KR100475159B1 - Metal-insulator-metal type field emission display and driving apparatus and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a flat field emission display device capable of improving luminance.

In the planar field emission display device of the present invention, the size of the first pixel cells formed adjacent to the spacer among the pixel cells is set smaller than the size of the second pixel cells not adjacent to the spacer.

Description

Flat field emission display device and its driving method and device TECHNICAL INSULATOR-METAL FIELD FIELD EMISSION DISPLAY AND DRIVING APPARATUS AND METHOD THEREOF

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a planar field emission display device, a driving method and a device thereof, and more particularly, to a planar field emission display device and a driving method and device for improving luminance.

Recently, various flat panel displays have been developed to reduce weight and volume, which are disadvantages of cathode ray tubes (CRTs). Such flat panel displays include liquid crystal displays (LCDs), field emission displays (FEDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), and electroluminescence (Electro). -Luminescence (EL). In order to improve the display quality, research and development for increasing the brightness, contrast and color purity of flat panel displays have been actively conducted.

The FED is a display device using light emission of a phosphor similar to a cathode ray tube (CRT). Accordingly, the FED is likely to be implemented as a flat panel display having low power consumption without distortion of the image while maintaining excellent characteristics of the cathode ray tube (CRT).

In general, FED is a triode, like a conventional cathode ray tube (CRT), but quantum mechanical tunnel effect by concentrating a high field on a sharp cathode, that is, an emitter, without using a hot cathode. A cold cathode that emits electrons is used. The electrons emitted from the emitter are accelerated by the voltage applied between the anode and the cathode and collide with the phosphor film formed on the anode to emit the phosphor.

1 and 2 are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view showing a conventional field emission display device.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional FED includes a spacer for maintaining a vacuum space between an upper glass substrate 2 and a lower glass substrate 8, and an upper glass substrate 2 and a lower glass substrate 8. 40 and a field emission array 32 formed on the lower glass substrate 8.

The field emission array 32 includes the cathode electrode 10 and the resistive layer 12 formed on the lower glass substrate 8, and the gate insulating layer 14 and the emitter 22 formed on the resistive layer 12. ) And a gate electrode 16 formed on the gate insulating layer 14.

The cathode electrode 10 supplies a current to the emitter 22, and the resistive layer 12 limits the overcurrent applied from the cathode electrode 10 toward the emitter 22, thereby making it uniform to the emitter 22. It serves to supply current.

The gate insulating layer 14 insulates between the cathode electrode 10 and the gate electrode 16. The gate electrode 16 is used as an extraction electrode for drawing electrons. The spacer 40 supports the upper glass substrate 2 and the lower glass substrate 8 so as to maintain a high vacuum state between the upper glass substrate 2 and the lower glass substrate 8.

In order to display an image, a negative (-) cathode voltage is applied to the cathode electrode 10 and a positive (+) anode voltage is applied to the anode electrode 4. The gate voltage of positive polarity (+) is applied to the gate electrode 16. Then, the electron beam 30 emitted from the emitter 22 collides with the red, green, and blue phosphors 6 to excite the phosphors 6. At this time, visible light of any one of red, green, and blue colors is emitted according to the phosphor 6.

The tip-type FED has an electron emission amount determined by the characteristics of the emitter used for electron emission. Therefore, all emitters included in one FED should be manufactured uniformly. However, in the current manufacturing process, it is difficult to fabricate all emitters included in one FED to have uniform characteristics. In addition, there is a disadvantage that a lot of processing time is consumed to manufacture the emitter.

In addition, since the tip-type FED emits electrons from a sharp emitter, a voltage between several tens to one hundred volts must be applied to the cathode electrode 10 and the gate electrode 16. Therefore, much power consumption is consumed by the voltage applied to the cathode electrode 10 and the gate electrode 16.

3 is a diagram illustrating a pixel cell of a conventional planar field emission display device.

Referring to FIG. 3, the pixel cell 100 of the conventional planar field emission display device includes an upper substrate 42 on which an anode electrode 44 and a phosphor 46 are stacked, and an electric field formed on the lower substrate 48. And an emission array 56.

The field emission array 56 includes a cathode electrode 50, an insulating layer 52, and a gate electrode 54 formed on the lower substrate 48. The insulating layer 52 is formed of a thin film so that electrons from the cathode electrode 50 can tunnel.

In order to display an image, a first pulse of negative polarity (−) is applied to the cathode electrode 50 and a second pulse of positive polarity (+) is applied to the gate electrode 54. Then, a positive anode voltage is applied to the anode electrode 44. Then, electrons are tunneled from the cathode electrode 50 to the gate electrode 54 and accelerated toward the anode electrode 44.

These electrons collide with the red, green and blue phosphors 46 to excite the phosphors 46. At this time, visible light of any one of red, green, and blue colors is generated according to the phosphor 46.

The planar FED is capable of driving a lower voltage than the tip type FED because the cathode electrode 50 and the gate electrode 54 are installed to face each other with a predetermined area. That is, a voltage between several to 10V is applied to the cathode electrode 50 and the gate electrode 54 of the planar FED. In addition, the planar FED can be manufactured by a simple manufacturing process compared to the tip-type FED because the cathode electrode 50 and the gate electrode 54 for emitting electrons have a predetermined area.

The conventional tip type FED is provided with spacers 60 and 62 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 to maintain a vacuum space between the upper glass substrate 42 and the lower glass substrate 48.

Hundreds to thousands of rib-shaped spacers 60 shown in FIG. 4 are installed to support the vacuum space between the upper glass substrate 42 and the lower glass substrate 48. Thousands or more of the cross spacers 62 shown in FIG. 5 are installed to support the vacuum space between the upper glass substrate 42 and the lower glass substrate 48.

Such spacers 60 and 62 are disposed between the pixel cells R, G and B. Accordingly, the pixel cells R, G, and B are disposed adjacent to each other with a predetermined space therebetween so that the spacers 60 and 62 may be installed. That is, the conventional pixel cells R, G, and B are disposed adjacent to each other with the same space therebetween regardless of the formation positions of the spacers 60 and 62.

In other words, in the conventional planar FED, a large amount of space is lost because the pixel cells are arranged with a predetermined space (in consideration of the formation of the spacer). This loss of space causes the luminance and aperture ratio to decrease.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a planar field emission display device, a driving method thereof, and an apparatus for improving luminance.

In order to achieve the above object, in the planar field emission display device of the present invention, the size of the first pixel cells formed adjacent to the spacer among the pixel cells is set smaller than the size of the second pixel cells not adjacent to the spacer.

The spacing between the first pixel cells is set wider than the spacing between the second pixel cells.

An interval between the first pixel cell and the second pixel cell installed adjacent to each other without the spacer is set equal to the interval between the second pixel cells.

In the driving method of the planar field emission display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a first scan pulse supplied to a first pixel cell is supplied, and a second scan pulse having a width different from that of the first scan pulse to the second pixel cell. It includes the step of being supplied.

The width of the first scan pulse is set larger than the width of the second scan pulse.

The width of the first scan pulse is set such that the first pixel cell has the same brightness as the second pixel cell.

And supplying a first data pulse synchronized with the first scan pulse, and supplying a second data pulse synchronized with the second scan pulse.

The width of the first data pulse is set wider than the width of the second data pulse.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a driving apparatus of a planar field emission display device, comprising: a control unit configured to receive data, a vertical synchronization signal, and a horizontal synchronization signal from an external device and to generate first and second timing control signals; At least one data pulse width control unit for receiving the data and the first timing control signal from the control unit to generate first and second data pulses having different widths from each other; And a scan pulse width controller configured to receive the second timing control signal from the controller and generate first and second scan pulses having different widths from each other.

The width of the first scan pulse is set wider than the width of the second scan pulse and is supplied to the first pixel cells.

The width of the first data pulse is set wider than the width of the second data pulse and is supplied to be synchronized with the first scan pulse.

Other objects and features of the present invention in addition to the above objects will become apparent from the description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9.

6 is a view showing a planar field emission display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, in the planar FED according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of cross spacers 64 are disposed between pixel cells R, G, and B. In FIG. The cross spacers 64 maintain the vacuum space in which the pixel cells R, G, and B are installed.

Meanwhile, in the present invention, the size of the pixel cells R1, B1, G2, and B2 formed adjacent to the spacers 64 is set smaller than the size of the other pixel cells R, G, and B. In other words, in the present invention, the pixel cells R, G, and B not positioned adjacent to the spacer 64 do not consider the formation of the spacer 64.

Therefore, pixel cells R, G, and B that are not positioned adjacent to the spacer 64 may be formed larger than those of the conventional pixel cells. That is, in the present invention, the pixel cells R, which are formed so that the gap between the pixel cells G1, B1, G2, and B2 that are formed adjacent to each other with the spacer 64 therebetween are not adjacent to the spacer 64. It is set larger than the interval between G and B).

As described above, in the present invention, the size of the pixel cells R, G, and B may be increased to improve the aperture ratio and the luminance. This invention can be applied in the FED is provided with a rib-shaped spacer 66 as shown in FIG.

In other words, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the pixel cells R1, G1, B1, R2, G2, and B2 positioned adjacent to the spacer 66 may have pixel cells positioned not adjacent to the spacer 66. It is formed smaller than the size of R, G, B). In other words, the pixel cells R, G, and B positioned so as not to be adjacent to the spacer 66 in the present invention are formed larger than those of the conventional pixel cells, thereby improving luminance and aperture ratio.

On the other hand, in the FED driving method according to the embodiment of the present invention, the luminance of the pixel cells R1, G1, B1, R2, G2, and B2 positioned adjacent to the spacers 64 and 66 is different. It becomes lower than the brightness | luminance of these (R, G, B). In order to overcome such disadvantages, the driving method as shown in FIG. 8 is used in the present invention.

In FIG. 8, it is assumed that a rib spacer 66 is provided between the second scan electrode S2 and the third scan electrode S3.

Referring to FIG. 8, scan pulses SP1 and SP2 are sequentially supplied to the scan electrodes S1 to Sm, and data pulses DP1 and SP2 synchronized to the scan pulses SP1 and SP2 are supplied to the data electrodes D. Referring to FIG. DP2) is supplied. At this time, predetermined electrons are emitted from the pixel cells supplied with the scan pulses SP1 and SP2 and the data pulses DP1 and DP2, and the emitted electrons are accelerated to the anode electrode to display a predetermined image.

In the planar FED driving method of the present invention, the width of the first scan pulse SP1 supplied to the scan lines S3 and S4 formed adjacent to the spacer 66 is formed adjacent to the spacer 66. It is set wider than the width of the second scan pulse SP2 supplied to the scan line S which is not present. Similarly, the width of the first data pulse DP1 supplied in synchronization with the first scan pulse SP1 is set wider than the width of the second data pulse DP2 supplied in synchronization with the second scan pulse SP2.

As such, the first scan pulse SP1 having a wide width is supplied to the scan lines S3 and S4 positioned adjacent to the spacer 66 in the pixel cells R1, G1, B1, R2, G2, and B2. High luminance can be generated. Meanwhile, the widths of the first scan pulse SP1 and the second data pulse DP1 are set to have the same luminance as those of the pixel cells R, G, and B that are not adjacent to the spacer 66.

9 is a view showing a driving device of a planar field emission display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9, the driving apparatus of the planar FED according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first data pulse width controller 70 and a second data pulse width controller 80 provided between the controller 68 and the panel 78. ), A scan pulse width control section 74, a first data driver 72, a second data driver 82, and a scan driver 76.

The controller 68 receives data, a horizontal synchronization signal, and a vertical synchronization signal from the outside. The controller 68 receiving the data rearranges the data according to the resolution of the panel and supplies the data to the first and second data pulse width controllers 70 and 80. The control unit 68 receives the horizontal synchronizing signal and the vertical synchronizing signal, and generates various timing control signals and supplies them to the scan pulse width control unit 74 and the first and second data pulse width control units 70 and 80.

The scan pulse width control unit 74 sets the width of the first scan pulse SP1 supplied to the scan lines S positioned adjacent to the spacer 66 to the scan lines not positioned adjacent to the spacer 66. It is set wider than the width of the second scan pulse SP2 supplied to S).

The first and second data pulse width controllers 70 and 80 are supplied to synchronize the width of the first data pulse DP1 supplied in synchronization with the first scan pulse SP1 with the second scan pulse SP2. 2 Set wider than the width of the data pulse DP2.

The first and second data driving units 72 and 82 supply predetermined data pulses to the panel 78 in response to data and timing control signals supplied from the first and second data pulse width control units 70 and 80. . The scan driver 76 supplies a predetermined scan pulse to the panel 78 in response to a timing control signal supplied from the scan pulse width controller 74.

As described above, according to the planar field emission display device and its driving method and apparatus according to the present invention, the luminance and aperture ratio of the panel can be improved by setting the size of the pixel cells positioned adjacent to the spacer to be smaller than the size of the other pixel cells. Can be. In addition, the same luminance may be displayed in all the pixel cells by differently setting the pulse width supplied to the pixel cells positioned adjacent to the spacer and the pulse width supplied to the pixel cells not positioned adjacent to the spacer.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification but should be defined by the claims.

1 is a perspective view showing a conventional tip type field emission display device.

2 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional tip type field emission display device.

3 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional planar field emission display device.

4 is a view showing a field emission display device provided with a conventional rib type spacer.

5 is a view showing a field emission display device having a conventional cross spacer.

6 is a view showing a field emission display device provided with a cross spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a view showing a field emission display device provided with a rib spacer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

8 is a waveform diagram showing a method of driving a field emission display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

9 is a block diagram showing a driving device of a field emission display device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

2,42 upper glass substrate 4,44 anode

6,46 phosphor 8,48 lower glass substrate

10,50 cathode electrode 12 resistive layer

14 gate insulating layer 16, 54 gate electrode

22 emitter 30 electron beam

32,56: field emission array 40, 60, 62, 64, 66: spacer

52: insulation layer 68: control unit

70, 80: data pulse width control unit 72, 82: data driver

74: scan pulse width control unit 76: scan drive unit

78 panel 100 pixel cell

Claims (11)

A planar type having pixel cells including an upper glass substrate on which an anode electrode and a phosphor are stacked and a lower glass substrate on which a cathode electrode, an insulating layer, and a gate electrode are formed, and a spacer formed between the upper glass substrate and the lower glass substrate In the field emission display device, The size of the first pixel cells formed adjacent to the spacer among the pixel cells is set smaller than the size of the second pixel cells not adjacent to the spacer. The method of claim 1, And the spacing between the first pixel cells is set wider than the spacing between the second pixel cells. The method of claim 2, And the spacing between the first and second pixel cells provided adjacent to each other without the spacer is set equal to the spacing between the second pixel cells. Pixel cells including an upper glass substrate on which an anode electrode and a phosphor are stacked, and a lower glass substrate on which a cathode electrode, an insulating layer, and a gate electrode are formed, and a spacer formed between the upper glass substrate and the lower glass substrate; In the driving method of the planar field emission display device, the size of the first pixel cells formed adjacent to the spacer among the pixel cells is set smaller than the size of the second pixel cells not adjacent to the spacer. Supplying a first scan pulse supplied to the first pixel cell; And supplying a second scan pulse having a width different from that of the first scan pulse to the second pixel cell. The method of claim 4, wherein And the width of the first scan pulse is set larger than the width of the second scan pulse. The method of claim 5, And the width of the first scan pulse is set such that the first pixel cell has the same brightness as that of the second pixel cell. The method of claim 4, wherein Supplying a first data pulse synchronized with the first scan pulse; And supplying a second data pulse synchronized with the second scan pulse. The method of claim 7, wherein And the width of the first data pulse is set to be wider than the width of the second data pulse. Pixel cells including an upper glass substrate on which an anode electrode and a phosphor are stacked, and a lower glass substrate on which a cathode electrode, an insulating layer, and a gate electrode are formed, and a spacer formed between the upper glass substrate and the lower glass substrate; A driving device of a planar field emission display device, wherein a size of first pixel cells formed adjacent to the spacer among the pixel cells is set smaller than that of second pixel cells not adjacent to the spacer; A controller configured to receive data, a vertical synchronization signal, and a horizontal synchronization signal from an external source, and to generate first and second timing control signals; At least one data pulse width control unit for receiving the data and the first timing control signal from the control unit to generate first and second data pulses different in width from each other; And a scan pulse width controller configured to receive the second timing control signal from the controller and generate first and second scan pulses having different widths from each other. The method of claim 9, The width of the first scan pulse is set wider than the width of the second scan pulse is supplied to the first pixel cells, characterized in that the driving device of the planar field emission display device. The method of claim 9, The width of the first data pulse is set to be wider than the width of the second data pulse is supplied in synchronization with the first scan pulse, characterized in that the driving device of the flat field emission display device.