KR20060118077A - Electron emission device - Google Patents

Abstract

An electron emission device is provided to prevent the heat generated by a non-evaporating getter from being directly transferred to a substrate by spacing the non-evaporating getter apart from a substrate. A first substrate(2) and a second substrate are disposed opposite to each other at a predetermined interval. An electron emission unit is formed on the first substrate to emit electrons from the first substrate to the second substrate. A light emitting unit is formed on the second substrate to emit light by electrons radiated from the electron emission unit. A non-evaporating getter is disposed in a space formed between the first and the second substrate spaced apart from each other. A current applying member(52) is connected to the non-evaporating getter to apply an active current to the non-evaporating getter.

Description

Electron Emission Element {ELECTRON EMISSION DEVICE}

1 is a partial cross-sectional view of an electron emission device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a non-evaporable getter according to an embodiment of the present invention is installed on a substrate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electron emitting device, and more particularly, to an electron emitting device having an improved mounting state of a non-evaporable getter for maintaining the inside of a panel in a high vacuum state.

In general, the electron emission device may be classified into a method using a hot cathode and a cold cathode according to the type of the electron source.

Here, the electron-emitting device using a cold cathode is a field emitter array (FEA) type, surface conduction emission (SCE) type, metal-insulator-metal-insulator- metal (MIM) type and metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) type and the like are known.

The MIM type and the MIS type electron emission devices each form an electron emission part having a metal / insulation layer / metal and a metal / insulation layer / semiconductor structure, and have a voltage between two metals or metals and semiconductors disposed with an insulating layer interposed therebetween. When applying is used the principle that electrons are released as they move and accelerate from a metal with a high electron potential or from a semiconductor with a low electron potential.

The SCE-type electron emission device forms an electron emission portion by providing a conductive thin film between the first electrode and the second electrode disposed to face each other on a substrate, and providing a micro crack to the conductive thin film. When the current flows to the surface of the conductive thin film by applying it, the principle that the electron is emitted from the electron emission portion.

In addition, the FEA type electron emission device uses a principle that electrons are easily emitted by an electric field in vacuum when a material having a low work function or a large aspect ratio is used as the electron source.

As such, the electron emission device using the cold cathode basically includes driving electrodes for controlling electron emission of the electron emission unit along with an electron emission unit on the first of the two substrates constituting the vacuum container, and a fluorescent layer on the second substrate. In addition, an electron acceleration electrode for efficiently accelerating electrons emitted from the first substrate side toward the fluorescent layer is used to perform a predetermined light emission or display function.

As such, the electron emission device emits a fluorescent layer by the electrons emitted from the electron emission unit, and uses the visible light emitted from the electron emission device to implement a desired image. Maintain a high vacuum of 10 ^-6 Torr or less.

This is because if the inside of the panel of the electron emitting device is not kept in a high vacuum state, discharge or insulation breakdown may occur between the electron emitting portion and the driving electrode adjacent to the electron emitting portion, and on the other hand, the neutral present inside the panel This is because the cations generated when the particles collide with the electrons collide with the electron emitters to deteriorate them or collide with the electrons to attenuate the acceleration energy of the electrons, thereby degrading the luminance characteristic of the electron-emitting device.

In order to prevent this, the manufacturing process of the electron-emitting device requires a process of making the inside of the panel high vacuum.

Conventionally, the above-described process is mainly performed by using a getter. In the method of installing the getter, the getter is preliminarily before the upper and lower substrates constituting the electron-emitting device are combined to form a panel. There is a method of mounting on any one of the upper and lower substrates, and a method of attaching the upper and lower substrates to form one panel and mounting it in a tube for evacuating the inside of the panel.

Among them, the former method is mainly used because it can relatively increase the gas adsorption efficiency inside the panel. In the case of using a conventional non-evaporable getter, the non-evaporable getter is mounted in an auxiliary chamber and an active current is applied thereto. This non-evaporable getter is placed on either the upper or lower substrate, and an active current is applied thereto.

However, conventionally, when a lead wire connected to the non-evaporable getter and applying an active current to the non-evaporable getter has a width smaller than that of the non-evaporable getter, the lead is substantially applied when the active current is applied. In some cases, the wire may be broken to prevent the use of the non-evaporable getter, resulting in a defect in the manufacture of the electron-emitting device.

In addition, when the non-evaporable getter is positioned close to the upper and lower substrates, the upper and lower substrates are damaged by the heat generated during the activation process, and thus the upper and lower substrates are damaged. Poor manufacturing can be caused.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in the electron emission device manufactured using the non-evaporable getter, the present invention provides an electron emission device capable of solving the problems caused by the process of applying an active current to the non-evaporable getter. do.

Thus, the electron emitting device according to the present invention,

A first substrate and a second substrate disposed to face each other at a predetermined interval, an electron emission portion formed on the first substrate to emit electrons from the first substrate toward the second substrate, and formed on the second substrate And a light emitting part emitting light by electrons emitted from the electron emission part, a non-evaporable getter and a non-evaporable getter spaced apart from the first substrate and the second substrate and disposed in a space formed by the substrates. And a current application member for applying an active current to the non-evaporable getter.

The non-evaporable getter may be installed on a support installed on the first substrate with a predetermined height.

The height of the support may be 1/3 of the height of the spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

The first substrate and the second substrate are joined by a seal frit disposed along the periphery of the substrates, and the current applying member is connected to the evaporative getter while passing through the seal frit to form the panel. It may be made of a wire disposed inside, outside.

The width of the wire may be equal to or larger than the width of the evaporation getter.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating an electronic display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, the electron emission device includes a first substrate 2 and a second substrate 4 which are disposed to face each other in parallel to each other with an internal space therebetween. Among these substrates, the first substrate 2 is provided with a configuration for emitting electrons, and the second substrate 4 is provided with a configuration of a light emitting portion that emits visible light by electrons to perform any light emission or display.

First, on the first substrate 2, the cathode electrodes 6, which are the first electrodes, have a predetermined pattern, for example, a stripe shape, and are arranged in a plurality of directions along one direction of the first substrate 2 at arbitrary intervals from each other. Is formed. The insulating layer 8 is formed on the entire first substrate 2 while covering the cathode electrodes 6.

On the insulating layer 8, a plurality of gate electrodes 10, which are second electrodes, are formed in a predetermined pattern, for example, in a stripe shape, along a direction orthogonal to the cathode electrode 6 at arbitrary intervals from each other. .

When the region where the cathode electrode 6 and the gate electrode 10 cross each other is defined as a pixel region, one or more openings 12 are formed in the gate electrode 6 and the insulating layer 8 in each pixel region to form a cathode electrode ( Expose some surface of 6). An electron emission portion 14 is formed on the cathode electrode 6 inside the opening 12. The electron emission portion 14 is electrically connected thereto in contact with the cathode electrode 6.

The planar shape of the electron emission unit 14, the number and arrangement form per pixel area, etc. are not limited to the illustrated example and may be variously modified.

The electron emission unit 14 is formed of materials that emit electrons when an electric field is applied, such as a carbon-based material or a nanometer-sized material. Preferred materials for use as the electron emitter 14 include any one of carbon nanotubes, graphite, graphite nanofibers, diamonds, diamond phase carbons, C ₆₀ , silicon nanowires, or a combination thereof. Printing, direct growth, chemical vapor deposition or sputtering can be applied.

In this configuration an insulating layer 8 is arranged between the cathode electrodes 6 and the gate electrodes 10 to electrically insulate the two electrodes.

A fluorescent layer 16 and a black layer 18 are formed on one surface of the second substrate 4 facing the first substrate 2, and a metal such as aluminum is disposed on the fluorescent layer 16 and the black layer 18. An anode electrode 20 made of a film is formed. The anode electrode 20 receives a high voltage necessary for accelerating the electron beam from the outside, and reflects the visible light emitted toward the first substrate 2 of the visible light emitted from the fluorescent layer 16 toward the second substrate 4 side of the screen. It increases the brightness.

On the other hand, the anode electrode may be made of a transparent conductive film such as indium tin oxide (ITO) rather than a metal film. In this case, the anode electrode may be positioned on one surface of the fluorescent layer facing the second substrate and the black layer, and may be formed in plural in a predetermined pattern.

The first substrate 2 and the second substrate 4 described above are integrally formed by a seal frit 5 applied around the substrate at arbitrary intervals while the gate electrode 10 and the anode electrode 20 face each other. And constitute an electron emitting device as a panel. In this embodiment, the seal frit 5 is used in the form of a frit bar.

At this time, the inner space of the panel is evacuated and maintained in a vacuum state. A non-evaporable getter 51 is installed between the first substrate 2 and the second substrate 4 to increase the degree of vacuum. As shown in FIG. 2, the non-evaporable getter 35 is mounted on the support 53 fixed to the first substrate 2.

Here, the support 53 is made smaller than the height of the spacer 22 disposed between the first substrate 2 and the second substrate 4 to maintain a gap therebetween, specifically, the spacer 22. It may be made of a height of about 1/3 of the height it has.

Unlike the first and second substrates 2 and 4, the support 53 is preferably made of a non-glass material, and the non-evaporable getter 51 is a separate layer having an adhesive component to the support 53. Can be fixed through (not shown). At this time, it is preferable that this adhesive layer consists of a component which does not have outgas.

As a result, the non-evaporable getter 35 is disposed between these substrates 2 and 4 in a state spaced apart from the first substrate 2 and the second substrate 4, respectively. That is, in this embodiment, the non-evaporable getter 35 is not installed in direct contact with the first substrate 2 or the second substrate 4, but through a separate structure such as the support 53 described above. It is provided in the panel of an electron emission element. Of course, the floating arrangement structure of the non-evaporable getter 35 is not limited to the above example but can be realized by various structures.

In the present embodiment, the current applying member 52 for applying an active current to the non-evaporable getter 35 is electrically connected to the non-evaporable getter 35 and passes through the seal frit 5 to form an electron emission element. It is made of a conductive wire drawn out to the outside.

Here, the current applying member 52 may make the width W2 greater than or equal to the width W1 of the non-evaporable getter 35, and the width W2 of the current applying member 52 is non-evaporated. When the active current is applied to the mold getter 35, it is possible to prevent the phenomenon of breaking in response to the high active current.

In addition, in the present embodiment, as described above, the current applying member 52 passes through the inside of the seal frit 5 and is drawn out of the electron emission element. In view of such a structure, it is preferable that the current applying member 52 maintain the appropriate thickness so as not to affect the bonding between the first substrate 2 and the second substrate 4, in the present embodiment, the thickness thereof. Should be kept below 0.1 mm.

In the electron-emitting device, when the non-evaporable getter 51 is installed as above, the non-evaporable getter 51 can be located in the panel away from the substrate, and thus upon activation of the non-evaporable getter 51 The generated heat may not be transferred directly to the substrate, thereby preventing the substrate from being damaged by heat.

On the other hand, in the above description of the FEA type electron emitting device comprising an electron emitting portion made of materials that emit electrons when an electric field is applied in a vacuum, the present invention is not limited to the FEA type, it is easily applied to other electron emitting devices.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the claims and the detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings. Naturally, it belongs to

As described above, the electron emission device according to the present invention improves the installation structure of the non-evaporable getter to prevent defects (substrate breakage, getter malfunction, etc.) that may occur during manufacture.

Therefore, the electron-emitting device to which the present invention is applied can be manufactured as a good quality product by the good action of the non-evaporable getter, and can contribute to productivity improvement by preventing product defects during manufacturing.

Claims (6)

A first substrate and a second substrate disposed to face each other at a predetermined interval; An electron emission part formed on the first substrate to emit electrons from the first substrate toward the second substrate; A light emitting part formed on the second substrate and emitting light by electrons emitted from the electron emitting part; A non-evaporable getter spaced from the first substrate and the second substrate and disposed in a space formed by the substrates; And A current applying member connected to the non-evaporable getter to enable an active current to be applied to the non-evaporable getter. Electron emitting device comprising a. According to claim 1, The non-evaporable getter is installed on the support having a predetermined height on the first substrate. The method of claim 2, The height of the support is an electron emission device is 1/3 of the height of the spacer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. According to claim 1, The first substrate and the second substrate are joined by a seal frit disposed along the periphery of the substrates, and the current applying member is connected to the evaporative getter while passing through the seal frit to form the panel. An electron emission device comprising a wire disposed inside and outside. The method of claim 4, wherein And the width of the wire is equal to or greater than the width of the evaporative getter. The method of claim 4, wherein And an electron emitting device having a thickness of less than 0.1 mm.

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