrate having an opening and a dielectric material disposed at least in the opening. Therefore, even if the thickness of the first substrate is increased, the capacitance of the intermediate substrate at the opening can be reduced by reducing the thickness of the dielectric material.

Accordingly, it is possible to increase the thickness of the first substrate to improve the strength of the intermediate substrate, and to reduce the drive voltage by reducing the thickness of the dielectric material.

The thickness of the first substrate is 0.5 mm.
With the above, it is possible to secure the strength against cracking and chipping of the intermediate substrate as described above, and by setting the plate thickness to 2.0 mm or less, it is difficult to handle the display device due to weight. Can be prevented.

At this time, by providing a plurality of openings in the first substrate for one pixel, the strength of the first substrate is increased as compared with a configuration in which one opening is provided for one pixel. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the strength of the intermediate substrate, and by providing one opening for the first substrate for a plurality of pixels, it is possible to provide one opening for one pixel. Since the manufacturing of the first substrate is easier than the configuration in which the first substrate is provided, the manufacturing yield of the intermediate substrate can be further improved.

At this time, by using a ferroelectric material as the dielectric material disposed in the opening, it is possible to increase the dielectric constant of the intermediate substrate and lower the drive voltage.

According to the plasma addressed display device of the present invention, the intermediate substrate has a structure in which the second substrate is bonded to the surface of the first substrate facing the liquid crystal layer. Since the surface is flat, it is possible to suppress variation in the thickness of the liquid crystal layer and perform a desired rubbing treatment.

Further, by setting the thickness of the second substrate to 10 μm or more, it becomes possible to secure the strength against a slight impact at the time of spraying or rubbing the spacer, or after completion. Further, by setting the plate thickness to 50 μm or less, the dielectric constant increases and the driving voltage can be reduced.

At this time, by forming the second substrate with a polymer thin film having better thermal, optical, electrical and mechanical properties than glass, the strength of the second substrate is improved and handling is improved. An easy intermediate substrate can be obtained.

The intermediate substrate has a structure in which a plurality of second substrates are bonded to the first substrate.
The size of one second substrate can be reduced, and the handling of the second substrate can be facilitated.

Further, at this time, since the area other than the area corresponding to the pixel portion of the intermediate substrate has a light shielding property, it is possible to block unnecessary light on the intermediate substrate.
This eliminates the need to form a black mask of metal or resin that is usually formed on the counter substrate side of the liquid crystal layer, and alleviates unevenness on the surface of the counter substrate. It becomes possible to suppress. Specifically, by providing a non-light-transmitting material over the first substrate, unnecessary light can be blocked.
This can be realized by a process of merely providing a non-translucent material on the first substrate, and there is no need to pattern this material, so that the manufacturing process can be simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a plasma addressed display device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view illustrating a plasma addressed display device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a plasma addressed display device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing a plasma addressed display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a conventional plasma addressed display device.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional flowchart showing a manufacturing process of a conventional plasma addressed display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Plasma substrate 2 Discharge electrode 3 Barrier rib 4 Frit seal 5, 21, 35, 45 Intermediate substrate 5A, 21A, 35A, 45A Glass substrate 5B, 21B, 45B Thin glass 6 Liquid crystal sealing material 7 Opposite substrate 8 Spacer 9 Data electrode 10 Liquid crystal Layer 11 Plasma chamber 12 Liquid crystal cell 13 Plasma cell 14 Partition wall 16 Opening 22 Joint 35B Dielectric material 45C Non-translucent material

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02F 1/1333

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A liquid crystal cell in which a counter substrate is bonded to one surface of an intermediate substrate with a predetermined gap therebetween, and a liquid crystal is filled in the gap, and a plasma substrate is formed on the other surface of the intermediate substrate by a predetermined surface. A plasma address display device, comprising: a plasma cell bonded to a gap and having a plasma gas injected into the gap; and performing switching of liquid crystal filled in the liquid crystal cell by plasma discharge in the plasma cell. 2. The plasma addressed display device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate substrate includes a first substrate having an opening, and at least a dielectric material provided in the opening. 2. The thickness of the first substrate is 0.5 mm to
2. The plasma addressed display device according to claim 1, wherein the distance is 2.0 mm. 3. The plasma addressed display according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate substrate is formed by bonding a second substrate to a surface of the first substrate facing the liquid crystal cell. apparatus. 4. The second substrate has a thickness of 10 μm to 5 μm.
4. The plasma addressed display device according to claim 3, wherein the thickness is 0 μm. 5. The plasma addressed display device according to claim 3, wherein the intermediate substrate is formed by bonding a plurality of the second substrates to the first substrate. 6. The plasma addressed display device according to claim 1, wherein a region other than a region corresponding to a pixel portion on said intermediate substrate has a light shielding property.