KR20070024137A - Vacuum flat panel device - Google Patents

Abstract

A vacuum flat panel device is provided to prevent arching by interrupting accumulation of electric charges in an interior of a vacuum container, thereby increasing emission efficiency. A vacuum flat panel device includes a first substrate(10) and a second substrate(20) which are bonded to each other by a sealing member to form a vacuum container, and a barrier layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate for interrupting electric charges from being accumulated in the first substrate. An effective region(A) and a non-effective region(B) are formed in the vacuum container. A first electrode and a second electrode are formed on the first substrate. An electron emission portion(116) is electrically connected to the first or second electrode.

Description

Vacuum flatbed device {VACUUM FLAT PANEL DEVICE}

1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a vacuum flat plate device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a partial cross-sectional view of a vacuum flat plate device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a plan view of a vacuum flat panel device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to vacuum flatbed devices, and more particularly, to vacuum flatbed devices capable of blocking unnecessary charge accumulation inside a vacuum vessel.

In general, a vacuum flat plate device is a device in which a first substrate and a second substrate are bonded to each other by a sealing member to form a vacuum container, and are generally referred to as a flat device, and include an electron emission device and a plasma display device.

Among the vacuum flat panel devices, an electron emission device includes a method using a hot cathode and a cold cathode as an electron source.

Here, an electron emission device using a cold cathode may include a field emitter array (FEA) type, a surface conduction emission (SCE) type, a metal-insulator-metal ( Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) type and Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor (MIS) type are known.

Among these, the FEA type electron emission device uses molybdenum (Mo), which easily emits electrons 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. Alternatively, an example has been developed in which a tip structure mainly made of silicon (Si) or the like is formed, or a carbon-based material such as carbon nanotubes, graphite, and diamond-like carbon is formed as an electron emission unit.

A typical FEA type electron emission device has a vacuum container whose interior is evacuated after the first substrate and the second substrate are joined by a sealing member. The inside of the vacuum container is divided into an effective area where actual light emission or display is made and an invalid area outside the effective area, and cathodes as driving electrodes for controlling electron emission in addition to the electron emission part on the first substrate of the effective area. An electrode and a gate electrode are disposed, and an anode electrode is formed on the second substrate to allow the electrons emitted from the first substrate side to be efficiently accelerated toward the fluorescent layer to perform a predetermined light emission or display function.

In the FEA type electron emission device, the gate electrode and the cathode electrode each have a stripe pattern and are insulated from each other with an insulating layer interposed therebetween, and an electron emission portion is disposed at the cathode electrode at each intersection thereof.

However, as the gate electrode and the cathode electrode have a stripe pattern, the upper surface and the side surface of the insulating layer are exposed between the gate electrode or the cathode electrode in the effective region inside the vacuum chamber. In this case, since the charges accumulate on the surface of the insulating layer and cause arcing when the electron emission device is in operation, it is difficult to apply a high voltage to the anode electrode, thereby reducing the emission efficiency. That is, in order to increase the emission efficiency, the amount of electrons emitted from the electron emission unit must be increased, and for this purpose, a high voltage must be applied to the anode electrode. When the voltage applied to the anode electrode is increased, more charges are applied to the surface of the insulating layer. Because it accumulates.

Accordingly, the present invention is to solve the conventional problems as described above, the object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum flat plate device that can prevent the arcing and increase the emission efficiency by blocking unnecessary charge accumulation inside the vacuum vessel have.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention, the first substrate and the second substrate, and the effective region as well as the effective region bonded to each other by a sealing member to form a vacuum container and having an effective area and an invalid area inside the vacuum container. A vacuum plate device is provided that includes a blocking layer disposed between a first substrate and a second substrate corresponding to an area to block charges from accumulating on the first substrate.

Here, the blocking layer may be formed adjacent to the sealing member.

The vacuum flat panel device may further include a first electrode and a second electrode formed on a first substrate with a first insulating layer interposed therebetween, and at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode. The electronic device may further include electron emission parts electrically connected to each other, and a focusing electrode formed on the first electrode and the second electrode with the second insulating layer therebetween, and the blocking layer may be the focusing electrode.

Here, the focusing electrode may cover only the upper surface of the second insulating layer, or may cover the upper surface and the side surface of the second insulating layer.

The vacuum flat panel device may further include a first electrode and a second electrode formed on a first substrate with a first insulating layer interposed therebetween, and at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode. The electronic device may further include electron emission parts electrically connected to each other, and the blocking layer may include an electrode layer formed on the first electrode and the second electrode with the second insulating layer interposed therebetween.

Here, the electrode layer may be made of a metal layer.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

1, 2 and 3 are partially exploded perspective, partial cross-sectional and top views, respectively, of a vacuum flat panel device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, an FEA type electron emission device is shown as an example of a vacuum flat plate device.

Referring to the drawings, the electron emitting device 1 comprises a first substrate 10 and a second substrate 20 which are arranged in parallel to each other at predetermined intervals. The sealing member 400 is disposed at the edge of the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 to bond the two substrates so that the first substrate 10, the second substrate 20, and the sealing member 400 are vacuumed. Construct a container. For example, the sealing member 400 may be formed of glass frit. The inside of the vacuum container is divided into an effective area A in which actual electron emission and thus visible light emission occur, and thus an actual light emission or display, and an ineffective area B positioned along the periphery of the effective area A.

The first substrate 10 of the effective area A is provided with an electron emission unit 100 that emits electrons toward the second substrate 20, and the second substrate 20 emits visible light by the electrons. There is provided a light emitting unit 200 that emits any light or displays.

Looking at the configuration of the electron emission unit 100 and the light emitting unit 200 in more detail, first, the cathode electrodes 110 as a first electrode for controlling electron emission on the first substrate 10 is a first substrate ( It is formed in a stripe pattern along one direction (y-axis direction in FIG. 10) of 10, and the first insulating layer 112 is formed on the first substrate 10 of the effective region A while covering the cathode electrodes 110. Is formed. Gate electrodes 114 are formed on the first insulating layer 112 in a stripe pattern along a direction orthogonal to the cathode electrode 110 (x-axis direction in the drawing) as a second electrode for controlling electron emission.

The cathode electrodes 110 and the gate electrodes 114 are disposed orthogonal to each other only in the effective region A, and the edge portions 111 and 115 of the respective cathode electrodes 110 and the gate electrodes 114 are disposed. The terminal is exposed to the first substrate 10 from the outside of the sealing member 400 as a terminal portion to receive a drive signal from the outside.

In the present exemplary embodiment, when the region in which the cathode electrode 110 and the gate electrode 114 intersect is defined as a pixel region, an electron emission unit 116 is formed on the cathode electrode 110 in each pixel region, and the first insulating layer is formed. Openings 112a and 114a corresponding to the electron emission portions 116 are formed in the 112 and the gate electrode 114 to expose the electron emission portions 116 on the first substrate 10.

The electron emission unit 116 is made of materials that emit electrons when an electric field is applied in a vacuum, such as a carbon-based material or a nanometer-sized material. The electron emission unit 116 may be formed of any one of carbon nanotubes, graphite, graphite nanofibers, diamonds, diamond-like carbons, C ₆₀ (fullerenes), silicon nanowires, or a combination thereof. Printing, direct growth, chemical vapor deposition or sputtering can be applied.

In the drawing, for example, a configuration in which three electron emitters 116 having a circular planar shape are arranged per pixel area along the length direction of the cathode electrode 110 is illustrated, but the planar shape and the pixel area of the electron emitter 116 are illustrated. The number of sugars and the arrangement form are not limited to the illustrated example and can be variously modified.

Meanwhile, in the present exemplary embodiment, the structure in which the gate electrode 114 is positioned on the cathode electrode 112 with the first insulating layer 112 interposed therebetween is described. In the opposite case, that is, the cathode electrode is positioned on the gate electrode. In this case, the electron emission unit 116 may be formed on the first insulating layer 112 while in contact with one side of the cathode electrode.

Covering the first insulating layer 112 and the gate electrode 114 extends from the effective region A to the ineffective region B, as well as the effective region A, and extends the second insulating layer over the first substrate 10 ( 118 is formed, the focusing electrode 120 is formed in a pattern on the front surface of the second insulating layer 118, and the opening 118a for passing the electron beam through the second insulating layer 118 and the focusing electrode 120 as well. And 120a are provided respectively.

For example, one opening 118a or 120a may be provided per pixel area regardless of the number of electron emission units 116 so that the focusing electrode 120 comprehensively focuses electrons emitted from one pixel.

The focusing electrode 120 focuses electrons emitted from the pixel into the opening 120a and simultaneously exposes the second insulating layer 118 inside the vacuum container, particularly above the first substrate 10 in the effective area A. It also serves as a blocking layer that prevents charge from accumulating on the surface of the second insulating layer 118.

The focusing electrode 120 may be formed to cover only the upper surface of the second insulating layer 118 as shown in the drawing, and may be formed within a range insulated from the upper surface of the second insulating layer 118 as well as the cathode electrode 111. The second insulating layer 118 may be formed to extend to cover the side surface of the second insulating layer 118.

In addition, the second insulating layer 118 and the focusing electrode 120 may be formed adjacent to the sealing member 400 as shown in the drawing.

On the other hand, the second insulating layer 118 and the focusing electrode 120 may be formed to extend to the region where the sealing member 400 is located.

In the present embodiment, an electron emission device having the focusing electrode 120 has been described as an example, but the present invention can also be applied to an electron emission device having no focusing electrode 120.

In this case, a separate blocking layer made of an electrode layer may be formed on the gate electrode 114 with an insulating layer interposed therebetween. In this case, the blocking layer may be formed in the same form as the focusing electrode 120 of the above embodiment, and the electrode layer may be formed of a metal layer.

Then, the blocking layer prevents the first insulating layer 112 from being exposed inside the vacuum container, particularly over the first substrate 10 in the effective area A, thereby accumulating charges on the surface of the first insulating layer 112. Block it.

Next, a fluorescent layer 210 and a black layer 212 are formed on one surface of the second substrate 20 facing the first substrate 10, and aluminum and the phosphor layer 210 and the black layer 212 are formed on the surface of the second substrate 20. An anode electrode 214 made of the same metal film is formed. The anode electrode 214 is applied with a high voltage necessary for accelerating the electron beam from the outside, and reflects the visible light emitted toward the first substrate 10 of the visible light emitted from the fluorescent layer 210 toward the second substrate 20 side of the screen. It increases the brightness.

Meanwhile, the anode electrode 214 may be formed on one surface of the fluorescent layer 210 and the black layer 212 facing the second substrate 20, and in this case, may transmit visible light emitted from the fluorescent layer 210. So that the anode electrode is made of a transparent conductive layer such as ITO.

On the other hand, both the anode film of the transparent material and the metal thin film for increasing the luminance may be formed on the second substrate 20.

The fluorescent layer 210 may be disposed in a one-to-one correspondence with the pixel area defined on the first substrate 10 or may be formed in a stripe pattern along the vertical direction (y-axis direction of the drawing) of the screen, and the black layer 212 ) May be made of an opaque material such as chromium or chromium oxide.

A plurality of spacers 300 are disposed between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 to maintain a constant gap between the two substrates 10 and 20. In this case, the spacers 300 are disposed corresponding to the non-light emitting region where the black layer 212 is located.

In the electron emitting device configured as described above, for example, a positive voltage of several hundred to several thousand volts is applied to the anode electrode 214, a negative voltage of several to several tens of volts is applied to the focusing electrode 120, and a cathode is used. The scan signal voltage is applied to any one of the electrode 110 and the gate electrode 114, and the data signal voltage is applied to the other electrode to be driven.

Then, in the pixels where the voltage difference between the cathode electrode 110 and the gate electrode 114 is greater than or equal to the threshold, an electric field is formed around the electron emission part 116 to emit electrons therefrom, and the emitted electrons are focused on the electrode 120. After passing through and receiving a repulsive force from the center of the electron beam bundle is focused and attracted to the high voltage applied to the anode electrode 214 hits the fluorescent layer 212 of the corresponding pixel to emit light.

In this process, the electron emission device of the present embodiment is blocked by the focusing electrode 120 from exposing the second insulating layer 118 inside the vacuum vessel, in particular over the first substrate 10 in the effective area A, Accumulation of charges on the surface of the second insulating layer 118 may be suppressed.

Therefore, the electron emission device of the present embodiment can prevent arcing caused by charge accumulation, and it is possible to apply a high voltage to the anode electrode 214 to increase the emission efficiency.

On the other hand, while the FEA type electron emission device has been described as an example of the vacuum flat plate device, the present invention is not limited to such FEA type electron emission device, but also for other types of electron flat device and other vacuum flat device other than the electron emission device. It can be applied.

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 vacuum flat panel device according to the present invention can block unnecessary charge accumulation inside the vacuum vessel, thereby preventing arcing and increasing the emission efficiency.

Thus, the vacuum flat panel device according to the present invention can improve the light emission or display characteristics.

Claims (7)

A first substrate and a second substrate bonded to each other by a sealing member to form a vacuum container, the first substrate and a second substrate having an effective area and an invalid area inside the vacuum container; And And a blocking layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate in correspondence with the effective region as well as the non-effective region to block charges from accumulating on the first substrate. According to claim 1, And the blocking layer is formed adjacent to the sealing member. According to claim 1, A first electrode and a second electrode formed on the first substrate while being insulated from each other with a first insulating layer interposed therebetween; Electron emission parts electrically connected to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode; Further comprising a focusing electrode formed on the first electrode and the second electrode with a second insulating layer therebetween, And said blocking layer is a focusing electrode. The method of claim 3, wherein And said focusing electrode covers an upper surface of said second insulating layer. The method of claim 3, wherein And said focusing electrode covers the top and side surfaces of said second insulating layer. According to claim 1, A first electrode and a second electrode formed on the first substrate while being insulated from each other with a first insulating layer interposed therebetween; Further comprising electron emission parts electrically connected to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode, And the blocking layer includes an electrode layer formed on the first electrode and the second electrode with a second insulating layer interposed therebetween. The method of claim 6, And the electrode layer is made of a metal layer.

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