KR20070044585A - Method for manufacturing electron emission device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an electron emitting device, the method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to an embodiment of the present invention of the present invention comprises the steps of forming a cathode electrode on the first substrate, and forming an electron emission portion on the cathode electrode Forming a separator on the second substrate; forming a gate electrode on the separator; forming an insulating layer on the second substrate while covering the gate electrode; Etching holes in the electrodes, aligning the electron emission parts and the holes so as to correspond to each other, combining the first substrate and the second substrate to form a single structure, and forming the second substrate and the separator in the single layer. Separating from the structure of the.

Electron Emission, Membrane, Cathode, Gate, Insulation Layer

Description

Method for manufacturing electron emitting device {METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING ELECTRON EMISSION DEVICE}

1A to 1I are schematic diagrams at each step shown to explain a method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

2A to 2F are schematic diagrams at each step shown to explain a method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a partially exploded perspective view of an electron emission display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an electron emitting device, and more particularly, to a method of manufacturing an electron emitting device comprising an electron emitting portion and drive electrodes for controlling the electron emitting portion.

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

Here, the electron emission device using the cold cathode may be a field emitter array (FEA) type, a surface conduction emission type (SCE) type, metal Metal-Insulator-Metal (hereinafter referred to as 'MIM') type and Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor (hereinafter referred to as 'MIS') type are known.

The FEA type electron emission device includes an electron emission portion and driving electrodes for controlling electron emission of the electron emission portion, and includes one cathode electrode and one gate electrode, and has a low work function as a material of the electron emission portion. Materials with high aspect ratios, such as molybdenum (Mo) or silicon (Si), have sharp tip structures, or carbon-based materials such as carbon nanotubes and graphite and diamond-like carbon, By using the principle that electrons are easily emitted.

On the other hand, the electron emission elements are formed in an array on one substrate to form an electron emission device, and the electron emission device is combined with another substrate having a light emitting unit composed of a fluorescent layer and an anode electrode to emit electrons. A display device (electron emission display device) is constituted.

That is, the conventional electron emitting device includes a plurality of driving electrodes that function as scan electrodes and data electrodes in addition to the electron emitting part, so that the electron emission amount and the electron emission amount per pixel are controlled by the action of the electron emitting part and the driving electrodes. To control. The electron emission display device excites the fluorescent layer with the electrons emitted from the electron emission unit to perform a predetermined light emission or display function.

In general, an electron emission device includes forming a cathode on a substrate, applying an insulating material and a conductive material to the entire substrate in order to form an insulating layer and a conductive film, and forming a hole in the insulating layer and the conductive film, respectively, and then forming a conductive film. Patterning to form a gate electrode, and forming an electron emission part on the cathode electrode in the hole.

That is, after forming the cathode electrode, the insulating layer, and the gate electrode on the substrate, the electron emission portion is finally formed on the cathode electrode to complete the electron emission device. In this case, the electron emission part is formed by applying a paste-like mixture containing an electron emission material on a structure formed on the substrate, partially curing the applied mixture through exposure, and then removing the uncured mixture by development.

However, in the method of manufacturing the electron emitting device, some of the electron emitting materials remain in a portion other than the electron emitting portion in forming the electron emitting portion. The electron emission material thus retained emits electrons, and as a result, undesired phosphor layer emission occurs when the electron emission device is applied to the electron emission display device, thereby degrading display quality.

In addition, the conventional method of manufacturing the electron emitting device may finally cause the electron emitting portion to be formed, thereby affecting the uniformity of the electron emitting portion and the pixel uniformity due to the intermediate process of forming the cathode electrode and the gate electrode.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an electron emitting device which minimizes the influence of an intermediate process of forming other components in forming an electron emitting portion.

In order to achieve the above object, a method of manufacturing an electron emission device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of forming a cathode electrode on the first substrate, forming an electron emission portion on the cathode electrode, and on the second substrate Forming a separator, forming a gate electrode on the separator, forming an insulating layer on the second substrate while covering the gate electrode, and etching holes in the insulating layer and the gate electrode, respectively. And aligning the electron emission parts and the holes to correspond to each other to form a single structure by combining the first substrate and the second substrate, and separating the second substrate and the separator from the single structure. do.

In addition, the step of forming the single structure may include a firing process.

In addition, the separator may be formed of a light-adhesive polymer.

In addition, the electron emission unit may be formed by a direct growth method.

In addition, a method of manufacturing an electron emission device according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include forming a cathode electrode on a first substrate, forming an electron emission portion on the cathode electrode, and forming a separator on the second substrate. Stacking a first conductive layer, a first insulating layer, and a second conductive layer on the separator; forming a gate electrode by patterning the second conductive layer; and forming a gate electrode on the first insulating layer and the gate electrode. Forming an insulating layer, etching the holes in the order of the second insulating layer, the gate electrode, the first insulating layer, and the first conductive layer, and arranging the electron emission parts and the holes to correspond to each other. Combining the first substrate and the second substrate to form a single structure, and separating the second substrate and the separator from the single structure.

The forming of the cathode may include forming a transparent conductive film on the first substrate, a line electrode patterning the transparent conductive film to form an opening therein, and an isolation spaced apart from the line electrode inside the opening. The method may include forming an electrode, forming a resistance layer connecting the line electrode and the isolation electrode, and forming an auxiliary electrode on the line electrode.

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

1A to 1I are schematic diagrams at each step shown to explain a method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to FIG. 1A, a transparent conductive film, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), may be coated on the first substrate 2. The transparent conductive film is patterned by a stripe-shaped line electrode 4 having an opening 4a formed along the longitudinal direction and an isolation electrode 6 spaced apart from the line electrode 4 inside the opening 4a.

Next, referring to FIG. 1B, a resistance layer 8 connecting the line electrode 4 and the isolation electrode 6 and an auxiliary electrode 10 formed of a metal or a metal alloy on the line electrode 4 are formed. do. The line electrode 4, the isolation electrode 6, the resistance layer 8, and the auxiliary electrode 10 constitute the cathode electrode 12, and the pattern of the cathode electrode 12 may be variously modified.

Next, referring to FIG. 1C, an electron emission portion 14 is formed on the isolation electrode 6. The electron emission unit 14 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 (nm) size material. Preferred materials for use as the electron emitter 14 include carbon nanotubes, graphite, graphite nanofibers, diamond, diamond-like carbon, fullerene (C ₆₀ ), silicon nanowires, and combinations thereof.

The direct growth method may be used as one of methods of manufacturing the electron emission unit using the carbonaceous material. Direct growth methods include electric discharge, laser deposition, plasma chemical vapor deposition, and thermal chemical vapor deposition. These methods mainly grow a carbon-based material on a catalytic metal layer (not shown) to obtain an electron emission portion 14. .

Next, referring to FIGS. 1D and 1E, the separator 18 and the conductive film are coated on the second substrate 16 in order, and then the gate electrode 20 is formed by patterning the conductive film in a stripe shape. The separator 18 may be formed of a light-adhesive polymer.

Next, referring to FIG. 1F, an insulating material is coated on the separator 18 and the gate electrode 20 to form the insulating layer 22, and then a hole 22a is formed in the insulating layer 22 using the mask layer. Etch it. The portion of the gate electrode 20 exposed by the opening 22a of the insulating layer 22 is etched to form another hole 20a in the gate electrode 20.

Next, referring to FIG. 1G, the first substrate 2 and the second substrate 16 on which the respective structures are formed are aligned. In this case, the electron emission units 14, the gate electrodes 20, and the holes 20a and 22a formed in the insulating layer 22 are aligned to correspond to each other.

Next, referring to FIGS. 1H and 1I, the first substrate 2 and the second substrate 16 are combined to form a single structure 24. In this case, the insulating layer 22 may be subjected to a firing process to be fused to the cathode electrode 12 and the first substrate 2.

Thereafter, the second substrate 16 and the separator 18 are separated from the single structure 24 to complete the electron emission device. The separator 18 is formed of a photo-adhesive polymer to facilitate separation of the gate electrode 20 and the separator 18.

2A to 2F are schematic diagrams at each step shown to explain a method of manufacturing an electron emitting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and show a method of manufacturing an electron emitting device having a focusing electrode. In the present embodiment, the process of forming the cathode electrode and the electron emission part on the first substrate is the same as that of the first embodiment.

First, referring to FIG. 2A, after forming the separator 38 made of the photo-fixable polymer on the second substrate 36, the first conductive layer 40, the first insulating layer 42, and the first conductive layer 40 are formed on the separator 38. 2 Conductive films are laminated in order. The gate electrode 44 is formed by patterning the second conductive film in a stripe shape.

Next, referring to FIG. 2B, an insulating material is coated on the first insulating layer 42 and the gate electrode 44 to form the second insulating layer 46.

Next, referring to FIG. 2C, after etching the hole 46a into the second insulating layer 46 using a mask layer (not shown), the hole 46a of the second insulating layer 46 may be etched. The exposed gate electrode 44, the first insulating layer 42, and the first conductive layer 40 are sequentially etched to form additional holes 44a, 42a, and 40a, respectively. Here, the first conductive layer 40 functions as a focusing electrode that focuses electrons emitted from the electron emission unit 14.

Next, referring to FIG. 2D, the first substrate 2 and the second substrate 36 on which the respective structures are formed are aligned. In this case, the electron emission units 14 and the holes 40a, 42a, 44a, and 46a are aligned to have a one-to-one correspondence with each other.

Next, referring to FIGS. 2E and 2F, the first substrate 2 and the second substrate 36 are combined to form a single structure 48. In this case, the second insulating layer 46 may be sintered to be fused to the cathode electrode 12 and the first substrate 2. Thereafter, the second substrate 36 and the separator 38 are physically separated from the single structure 48 to form the cathode electrode 12, the second insulating layer 46, and the gate electrode () from the first substrate 2. 44), and the electron emission device laminated | stacked in order of the 1st insulating layer 42 and the focusing electrode 40 is completed.

3 is a partially exploded perspective view of an electron emission display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, the electron emission display device includes a first substrate 50 and a second substrate 52 which are disposed to face each other in parallel at predetermined intervals. Sealing members (not shown) are disposed at the edges of the first substrate 50 and the second substrate 52 to bond the two substrates, and the internal space is evacuated with a vacuum of approximately 10 ⁻⁶ torr to form the first substrate 50. ), The second substrate 52 and the sealing member constitute a vacuum container.

On the opposite surface of the first substrate 50 to the second substrate 52, electron emission elements are arranged in an array to form an electron emission device together with the first substrate 50, and the electron emission device is a second substrate. And a light emitting unit provided on the second substrate 52 to form an electron emission display device.

First, the cathode electrodes 54 are formed on the first substrate 50 in a stripe pattern along one direction of the first substrate 50, and cover the cathode electrodes 54 to cover the entire first substrate 50. The second insulating layer 56 is formed. Gate electrodes 58 are formed on the second insulating layer 56 in a stripe pattern along a direction orthogonal to the cathode electrode 54.

In this embodiment, when the intersection region of the cathode electrode 54 and the gate electrode 58 is defined as the pixel region, each cathode electrode 54 has a line electrode 542 forming an opening 541 therein for each pixel region. ), A plurality of isolation electrodes 543 which are spaced apart from the line electrode 542 inside the opening 541, and the line electrodes 542 and the isolation electrodes 543 on both left and right sides of the isolation electrodes 543. ) And a pair of resistive layers 544 electrically connecting the second electrodes 545 formed on the line electrodes 542.

An electron emission portion 60 is formed on each isolation electrode 543. The electron emission unit 60 may be 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.

On the other hand, the electron emission unit may be formed of a tip structure having a pointed tip mainly made of molybdenum (Mo) or silicon (Si).

In the above structure, one end of the line electrode 542 is connected to an external circuit (not shown) and receives a driving voltage therefrom, and the resistor layer 544 has an unstable driving voltage applied to the line electrode 542 or a line electrode. When a voltage drop occurs at 542, a driving voltage having the same condition is applied to the electron emission units 60, thereby uniformizing the emission characteristics.

Holes 56a and 58a corresponding to the electron emission parts 60 are formed in the second insulating layer 56 and the gate electrode 58 to form the electron emission parts 60 on the first substrate 50. To be exposed.

The focusing electrode 62 is formed on the gate electrodes 58 and the second insulating layer 56. A first insulating layer 64 is positioned below the focusing electrode 62 to insulate the gate electrodes 58 and the focusing electrode 62, and passes the electron beam through the first insulating layer 64 and the focusing electrode 62. Holes 64a and 62a are provided. The holes 64a and 62a may be formed to correspond to the electron emission units 60 in a one-to-one manner, for example.

Next, on one surface of the second substrate 52 opposite to the first substrate 50, the fluorescent layer 68, for example, the red, green, and blue fluorescent layers 68R, 68G, and 68B may be randomly selected from each other. It is formed at intervals, and a black layer 70 is formed between the fluorescent layers 68 to improve contrast of the screen. The fluorescent layer 68 is disposed so that the fluorescent layer of one color corresponds to the pixel area set in the first substrate 50.

An anode electrode 72 made of a metal film such as aluminum (Al) is formed on the fluorescent layer 68 and the black layer 70. The anode electrode 72 receives a high voltage necessary for accelerating the electron beam from the outside to maintain the fluorescent layer 68 in a high potential state, and is radiated toward the first substrate 50 of visible light emitted from the fluorescent layer 68. The visible light is reflected toward the second substrate 52 to increase the brightness of the screen.

The anode electrode may be formed of a transparent conductive film such as indium tin oxide (ITO). In this case, the anode electrode is positioned on one surface of the fluorescent layer 68 and the black layer 70 facing the second substrate 52. The anode electrode may also have a structure in which the above-mentioned transparent conductive film and a metal film are simultaneously formed.

In addition, spacers 74 are disposed between the first substrate 50 and the second substrate 52 to support the compressive force applied to the vacuum vessel, and to space the first substrate 50 from the second substrate 52. Keep it constant The spacers 74 are positioned corresponding to the black layer 70 so as not to invade the fluorescent layer 68.

The electron emission display device having the above-described configuration is driven by supplying a predetermined voltage to the cathode electrodes 54, the gate electrodes 58, the focusing electrode 62, and the anode electrode 72 from the outside.

For example, any one of the cathode electrodes 54 and the gate electrodes 58 receives a scan driving voltage to serve as scan electrodes, and the other electrodes receive a data driving voltage to serve as data electrodes. In addition, the focusing electrode 62 receives a voltage required for electron beam focusing, for example, 0 V or a negative DC voltage of several to several tens of volts, and the anode electrode 72 provides a voltage for accelerating the electron beam, for example, several hundred to several thousand volts. DC voltage of is applied.

Then, in the pixels where the voltage difference between the cathode electrode 54 and the gate electrode 58 is greater than or equal to the threshold, an electric field is formed around the electron emission unit 60 to emit electrons therefrom. The emitted electrons are focused to the center of the electron beam bundle while passing through the hole 621 of the focusing electrode 62, and are attracted by the high voltage applied to the anode electrode 72 to impinge on the fluorescent layer 68 of the corresponding pixel to emit light. Let's do it.

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 method of manufacturing the electron emission device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may form an electron emission unit without being affected by the process of the gate electrode, the insulating layer, and the focusing electrode, and may be generated around the electron emission unit. The residue is covered by an insulating layer when joining the two substrates to prevent residue by the residue. Accordingly, the light emission quality of the electron emission display device according to the embodiment of the present invention is improved.

Claims (10)

Forming a cathode electrode on the first substrate; Forming an electron emission portion on the cathode electrode; Forming a separator on the second substrate; Forming a gate electrode on the separator; Forming an insulating layer on the second substrate while covering the gate electrode; Etching holes in the insulating layer and the gate electrode, respectively; Aligning the electron emission parts and the holes to correspond to each other to form a single structure by combining the first substrate and the second substrate; And Separating the second substrate and the separator from the single structure Method of manufacturing an electron emitting device comprising a. The method of claim 1, Forming the unitary structure comprises a firing process. The method of claim 1, 12. A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device wherein said separator is formed of a photo-stick polymer. The method of claim 1, And the electron emitting portion is formed by a direct growth method. Forming a cathode electrode on the first substrate; Forming an electron emission portion on the cathode electrode; Forming a separator on the second substrate; Stacking a first conductive layer, a first insulating layer, and a second conductive layer on the separator; Patterning the second conductive film to form a gate electrode; Forming a second insulating layer over the first insulating layer and the gate electrode; Etching holes in order of the second insulating layer, the gate electrode, the first insulating layer, and the first conductive layer; Aligning the electron emission parts and the holes to correspond to each other to form a single structure by combining the first substrate and the second substrate; And Separating the second substrate and the separator from the single structure Method of manufacturing an electron emitting device comprising a. The method of claim 5, Forming the cathode electrode, Forming a transparent conductive film on the first substrate; Patterning the transparent conductive film to form a line electrode forming an opening therein and an isolation electrode spaced apart from the line electrode inside the opening; Forming a resistive layer connecting the line electrode and the isolation electrode; And Forming an auxiliary electrode over said line electrode. The method of claim 5, Forming the unitary structure comprises a firing process. The method of claim 5, And the separator is formed of an adsorbable polymer. The method of claim 5, And the electron emitting portion is formed by a direct growth method. The method of claim 5, And at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon nanotubes, graphite, graphite nanofibers, diamonds, diamond-like carbons, fullerenes (C ₆₀ ), and silicon nanowires.

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