JPS62234843A - Discharge light emitting element - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve resolution, by making a scanning electrode group and a signal electrode one obliquely cross and performing equal-interval arrangement of vertical lines perpendicular to the scanning electrode group. CONSTITUTION:A group of scanning electrodes 3 are arranged in band shapes and in parallel on a substrate 2, and a group of signal electrodes 5 are arranged crossing obliquely to the electrode group 3 with an insulating layer in between. Intervals between respective crossing points are extended to facilitate discharge control by such composition of electrodes. A face plate is arranged in front of the substrate 2, and an opening part is formed at its end to be connected with a gas-introduced path equipped with a mercury reservoir 11. A space formed between the face plate and the substrate 2 is sealed with a discharge gas. An array-shaped light source with equivalently high resolution can be obtained by performing arrangement in which vertical lines that pass the respective crossing points between the electrode groups 3 and 5 and cross perpendicular to the electrode group 3 are orientated in definite density and equal intervals.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a discharge light emitting device using plasma, and more particularly to a discharge light emitting device used as a writing light source in a color hard copy device.

[Disclosure J! Important] This specification and the drawings show that in a discharge light emitting device using plasma, the scanning electrode group and the signal electrode group are diagonally crossed, and the perpendicular lines perpendicular to the scanning electrode group are arranged at equal intervals of n. This makes it possible to increase resolution.

[Prior Art] In recent years, printers that can form color images,
So-called color hard copy technology such as copying machines is becoming increasingly important in various fields. Such color hard copy technology includes electrophotography technology, thermal transfer technology, and the like. However, electrophotographic technology requires a complicated process to form an image, making it difficult to create a small, simple, and inexpensive device, while thermal transfer technology requires an image forming process by heating, so it is expensive. It was difficult to obtain high-resolution images. Furthermore, since all of these techniques superimpose images of the three primary colors, they have the disadvantage that the images are likely to be misaligned and the image forming time is tripled. In contrast to such conventional techniques, recently some materials have become available that react only to light in a certain wavelength range and do not react to light in other wavelength ranges, and image formation using these materials has become possible. A method is proposed. This method involves mixing and encapsulating materials that react and harden with light in different wavelength ranges and pigments that make these materials develop different colors, and applying the mixture to paper, etc. via a binder. The photosensitive member is used as a photosensitive member, image information including light in a plurality of different wavelength ranges is irradiated onto the photosensitive member, and then an image is formed by applying pressure or the like. According to this method, since an image is created by a series of light irradiations, it becomes possible to easily obtain a high-quality image without color shift.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Writing light sources in such image forming methods include ultraviolet rays in the vacuum ultraviolet region generated by discharge of a helium-xerin mixed gas, and gases that utilize light emission of phosphors due to the ultraviolet rays. The use of discharge display devices is being considered. However, the resolution of this gas discharge 71i display device is about 2 to 4 lines/ram, and it is difficult to achieve the resolution of about 8 to 16 lines/ram, which is required for the above-mentioned hard copy device, in terms of discharge control. Furthermore, since these devices mainly use ultraviolet rays in the vacuum ultraviolet region within the cell container, it is not possible to irradiate the photosensitive member with light in the air.

The present invention eliminates the drawbacks of the conventional example, has high resolution,
The object of the present invention is to provide a discharge light emitting device that can be used as a writing light source in a short wavelength region such as ultraviolet light.

[Means for Solving the Problems] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the embodiment drawings, the present invention provides a discharge in a cell container formed by a substrate 2, a face plate 8, and a seal member 9. This is a discharge light emitting element in which a gas 7 is sealed and discharge is caused at selected intersections of a scanning electrode group 3 and a signal electrode group 5 which intersect with each other. , and the signal electrode group 5 is arranged so as to diagonally cross the scanning electrode group 3 so that perpendicular lines perpendicular to the scanning electrode group 3 are arranged at equal intervals in the horizontal direction. It is a discharge light emitting device.

[Function] In the discharge light emitting device according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, since the intersections of the electrode groups are arranged continuously in a diagonal direction, the intervals between the intersections of the electrode groups can be widened. , discharge control can be easily performed even if the number of scanning electrodes is increased. In addition, since the perpendicular lines passing through each intersection of the electrode group are arranged at equal intervals and are formed isometrically to form a 7-ray light source, the photosensitive member is placed perpendicularly to the scanning electrode group 3. By moving the paper in the direction shown in FIG. In this case, it is preferable to use a material for the face plate 8 that easily transmits light in a short wavelength region such as ultraviolet rays.

[Example] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a discharge light emitting device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view thereof.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the scanning electrode group 3 on the substrate 2 is arranged in a strip-like manner, and the signal electrode group 5 is arranged on the insulating layer 4.
The scanning electrode group 3 is arranged to intersect diagonally with respect to the scanning electrode group 3 via the scanning electrode group 3 . With such an electrode configuration, the distance between each intersection becomes wider, and discharge control becomes easier.

Copper, chromium, or the like is used for the scanning electrode group 3 and the signal electrode group 5, and both can be formed by vapor deposition using resistance heating or electron beam heating.

Incidentally, reference numeral 13 in FIG. 1 is a defined electrode group which is in an electrically floating state to prevent crosstalk due to expansion of the discharge area, and is formed simultaneously with the signal electrode group 5 in the same process. Glass, Sio2, or the like is used as the insulation R4, and can be formed by vapor deposition using electron beam heating. A dielectric protective layer 6 is further uniformly formed on the surface of the signal electrode group 5. This protective layer is for preventing damage to the electrodes due to discharge, and its material and formation method are the same as those for the insulating layer 4. Note that if a dielectric material with a large secondary electron emission coefficient, such as magnesium oxide, is used for this protective layer,
The discharge starting voltage can be lowered.

Face plates 8 are arranged on the front surface of the substrate 2 at predetermined intervals, and the outer peripheries of the substrate 2 and the face plate 8 are edged by a sealing member 9. An opening 10 is formed at one end of the face plate 8 and is connected to a gas introduction path 12 having a mercury reservoir 11. As the material of the face plate 8, quartz or the like which transmits relatively short wavelength ultraviolet rays is used. Further, the substrate 2 is desirably made of the same material as the face plate 8 in order to match the coefficient of thermal expansion, and the seal member 9 is made of low melting point glass.

A discharge gas 7 is sealed in a discharge space of the cell container formed by the face plate 8 and the substrate 2. As the discharge gas, a mixture of mercury and an inert gas such as argon or the like is used. These mercury-containing discharge gases are suitable for obtaining light in a relatively short wavelength region such as ultraviolet rays, but since mercury has a low vapor pressure at room temperature,
It is necessary to heat the cell container with an appropriate heating means. 1 in the figure shows an example of such a heating means.
In order to maintain a uniform temperature throughout the cell container, it is desirable to use a planar heating element such as a ceramic heater.

In the above configuration, a perpendicular line passing through each intersection of the scanning electrode group 3 and the signal electrode group 5 and perpendicular to the scanning electrode group 3 has an equal rln
By arranging them so that the intestines are lined up at intervals of 8 to 16/-
It can be an isometrically high resolution array light source.

A rectangular wave voltage with a frequency of 100 KHz and an inter-electrode voltage of about 300 V is sequentially applied at a duty of 178 to predetermined electrodes of the scanning electrode group 3 and the signal electrode group 5 of the discharge light emitting device thus obtained. By moving the photosensitive paper surface described above in a direction substantially perpendicular to group 3, it is possible to sequentially irradiate the paper surface with light containing ultraviolet rays in different wavelength ranges.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing another example of image formation using the discharge light emitting device according to the present invention. In Figure 3,
Reference numeral 20 denotes the discharge light emitting element described above, and each row sequentially emits light by a predetermined signal voltage applied from the scanning voltage applying means 14 and the signal voltage applying means 15. Signal voltage application means 1
5 includes signal delay means (not shown) for correcting the respective positions of the scanning electrode group 3. 18 is a photosensitive member, for example, diazo photosensitive paper may be used for the purpose of confirming the operation of the discharge light emitting element 20, and 1B is a wavelength filter for selecting light of a necessary wavelength for the photosensitive member 1B. 17 is an imaging means such as a lens.

In the above configuration, a signal corresponding to image information is applied from the scanning voltage applying means 14 and the signal voltage applying means 15 to the discharge light emitting element 20, and the photosensitive member 18 is moved in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 to perform exposure. A good image with high resolution can be obtained by developing with a normal developing method.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, the resolution is high;
It is possible to use a discharge light-emitting element with easy discharge control, and if it is used as a writing light source for an image forming method that uses a photosensitive member that is exposed to light in a plurality of different wavelength ranges and each develops a different color, it is possible to use a color hard disk. Copies can be easily obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a top view of one embodiment of the discharge light emitting device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing another example of image formation. 2: 2 Jli plate, 3: Scanning electrode group, 4: Insulating layer, 5: Signal electrode group, 6: ? A electric body protective layer, 7: discharge gas, 14:
15: Signal voltage applying means; 20: Discharge light emitting element.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) A discharge gas is sealed in a cell container formed of an insulating member, a first electrode group and a second electrode group are provided that intersect with each other, and the first and second electrodes In a discharge light emitting element that causes discharge at a selected intersection of a group, a first
The second electrode group is connected to the first electrode group so that perpendicular lines passing through each intersection of the electrode group and the second electrode group and perpendicular to the first electrode group are lined up at equal intervals in the horizontal direction. A discharge light emitting device characterized in that electrode groups are arranged so as to intersect diagonally. 2) Claim 1, characterized in that the discharge gas contains mercury and is provided with means for heating the cell container.
The discharge light-emitting device described in .