KR20050114066A - Plasma display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, a plasma display panel is disclosed. The plasma display panel includes a transparent upper substrate, a lower substrate disposed parallel to the upper substrate, a first partition wall disposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, defining discharge cells together with the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and formed of a dielectric. Upper discharge electrodes disposed in the first partition wall to surround the discharge cell, lower discharge electrodes disposed in the first partition wall to surround the discharge cell and spaced apart from the upper discharge electrode, a phosphor layer disposed in the discharge cell, and a discharge At least one through hole is formed in a side portion of the cell which includes a discharge gas and surrounds a discharge cell of at least one of the upper and lower discharge electrodes. According to the disclosed plasma display panel, driving efficiency and luminous efficiency of the plasma display panel are improved.

Description

Plasma display panel {Plasma display panel}

The present invention relates to a plasma display panel that implements an image using gas discharge.

Recently, a device employing a plasma display panel as a flat panel display device has a large screen and has excellent characteristics of high definition, ultra-thin, light weight, and wide viewing angle, and is easier to manufacture than other flat panel display devices. It is attracting attention as a large flat panel display device.

The plasma display panel is classified into a direct current (DC) type, an alternating current (AC) type, and a hybrid type according to an applied discharge voltage, and classified into a counter discharge type and a surface discharge type according to a discharge structure. Recently, most plasma display panels produced at home and abroad are three-electrode surface discharge plasma display panels.

1 illustrates a conventional three-electrode surface discharge plasma display panel. The illustrated plasma display panel includes an upper substrate 11 and a lower substrate 21 disposed to face the upper substrate 11. Discharge sustaining electrode pairs 16 are disposed on the lower surface of the upper substrate 11, and the upper dielectric layer 14 and the protective film 15 covering the upper dielectric layer 14 are embedded in this order. Here, one electrode of the discharge sustaining electrode pair 16 is the scan electrode 12, the other electrode is the common electrode 13, and the scan electrode 12 and the common electrode 13 are transparent electrodes 12a and 13a, respectively. ) And bus electrodes 12b and 13b.

On the other hand, an upper surface of the lower substrate 21 is formed with an address electrode 22 extending to intersect with the discharge sustaining electrode pair 16 and a lower dielectric layer 23 embedded therein. A partition wall 24 is formed on the lower dielectric layer 23 to partition the plurality of discharge cells. The phosphor layer 25 is disposed on the lower dielectric layer 23 over the partition wall 24, and the space inside the discharge cell is filled with discharge gas.

In such a plasma display panel, plasma is formed by discharge performed by the discharge sustaining electrode pair 16, and the phosphor layer 25 is excited by vacuum ultraviolet rays emitted from the formed plasma to emit visible light, thereby realizing an image. do.

By the way, in the conventional three-electrode surface discharge structure shown in the drawing, while diverging visible light passes through the discharge sustaining electrode pair 16 formed on the lower side of the upper substrate 11, the upper dielectric layer 14, and the protective film 15, Visible light is absorbed by these structures, so there is a problem that the luminous efficiency is very low.

In addition, when the same image is displayed for a long time, there is a problem that the charged particles of the discharge gas strike the phosphor layer 25 and cause permanent afterimages.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved plasma display panel in which the luminous efficiency and driving efficiency are improved and the degradation of the phosphor layer is prevented in order to solve the above and other problems.

In order to achieve the above objects and other objects, the plasma display panel of the present invention,

Transparent upper substrate;

A lower substrate disposed in parallel with the upper substrate;

A first partition wall disposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate and defining discharge cells together with the upper substrate and the lower substrate and formed of a dielectric;

Upper discharge electrodes disposed in a first partition wall to surround the discharge cell;

Lower discharge electrodes disposed in a first partition wall to surround the discharge cell and spaced apart from the upper discharge electrode;

A phosphor layer disposed in the discharge cell; And

A discharge gas in the discharge cell;

At least one through hole is formed in a side portion surrounding a discharge cell of at least one of the upper discharge electrodes and the lower discharge electrodes.

Here, preferably, the discharge electrode having the through hole is provided with a first portion and a second portion spaced apart up and down, and the connecting portions are disposed at predetermined intervals between the first portion and the second portion, and between the connecting portions Through holes are formed.

The upper discharge electrodes may extend in one direction, and the lower discharge electrodes may extend to intersect the upper discharge electrodes.

In the plasma display panel of the present invention, the upper discharge electrodes and the lower discharge electrodes may have a ladder shape extending in one direction.

Address electrodes extending to intersect the upper discharge electrode and the lower discharge electrode may be further provided.

Preferably, the address electrode is disposed between the lower substrate and the phosphor layer, and a dielectric layer is disposed between the phosphor layer and the address electrode.

In the present invention, preferably, the first partition further includes a second partition defining a discharge cell, wherein the phosphor layer is disposed at the same level as the second partition.

At least the side surface of the first partition wall is preferably covered by a protective film.

Next, a plasma display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a plasma display panel according to the present embodiment, FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a view showing an electrode structure of the plasma display panel shown in FIG. 2. Perspective view. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views taken along the line VV and VIV of FIG. 3, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 2, the plasma display panel according to the present exemplary embodiment includes an upper substrate 111 and a lower substrate 121 disposed on a lower side thereof (as opposed to z). The upper substrate 111 and the lower substrate 121 are typically formed of a material mainly containing glass. In particular, when the upper substrate 111 is used as the image display surface, it is preferable that the upper substrate 111 is formed of a transparent substrate having excellent light transmittance. The upper substrate 111 and the lower substrate 121 define the discharge cells 130 in the vertical direction, where the discharge cells 130 are formed of one of red subpixels, green subpixels, and blue subpixels constituting one pixel. Subpixels. The discharge cell 130 is defined in the up and down direction by the upper substrate 111 and the lower substrate 121. The one discharge cell 130 of FIG. 3 is in the up and down direction from the lower surface of the upper substrate 111 to the lower substrate ( It means to include the area up to the top surface of 121, and more specifically, to include a discharge space formed in the panel, the phosphor layer 125, the address electrode 122, and the dielectric layer 123. do.

As shown in FIG. 2, a first partition wall 114 is formed below the upper substrate 111, and the first partition wall 114 defines a side surface of the discharge cell 130 to prevent misalignment between the discharge cells 130. Prevent discharge. The first partition wall 114 illustrated in FIG. 2 may extend in the x and y directions to form a matrix. The first partition wall 114 of the present invention is not limited to such a matrix shape, but may also be an open partition wall such as a stripe or the like and a closed partition wall such as a waffle or a delta. The first partition wall 114 formed of a dielectric material prevents the upper discharge electrode 112 and the lower discharge electrode 113 from being directly energized during discharge and induces accumulation of wall charges. Dielectrics for forming the first partition 114 include PbO, B 2 O 3, SiO 2, and the like.

Referring to FIG. 2, the side surface of the first partition wall 114 is preferably covered by the protective film 115. The protective film 115 may be damaged when charged particles due to discharge collide with the first partition wall 114. To prevent a lot of secondary electrons. The protective film 115 may typically be formed of an MgO film.

An upper discharge electrode 112 and a lower discharge electrode 113 are embedded in the first partition wall 114. The upper discharge electrode 112 and the lower discharge electrode 113 are disposed to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. The sustain discharge is performed by these discharge electrodes 112 and 113 to realize an image. Referring to FIG. 4, the upper discharge electrode 112 and the lower discharge electrode 113 are disposed in parallel to each other, and are formed in a ladder shape and surround the four side surfaces of the discharge cell 130 and extend in the x direction.

The upper discharge electrode 112 includes a first portion 112a and a second portion 112b spaced apart by a predetermined interval up and down. Referring to FIG. 5, the first portion 112a of the upper discharge electrode 112 is formed to surround the four side surfaces of the discharge cell 130, and the second portion 112b also covers the four side surfaces of the discharge cell 130. It is formed to surround.

Referring to FIG. 4, connecting portions 112c are disposed between the first portion 112a and the second portion 112b to electrically connect the first portion 112a and the second portion 112b. Referring to FIG. 6, the plurality of connection parts 112c are formed along four sides of the discharge cell 130 at predetermined intervals, and a plurality of through holes 112 ′ are formed therebetween. In the region where the connection portion 112c is formed, the discharge current does not flow to enable low power driving, and driving efficiency may be improved.

Like the upper discharge electrode 112, the lower discharge electrode 113 also includes a first portion 113a and a second portion 113b spaced apart from each other, and a connecting portion 113c is formed therebetween. In addition, a through hole 113 ′ is formed between the connection parts 113 c, and a plurality of through holes 113 ′ are formed along four sides of the discharge cell 130.

Referring to FIG. 3, the sustain discharge performed by the upper discharge electrode 112 and the lower discharge electrode 113 may include the second portion 112b of the upper discharge electrode 112, which is the innermost side of the discharge electrodes 112 and 113. And the first portion 113a of the lower discharge electrode 113 gradually diffuse outward. The plasma display panel according to the present exemplary embodiment includes a first portion 112a and a second portion 112b in which the upper discharge electrodes 112 are spaced up and down from each other, and the lower discharge electrode 113 is also spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. One part 113a and the second part 113b are provided. Accordingly, the distance Li between the portions of the discharge electrode formed inside, that is, the second portion 112b of the upper discharge electrode 112 and the first portion 113a of the lower discharge electrode 113 is shortened. This means that the discharge path at which discharge starts is shortened and the discharge start voltage can be lowered.

In addition, the distance Lo between the first portion 112a of the upper discharge electrode 112 and the second portion 113b of the lower discharge electrode 113, which are the discharge electrode portions formed on the outer side, increases. This means that the discharge surfaces of the discharge electrodes 112 and 113, which are discharged inside the discharge electrodes 112 and 113, are diffused away from each other, so that the discharge surface can be expanded vertically to improve the luminous efficiency of the plasma display panel.

One of the discharge electrodes 112 and 113 serves as a scan electrode, and the other electrode serves as a common electrode. When the scan electrode is disposed adjacent to the address electrode 122, the address voltage can be lowered. In this embodiment, the lower discharge electrode 112 adjacent to the address electrode 122 acts as the scan electrode. The upper discharge electrode 112 and the lower discharge electrode 113 are formed of a metal material having excellent electrical conductivity, for example, Ag, Cu, Al, or the like. In the conventional plasma display panel, the discharge sustaining electrode pair is formed below the upper substrate, and the discharge sustaining electrode pair includes a transparent electrode such as ITO for the upward transmission of visible light. In the present invention, since the discharge electrodes 112 and 113 are disposed in the first partition wall 114, the discharge electrodes 112 and 113 may be formed of a metal electrode having excellent electrical conductivity. Therefore, the voltage drop caused by the electrode itself is minimized, driving efficiency and response speed are improved, and a uniform voltage can be applied to the discharge cells disposed at a relatively long distance from the point of application of the voltage.

2, an address electrode 122 is disposed on the lower substrate 121. The address electrodes 122 may be formed in a stripe pattern along the discharge cells 130 in one row. As shown in FIG. 4, the address electrodes 122 intersect with the extending directions (x directions) of the discharge electrodes 112 and 113 (y directions). ) Is extended. The address electrode 122 is used to generate an address discharge for facilitating sustain discharge between the upper discharge electrode 112 and the lower discharge electrode 113. More specifically, the address electrode 122 serves to lower the voltage at which the sustain discharge starts. . The address discharge is a discharge occurring between the scan electrode and the address electrode 122. When the address discharge is completed, cations accumulate on the scan electrode side and electrons accumulate on the common electrode side, thereby making it easier to sustain discharge between the scan electrode and the common electrode. Done.

When there is no address electrode, the upper discharge electrode and the lower discharge electrode are arranged to cross each other, and the present invention is not limited to the structure provided with the address electrode.

As shown in FIG. 2, the address electrodes 122 are buried by the dielectric layer 123. The dielectric layer 123 damages the address electrode 122 because charged particles of the discharge gas collide directly with the address electrode 122. It is prevented from inducing and induces wall charge. Examples of the dielectric for forming the dielectric layer 123 include PbO, B 2 O 3, and SiO 2.

The second partition 124 is formed on the dielectric layer 123. The second partition 124 together with the first partition 114 defines a side surface of the discharge cell 130. In the embodiment of Figure 2, it is formed in a matrix shape extending in the x direction and the y direction. The second partition wall 124 of the present invention can be formed in a variety of structures other than such a matrix shape, for example, as well as an open partition structure of a stripe pattern, formed of a closed partition structure such as waffle, delta type. May be

The phosphor layer 125 is formed at the same level as the second barrier 124, which means that the phosphor layer 125 is disposed at the same height as the second barrier 124. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the phosphor layer 125 is disposed on the side of the second partition 124 on the dielectric layer 123 surrounded by the second partition 124. Each of the discharge cells 130 is divided into a red light emitting subpixel, a green light emitting subpixel, and a blue light emitting subpixel according to the type of the phosphor layer 125 disposed. The phosphor layer 125 includes a component that receives vacuum ultraviolet rays emitted from the plasma generated by the discharge and converts the same into visible light. For example, the phosphor layer formed on the red light emitting subpixel is Y (V, P) O4. Phosphor layer 125 including phosphors such as Eu, and the like, and phosphor layers 125 formed in the green light emitting subpixels include phosphors such as Zn2SiO4: Mn, YBO3: Tb, and the like. Phosphors, and the like. The discharge cells 130 are filled with discharge gases such as Ne, Xe, and the like and mixed gases thereof.

In the present invention including this embodiment, the discharge surface can be increased and the discharge region can be enlarged, so that the amount of plasma formed is increased, thereby enabling low voltage driving. Therefore, in the case of the present invention, even when a high concentration of Xe gas is used as the discharge gas, low voltage driving is possible, thereby significantly improving the luminous efficiency. This solves the problem that low voltage driving becomes very difficult when using a high concentration of Xe gas as a discharge gas in a conventional plasma display panel.

Referring to FIG. 3, in the plasma display panel according to the embodiment of the present invention having the above-described configuration, address discharge occurs by applying an address voltage between the address electrode 122 and the lower discharge electrode 113. As a result of the address discharge, the discharge cell 130 in which sustain discharge is to be generated is selected.

Thereafter, when a sustain discharge voltage of AC is applied between the upper discharge electrode 112 and the lower discharge electrode 113 of the selected discharge cell 130, the sustain discharge is discharged between the upper discharge electrode 112 and the lower discharge electrode 113. This happens. Ultraviolet rays are emitted while the energy level of the discharged gas excited by this sustain discharge is lowered. The ultraviolet rays excite the phosphor layer 125 coated in the discharge cell 130. As the energy level of the excited phosphor layer 125 decreases, visible light is emitted, and the emitted visible light forms an image. .

In the conventional plasma display panel shown in Fig. 1, the sustain discharge between the scan electrode 12 and the common electrode 13 occurs in the horizontal direction, so that the discharge area is relatively narrow. However, since the sustain discharge of the plasma display panel according to the present invention occurs in the vertical direction in all aspects defining the discharge cell 130, there is an advantage that the discharge area is relatively large. In particular, as shown in FIG. 3, the upper discharge electrode 112 and the lower discharge electrode 113 of the present embodiment have first and second portions 112a and 113a and second portions 112b and 113b, which are vertically separated from each other. As a result, the discharge surface on each side of the discharge cell 130 is further enlarged.

In addition, the sustain discharge in this embodiment is formed in a closed curve along the side of the discharge cell 130 and gradually diffuses to the center portion of the discharge cell (130). As a result, the volume of the region in which the sustain discharge occurs is increased, and the space charge in the discharge cell 130 which is not well used in the past also contributes to light emission. Such matters result in the improvement of the luminous efficiency of the plasma display panel.

In addition, in the plasma display panel according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, since the sustain discharge is performed only at the portion defined by the first partition wall 114, the phosphor due to the charged particles, which is a problem of the conventional plasma display panel. Ion sputtering of the layer 125 is prevented, and thus there is an advantage that no permanent afterimage occurs even when the same image is displayed for a long time.

Meanwhile, in the drawings attached to the present specification, partition walls defining side surfaces of the discharge cells are illustrated to be separated up and down, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the partition walls may be applied to a case where the partition walls are integrally formed. .

According to the plasma display panel according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

First, the driving efficiency of the plasma display panel is improved. In the plasma display panel of the present invention, by forming at least one through hole in the discharge electrodes, the discharge current is limited, and thus, the driving efficiency of the plasma display panel can be improved by reducing the power consumption. When the discharge electrodes are provided with portions spaced up and down, the discharge start voltage can be lowered, thereby further improving the driving efficiency.

Second, the luminous efficiency of the plasma display panel is improved. In the plasma display panel of the present invention, when the discharge electrodes are provided with portions spaced up and down, the discharge surface can be enlarged up and down, thereby improving luminous efficiency.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

1 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional plasma display panel;

2 is an exploded perspective view showing a plasma display panel according to an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2,

4 is a perspective view illustrating an electrode structure of the plasma display panel of FIG. 2;

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 3.

<Description of Symbols for Major Parts of Drawings>

111: upper substrate 112: upper discharge electrode

113: lower discharge electrode 114: first partition wall

115: protective film 121: lower substrate

122: address electrode 123: dielectric layer

124: second partition 125: phosphor layer

      130: discharge cell

Claims (7)

Transparent upper substrate; A lower substrate disposed in parallel with the upper substrate; A first partition wall disposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate and defining discharge cells together with the upper substrate and the lower substrate and formed of a dielectric; Upper discharge electrodes disposed in a first partition wall to surround the discharge cell; Lower discharge electrodes disposed in a first partition wall to surround the discharge cell and spaced apart from the upper discharge electrode; A phosphor layer disposed in the discharge cell; And A discharge gas in the discharge cell; And at least one through hole is formed in a side portion surrounding a discharge cell of at least one of the upper discharge electrodes and the lower discharge electrodes. The method of claim 1, The discharge electrode having the through hole is provided with a first portion and a second portion spaced apart up and down, the connecting portion is disposed between the first portion and the second portion at a predetermined interval, characterized in that the through hole is formed between the connecting portion Plasma display panel. The method of claim 1, And the upper discharge electrodes extend in one direction, and the lower discharge electrodes extend to intersect the upper discharge electrode. The method of claim 1, The upper discharge electrodes and the lower discharge electrodes have a ladder shape extending in one direction, And an address electrode extending to intersect the upper discharge electrode and the lower discharge electrode. The method of claim 4, wherein And the address electrode is disposed between the lower substrate and the phosphor layer, and a dielectric layer is disposed between the phosphor layer and the address electrode. The method of claim 1, And a second partition wall defining a discharge cell together with the first partition wall. And the phosphor layer is disposed at the same level as the second partition wall. The method of claim 1, And at least a side surface of the first partition wall is covered by a protective film.