JPH09306394A - Field emission type display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate a trouble of a field emission type cathode(FEC) due to concentration of gas by exhaust, in a field emission type display device. SOLUTION: A field emission type display device has a cathode substrate 4 formed with an FEC, anode substrate 2 formed with an anode and a spacer member 5. The cathode substrate 4 and the anode substrate 2 are displaced, and non-opposed surface parts 3a, 4a not opposed to the other are provided. In one side surface of an envelope corresponding to the non-opposed surface part 3a, a slit-shaped exhaust hole 20 is formed over a total length. In the non-opposed surface part 3a, a box-shaped getter chamber 21 is mounted to communicate with the exhaust hole 20. At manufacturing time, in a seal process of an envelope 2, the inside of the envelope 2 is exhausted from an exhaust pipe 23. Gas in the envelope 2 goes toward the exhaust hole 20 in a laminar condition without generating turbulence, to be exhausted to the outside through a hole 22 and an exhaust pipe 23 after entering in the getter chamber 21. In the FEC of a part in the vicinity of the exhaust hole 20, a such problem is prevented that gas generates a turbulent flow to adhere and to generate trouble.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure of a getter chamber or the like provided in an envelope of a field emission display device, and particularly to prevent damage to the field emission cathode when exhausting the inside of the envelope. It is the one.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 4 shows a conventional field emission display device 100.
Is shown. The envelope 101 of the field emission display device 100 is
It has a rectangular cathode substrate 102, a rectangular anode substrate 103, and a spacer member 104. A field emission type cathode (not shown) is formed on the inner surface of the cathode substrate 102. Although not shown, a light-transmitting anode conductor is formed on the inner surface of the anode substrate 103, and a phosphor layer is deposited on the anode conductor to form an anode. The cathode substrate 102 and the anode substrate 103 face each other with a predetermined minute gap therebetween, and the spacer member 1 is provided on the outer periphery of the gap between the substrates 102 and 103.
04 are provided. The inside of the envelope 101 is evacuated to a high vacuum state.

An exhaust hole 105 communicating with the interior of the envelope 101 is formed by cutting out a part of the spacer member 104 at the center of one side surface of the envelope 101. Envelope 101
A getter chamber 106, which communicates with the exhaust hole 105, is attached to the outer side of the relevant portion. The getter chamber 106 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box having a width corresponding to the width of the exhaust hole 105 formed in the envelope 101. In the getter chamber 106, a getter 107 having a size that cannot be stored inside the envelope 101 is stored. A hole 108 communicating with the outside is formed in the getter chamber 106.

In the manufacturing process of the field emission display device 100, the inside of the getter chamber 106 is sucked from the exhaust pipe 109 through the hole 108, and the envelope 101 is exhausted from the exhaust hole 105.
Exhaust the inside. After the inside of the envelope 101 is sufficiently exhausted,
The exhaust pipe 109 is sealed. After the sealing step is completed, the getter 107 in the getter chamber 106 is heated by high-frequency heating or the like from outside the envelope 101 to evaporate the getter substance and form a getter mirror on the inner surface of the getter chamber 106.

[0005]

According to the above-mentioned conventional field emission display device 100, the exhaust hole 1 of the envelope 101 is formed.
There is a problem that a defect occurs in the field emission type cathode located in the portion close to 05. This is because the gas inside the envelope 101 is concentrated in the exhaust hole 105 when the inside of the envelope 101 is exhausted in the step of sealing the envelope during manufacturing, so that the field emission type cathode near the exhaust hole 105. The present inventors considered that this is because the gas adheres to (shown by a region F in FIG. 4). That is, according to the consideration of the present inventors, the exhaust hole 105 has a size shorter than one side of the envelope 101, and the gas sucked from the entire area inside the envelope 101 is sucked out through the exhaust hole 105. When this occurs, the gas concentrates near the corners of the spacer member 104 at both ends of the exhaust hole 105, causing turbulent flow.
It is considered that gas adheres between the gate and the cathode conductor of the field emission type cathode close to the portion and causes conduction, resulting in insulation failure. The above phenomenon is remarkable especially when the speed of sucking the inside of the envelope 101 is high.

The present invention relates to a field emission display device,
The purpose is to solve the problem of the field emission cathode which is considered to be caused by concentration of gas due to exhaust.

[0007]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a field emission display device, which comprises an anode having a phosphor layer inside a hermetically sealed envelope, and a field emission cathode.
In a field emission display device that selectively emits electrons emitted from the field emission cathode to the anode to perform desired light emission display, the field emission display device is formed on one side surface of the envelope over the entire length of the one side surface. And a getter chamber communicating with the exhaust hole and formed outside the one side surface over the entire length of the one side surface.

According to another aspect of the field emission display device of the present invention, a cathode substrate on which a field emission cathode is formed, an anode substrate on which an anode having a phosphor layer is formed, the cathode substrate and the anode substrate. And a spacer member provided between
An envelope in which at least one of the cathode substrate and the anode substrate is provided with a non-facing portion that does not face the other, and the envelope is formed on one side surface of the envelope corresponding to the non-facing portion over the entire length of the one side surface. And a getter chamber communicating with the exhaust hole and formed in the non-facing portion outside the one side surface over the entire length of the one side surface.

A field emission display device according to a third aspect is the field emission display device according to the first or second aspect, wherein an exhaust pipe for exhausting the inside of the envelope is provided in the getter chamber. It is characterized by being attached to.

A field emission display device according to a fourth aspect is the field emission display device according to the first or second aspect, in which an opening is closed by a lid member after exhausting the inside of the envelope. A part is provided in the getter chamber.

The field emission display device according to a fifth aspect is the field emission display device according to the first or second aspect, wherein at least one of the field emission cathode and the anode is provided in the non-facing portion. It is characterized in that a terminal for conducting to is provided.

A field emission display device according to a sixth aspect is the field emission display device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the getter chamber is a getter chamber in which a glass material is integrally molded in a box shape. It is characterized by

A field emission display device according to a seventh aspect is the field emission display device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the getter chamber is a getter chamber in which a plurality of glass plate members are assembled in a box shape. It is characterized by being.

The field emission display device according to claim 8 is the field emission display device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of getters are arranged inside the getter chamber along a longitudinal direction. It is characterized by having done.

A field emission display device according to a ninth aspect is the field emission display device according to the first or second aspect, wherein a conductive getter is disposed inside the getter chamber along a longitudinal direction. It is characterized by having done.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a field emission display device 1 (hereinafter referred to as display device 1). The display device 1 uses a field emission element as an electron source and a phosphor as a light emitting display section. The envelope 2 of the display device 1 is
Anode substrate 3 having a light-transmitting property and an insulating property, an insulative cathode substrate 4 facing the anode substrate 3 with a minute gap, and a spacer member such as sealing glass provided between the outer peripheral edges of both substrates. It consists of 5.

In the envelope 2 of the display device 1 of this example,
Since the cathode substrate 4 and the anode substrate 3 do not have the same shape but are vertically opposed to each other, a part of the peripheral edge of each substrate has a non-face-to-face portion that does not face the other substrate. . In the anode substrate 3, one side of the short side corresponding to one side surface of the envelope 2 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape does not face the cathode substrate 4. This portion is called the non-facing portion 3a of the anode substrate 4. In the cathode substrate 4, one side of each of the short side and the long side corresponding to the two side surfaces of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped envelope 2 does not face the anode substrate 3. This portion is called a non-facing portion 4a of the cathode substrate 4.

The electrode structure in the envelope 2 of the display device 1 will be described. As shown in an enlarged manner in FIG. 2, a light-transmissive anode conductor 6 is formed on the inner surface of the anode substrate 3, and a phosphor layer 7 is adhered thereon to form an anode 8. . In this example, the anode 8 is formed in a solid shape, but it may be formed in a predetermined pattern such as a stripe shape or a dot shape depending on the use and purpose.

A matrix drive type field emission cathode 9 is formed on the inner surface of the cathode substrate 4. First, the cathode substrate 4
A plurality of strip-shaped cathode conductors 10 are arranged in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval on the inner surface of. An insulating layer 11 is formed on the cathode conductor 10 and the cathode substrate 4 between the adjacent cathode conductors 10, 10. On the insulating layer 11, a plurality of band-shaped gates 12 are arranged in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval so as to be orthogonal to the cathode conductor 10. A large number of holes 13 are formed in the gate 12 and the insulating layer 11 at intersections of the cathode conductor 10 and the gate 12 which are orthogonal to each other. A cone-shaped emitter 14 is formed on the cathode conductor 10 inside the hole 13. As described above, in the field emission cathode 9 of the display device 1 of this example, the cathode conductors 10 and the gates 12 form a matrix.
For example, in this example, 240 gates 12 and 320 cathode conductors 10 are provided, and the same number of dots as the number of pixels of a normal television screen is formed on the cathode side.

The cathode conductor 10 and the gate 12 of the field emission type cathode 9, which are orthogonal to each other, have one short side and one long side on the non-facing portion 4a of the cathode substrate 4, as shown in FIG. The external terminals 15 and 16 which are separately led to
Connected to each other. Further, the anode conductor 6 is also led out to any position on the non-facing portion 4a of the cathode substrate 4. In this way, it is convenient to connect the electrodes to the external drive substrate or the like by arranging the electrodes so that they are aligned with the two sides of the cathode substrate 4.
In order to obtain such a structure of the external terminal, the above-described structure in which the anode substrate 3 and the cathode substrate 4 are displaced to provide the non-facing portions 3a and 4a is useful.

In the field emission type cathode 9, the cathode conductor 10
When a scanning voltage of a predetermined cycle is applied to the gate 12 and a driving voltage synchronized with the scanning voltage is applied to the gate 12, a desired intersection of the cathode conductor 10 and the gate 12 is selected, and at this intersection, an electric field formed by the gate 12 causes an emitter. Electrons are emitted from 14. A predetermined positive voltage is applied to the anode 8 that faces the field emission cathode 9 with a minute gap,
The electrons strike the phosphor layer 7 of the anode 8 and cause it to emit light. As a result, a desired point on the phosphor layer 7 of the anode 8 can be selectively caused to emit light to display an arbitrary image.

In the envelope 2 of the display device 1, one side surface corresponding to the non-facing portion 3a of the anode substrate 3 does not have the spacer member 5 over the entire length of the one side surface, and the space between the anode substrate 3 and the cathode substrate 4 is not provided. A slit-shaped exhaust hole 20 having a length corresponding to the width of the envelope 2 is formed therein.

A box-shaped getter chamber 21 is formed on the one side surface of the envelope 2 and the non-facing portion 3a of the anode substrate 3 over the entire length in the longitudinal direction of the one side surface and the non-facing portion 3a. In the display device 1 of this example, in order to draw the external terminals 15 and 16 onto the cathode substrate 4, the non-facing portion 3 is provided on both substrates 3 and 4.
Although a and 4a are provided, for this reason, the envelope 2 is forced to have a shape in which a part of the substrates 3 and 4 is projected, and the getter chamber 21
If it is to be provided in the non-face-to-face portion 3a, the getter chamber 21 needs to be configured as a member different from the component parts of the envelope 2.
Therefore, the getter chamber 21 of this example is constituted by a member separate from each of the substrates 3 and 4, and in this example, a plurality of insulating members such as plate glass are joined with a sealing material to form an airtight box shape. It uses the one formed in. The getter chamber 21 has the exhaust hole 20.
It communicates with the inside of the envelope 2 through the entire length of. A hole 22 is formed in the getter chamber 21, and the envelope 2 is formed in the hole 22.
An exhaust pipe 23 for exhausting the inside of the is attached. The exhaust pipe 23 is sealed after exhausting the inside of the envelope 2 through the getter chamber 21.

A plurality of getters 24 are housed in the getter chamber 21. The getter 24 is heated by high-frequency induction heating from the outside of the getter chamber 21. For example, a nickel-plated pure iron ring container is provided with BaAl.
It is filled with a getter substance such as a mixture of ₄ alloy and Ni powder. In the field emission display device 1, since the distance between the cathode substrate 4 and the anode substrate 3 is set to be extremely small, such a getter cannot be housed inside the envelope 2 and, as described above, therefore. A getter chamber 21 is provided to house a getter 24.

The display tube having the above structure is manufactured according to the conventional manufacturing process. That is, in the exhaust / sealing process of the envelope 2, the inside of the envelope 2 is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 23 to the getter chamber 2
The exhaust pipe 23 is evacuated, and the tip of the exhaust pipe 23 is sealed when the degree of vacuum inside the envelope 2 becomes sufficient. In the display device 1 of the present example thus formed, the field emission of the portion close to the exhaust hole 20 that connects the envelope 2 and the getter chamber 21 as seen in the conventional field emission display device 1. The problem that the shaped cathode 9 is defective does not occur at all.

This is because the gas in the envelope 2 generates a turbulent flow as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1 when the inside of the envelope 2 is exhausted in the sealing process of the envelope 2 during manufacturing. Since the gas flows toward the exhaust hole 20 in the laminar flow state without entering the getter chamber 21 without the field emission cathode 9 or the like, the direction is changed and the gas is exhausted from the hole 22 and the exhaust pipe 23 to the outside of the getter chamber 21. Is considered to be.

In order to obtain the above effect, the getter chamber 2
It is necessary to suck the inside of the envelope 2 through the exhaust pipe 23 provided in the first embodiment, and the shape of the exhaust hole 20 that connects the getter chamber 21 and the envelope 2 corresponds to the cross section of the envelope 2. It has to be big. That is, instead of directly sucking the inside of the envelope 2, the getter chamber 21 is sucked from the exhaust pipe 23 provided in the getter chamber 21 in this example.
No turbulent gas flow is generated in the envelope 2. Next, the envelope 2 orthogonal to the direction of the gas flowing in the envelope 2
Since the cross-sectional shape of the inner space and the shape of the exhaust hole 20 through which gas is emitted from the envelope 2 are substantially the same, when the inside of the envelope 2 is sucked through the exhaust pipe 23 and the getter chamber 21, The gas flow inside becomes uniform as shown by the arrow. Therefore, in the vicinity of the cathode substrate 4 on which the field emission cathode 9 is formed, the gas flow is hardly disturbed and local adsorption of gas does not occur.

After the exhaust / sealing process is completed, a high frequency is applied to the getter 24 from the outside of the getter chamber 21 by a bomber or the like to heat the getter 24 to evaporate the getter substance and the inner surface of the getter chamber 21 or the inner surface of the anode substrate 3. Or a getter mirror is vapor-deposited on both of them.

When the getters 24 are heated by a high frequency, the temperature of each getter 24 reaches 1000 to 1200 ° C. Therefore, it is preferable that a plurality of getters 24 are in contact with each other or are too close to each other inside the getter chamber 21. Absent. However, in this example, the getter chamber 21 has a shape having a longitudinal dimension corresponding to the length of one side of the envelope 2, and the getter chamber 21 can be arranged with a margin for accommodating a plurality of getters 24 therein. Therefore, the heated getters 24 do not come into contact with each other and cause inconvenience.

In the example described above, the exhaust pipe 23 is provided in the hole 22 of the getter chamber 21 to suck the inside of the envelope 2. However, the getter chamber 2 is exhausted after the inside of the envelope 2 is exhausted.
The hole 1 may be sealed with a disk-shaped lid member.

In the example described above, the getter chamber 21 is constructed by assembling a plurality of glass plate materials in a box shape.
A getter chamber 21 in which a glass material is integrally molded in a box shape may be used and attached to one side surface of the envelope 2.

In the example described above, a plurality of high-frequency induction heating type getters 24 are arranged inside the getter chamber 21 along the longitudinal direction. However, as shown in FIG. May be. The energization type getter 25 uses a BaAl ₄
A getter substance such as an alloy is deposited, and the getter substance is evaporated by heating the wire core wire by applying electricity to form a getter mirror. This energization type getter 25 becomes long when trying to obtain a certain amount of the getter substance, and it is difficult to store it in a small getter chamber as in the conventional case. Can be stored with. Further, the end portion of the wire core wire of the energization type getter 25 may be led out airtight by forming a lead-out hole in the same plate material as shown in FIG.
Although not shown, the plate material forming the side surface of the getter chamber 21 may be formed into a divided structure and led out airtightly from the joint portion.

[0033]

In the field emission display device of the present invention, the exhaust hole is formed on one side surface of the envelope, and the getter chambers having the same length are provided on the same side surface. For example, the gas in the envelope goes to the getter chamber in a laminar state without generating turbulent flow and is exhausted from the getter chamber to the outside. The problem of can be completely solved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view, a side view, and a cross-sectional view of a first example of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the first example of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side view showing another structural example of the first example of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a plan view, a side view, and a cross-sectional view of a conventional field emission display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Field emission display device (display device) 2 Envelope 3 Anode substrate 3a Non-facing portion of anode substrate 4 Cathode substrate 4a Non-facing portion of cathode substrate 5 Spacer member 7 Phosphor layer 8 Anode 9 Field emission cathode 15, 16 External Terminal 20 Exhaust Hole 21 Getter Room 23 Exhaust Pipe 24 Getter 25 Conductive Getter

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Kenichi Furumata 629 Futaba Electronics Co., Ltd., Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture (72) Inventor Miwako Kudo 629 Oshiba, Mobara City, Chiba Futaba Electronics Industry Co.

Claims (9)

[Claims] 1. An envelope having a phosphor layer and a field emission type cathode are provided inside an envelope which is kept airtight, and electrons emitted from the field emission type cathode are selectively emitted to the anode. In a field emission type display device which is caused to project and emits light in a desired manner, an exhaust hole formed on one side surface of the envelope over the entire length of the one side surface and an outside of the one side surface in communication with the exhaust hole. A field emission display device having a getter chamber formed over the entire length of the one side surface. 2. A cathode substrate on which a field emission cathode is formed, an anode substrate on which an anode having a phosphor layer is formed, and a spacer member provided between the cathode substrate and the anode substrate. An envelope in which at least one of the cathode substrate and the anode substrate is provided with a non-facing portion that does not face the other, and one side surface of the envelope corresponding to the non-facing portion extends over the entire length of the one side surface. A field emission display device, comprising: an exhaust hole formed; and a getter chamber that communicates with the exhaust hole and is formed in the non-facing portion outside the one side surface over the entire length of the one side surface. . 3. The getter chamber is provided with an exhaust pipe for exhausting the inside of the envelope.
The field emission display device described. 4. The getter chamber is provided with an opening which is closed by a lid member after exhausting the inside of the envelope.
Alternatively, the field emission display device according to claim 2. 5. The field emission display device according to claim 1, wherein a terminal that is electrically connected to at least one of the field emission cathode and the anode is provided on the non-facing portion. 6. The field emission display device according to claim 1, wherein the getter chamber is a getter chamber integrally formed with a glass material in a box shape. 7. The getter chamber is a getter chamber in which a plurality of glass plate materials are assembled in a box shape.
The field emission display device described. 8. The field emission display device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of getters are arranged inside the getter chamber along the longitudinal direction. 9. The field emission display device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an electrically conductive getter is arranged inside the getter chamber along the longitudinal direction.