US3909094A - Gas panel construction - Google Patents

Gas panel construction Download PDF

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Publication number
US3909094A
US3909094A US433716A US43371674A US3909094A US 3909094 A US3909094 A US 3909094A US 433716 A US433716 A US 433716A US 43371674 A US43371674 A US 43371674A US 3909094 A US3909094 A US 3909094A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
glass plate
glass
parallel lines
chamber
gas
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US433716A
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English (en)
Inventor
Thomas R Gardner
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
International Business Machines Corp
Original Assignee
International Business Machines Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by International Business Machines Corp filed Critical International Business Machines Corp
Priority to US433716A priority Critical patent/US3909094A/en
Priority to FR7441915A priority patent/FR2257994B1/fr
Priority to IT30509/74A priority patent/IT1027649B/it
Priority to DE19742459834 priority patent/DE2459834A1/de
Priority to GB5558874A priority patent/GB1464148A/en
Priority to JP14771974A priority patent/JPS5444555B2/ja
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3909094A publication Critical patent/US3909094A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
    • C03C17/00—Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by coating
    • C03C17/34—Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by coating with at least two coatings having different compositions
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
    • C03C8/00—Enamels; Glazes; Fusion seal compositions being frit compositions having non-frit additions
    • C03C8/02—Frit compositions, i.e. in a powdered or comminuted form
    • C03C8/10—Frit compositions, i.e. in a powdered or comminuted form containing lead
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J11/00—Gas-filled discharge tubes with alternating current induction of the discharge, e.g. alternating current plasma display panels [AC-PDP]; Gas-filled discharge tubes without any main electrode inside the vessel; Gas-filled discharge tubes with at least one main electrode outside the vessel
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01J—ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J9/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture, installation, removal, maintenance of electric discharge tubes, discharge lamps, or parts thereof; Recovery of material from discharge tubes or lamps
    • H01J9/24—Manufacture or joining of vessels, leading-in conductors or bases
    • H01J9/26—Sealing together parts of vessels
    • H01J9/261—Sealing together parts of vessels the vessel being for a flat panel display
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03C—CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS
    • C03C2218/00—Methods for coating glass
    • C03C2218/30—Aspects of methods for coating glass not covered above
    • C03C2218/32—After-treatment
    • C03C2218/328—Partly or completely removing a coating
    • C03C2218/33—Partly or completely removing a coating by etching

Definitions

  • This invention relates to gas panels and more particularly to a method of constructing gas panels.
  • gas panels as display devices or storage devices has increased the need for production techniques leading to improved optical, electrical, and mechanical characteristics.
  • corresponding characteristics of each gas panel should be substantially the same, and the method of fabrication preferably should provide gas panels which are relatively less expensive to manufacture, maintain, and operate. It is to this end that the present invention is directed.
  • two glass plates are cut to appropriate dimensions, and a laminate preferably of chromiumcopper-chromium is disposed on one side of each glass plate.
  • a coating of photoresist material is disposed on the laminate and dried.
  • the photoresist material then is exposed to a light pattern of artwork having alternate light and dark parallel lines.
  • the two glass plates are immersed in a developer until the exposed photoresist material is removed, and the remaining photoresist material is in the form of parallel lines.
  • Each glass plate is cleaned and then immersed in a solution which etches away the laminate from regions not protected by the parallel lines of photoresist material.
  • This etching process leaves a plurality oflaminated parallel lines having an outer coating of unexposed photoresist material.
  • This photoresist material is exposed and placed in a developer until it is removed.
  • the two glass plates next are heated in a forming gas atmosphere and water vapor to oxidize the exposed surface of the outer chromium layer of the laminate.
  • This step. termed passivation renders the laminated parallel lines passive during a subsequent dielectric coating operation.
  • a dielectric composed of lead glass then is disposed over the laminated be removed parallel lines.
  • the lead glass dielectric preferably is a glass frit which is applied to a uniform depth as by precision spraying, and the glass plates then are fired in an oven to reflow the glass frit whereby a lead glass dielectric covers the laminated parallel lines.
  • the two glass plates are spaced apart a given distance and sealed around the periphery thereof to form a chamber therebetween for holding an illuminable gas. Thereafter the chamber between the two glass plates is evacuated and refilled with an illuminable gas preferably under'less than atmospheric pressure.
  • the dielectric coating and the outer chromium 5 layer of the laminate must beremoved from the end regions of the parallel lines of each glass plate so that electrical connections can be made to the exposed copper lands.
  • the dielectric coating is removed by immersion in an etching solution of perchloric acid.
  • the outer chromium layer of the laminate is removed by immersion in an etching which preferably is potassium ferricyanide.
  • the fabrication of the gas panel is complete, and it may be operated by applying electrical signals to selected parallel lines on each glass plate thereby to ignite gas cells defined by the coordinate intersections of parallel lines disposed orthogonally to each other.
  • FIGURE of the drawing is a perspective view of a gas panel constructed according to the method of this invention.
  • a gas panel constructed according to the novel method of this invention includes a first glass plate separated from and sealed to a second glass plate with an intervening chamber therebetween which is filled with an illuminable gas.
  • Electrically conductive parallel lines are disposed on opposing faces of the first and second glass plates immediately adjacent to the sides of the gas-filled chamber, and they serve as electrodes for supplying a given electrical potential to a selected gas cell.
  • the electrically conductive parallel lines on the first glass plate are disposed to extend orthogonally to the electrically conductive parallel lines on the second glass plate.
  • Gas cells are defined as the region of the illuminable gas disposed between the coordinate intersections of the grid network formed by the orthogonally disposed sets of parallel lines.
  • a selected gas cell is ignited by supplying a given electrical signal to one of the parallel lines on the first glass plate and applying a given electrical signal to a selected one of the parallel lines on the second glass plate. The gas cell at the coordinate intersection of the two selected parallel lines is ignited.
  • a gas panel constructed according to the novel method of this invention is illustrated in the sole FIG- URE of the drawing, and it includes an upper glass plate separated from and sealed to a lower glass plate 12 with an intervening chamber which is filled with an illuminable gas.
  • Electrically conductive parallel lines 21 through 28 are disposed on the lower side of the glass plate 10, and they serve as an electrode for supplying a given electrical signal to a selected gas cell.
  • Electrically conductive parallel lines 31 through 40 are disposed on the upper side of the glass plate 12, and they serve as an electrode for supplying a given electrical signal to the other side of a selected gas cell.
  • a selected gas cell is ignited by supplying a given electrical signal to one of the parallel lines 21 through 28 and applying a given electrical singal to a selected one of the parallel lines3l through 40. The gas cell at the coordinate intersection of the pair of selected lines is ignited.
  • the fabrication of the gas panel according to the method of this invention involves numerous operations. The basic steps are described next.
  • the first and second glass plates may be a sodalime-silica glass cut to the appropriate dimensions according to the desired size of the gas panel.
  • Each glass plate may be A of an inch thick, and each should be free, of chips or scratches, flat, and clean.
  • a first thin film of chromium approximately 1,000 Angstroms thick is deposited on one side of each glass plate; a second thin film of copper approximately 10,000 Angstroms thick is deposited on the first thin film of Chromium; and a third thin film composed of chromium approximately 1,000 Angstroms thick is deposited on the second thin film of copper.
  • the deposition of these thin films to form a laminate preferably is done by a vacuum metalization technique.
  • the laminate may extend over the entire surface of each glass plate if desired. Preferably it terminates before reaching the edges of the glass plates.
  • a photolithographic process is used to convert the laminate into a plurality of parallel lines which serve as electrical conductors.
  • a liquid photoresist material is applied, as by roller, over the outer thin film of chromium, baked dry, and exposed to a light pattern of art-. work having the desired size of parallel lines to be formed. Thereafter the two glass plates are immersed in a developer until the exposed photoresist material is removed, leaving the unexposed areas of the photoresist material undisturbed. Each glass plate is cleaned and then immersed in a solution which etches away the chromium-copper-chromium laminate from regions not protected by the photoresist material.
  • This etching process leaves a plurality of parallel lines with each line being composed of a chromium-copper-chromium laminate having an outer coat of unexposed photoresist material. This photoresist material is exposed next and then placed in a developer until it is removed. The laminated electrical parallel lines are formed.
  • the two glass plates next are heated in a forming gas atmosphere, preferably composed of 90% nitrogen and hydrogen, and water vapor until the outer chromium film of the laminate is oxidized.
  • the chromium oxide surface prevents attack, dissolution, or pitting of the laminated parallel lines during subsequent coating and firing operations.
  • This step of oxidizing the outer chromium film is referred to as passivation since it renders the laminated parallel lines passive during a subsequent dielectric coating operation which is de scribed next.
  • a dielectric coating of lead glass next is applied over the laminated parallel lines.
  • a glass frit composed of finely ground lead. glass is applied to a uniform depth over each glass plate as by spraying.
  • the two glass plates then are fired in an oven to a temperature sufficient to reflow the lead glass frit whereby a dielectric coating of glass completely covers the laminated parallel lines.
  • the lead glass coating serves as a dielectric material which collects a wall charge when the parallel lines subsequently are used as electrodes for operating the gas panel.
  • the dielectric coating of lead glass provides mechanical strength and support for the thin laminated conductors thereby enabling them to withstand thermal and mechanicalstress and shock during and after the remaining fabrication process.
  • the two glass pltes are spaced apart a given distance and sealed around the periphery thereof to form a gas chamber therebetween for holding an illuminable gas.
  • the sealing material for this purpose preferably is lead glass. It maybe finely ground and disposed in a cellulose binder cut in the form of a rectangle to define the display or storage area of the gas panel.
  • the inner periphery of the rectangular frame represents the desired dimensions of the chamber for holding the illu-. minable gas.
  • the rectangular frame of sealing material is disposed on one of the glass plates on top of the dielectric coating, and this glass plate is heated in an oven until the cellulose binder is baked out of the sealing material. The binder is baked out of the sealing material to avoid blistering or darkening of the sealant.
  • the bake-out is done also to remove possible contaminates which subsequently might invade the illuminable gas.
  • the use of a cellulose binder may be dispensed 'with and the finely ground lead glass sealant may be deposited on one of the glass plates as by painting with a brush or spraying with a spray gun after first masking the glass plate to prevent application of the sealant to undesired areas.
  • Glass rods of suitable diameter to maintain proper chamber width are disposed at given intervals around the inner periphery of the sealing material. The spacer rods may be placed about 1/16- of an inch from the inner periphery of the sealing mate rial.
  • the remaining glass plate is disposed on top of the spacer rods with the lead glass dielectric coating facing down in engagement with the sealant and the spacer rods.
  • the assembly is placed in an oven, leveled, and tired until the lead glass sealant material reflows thereby uniting the two glass plates with a chamber therebetween which is hermatically sealed.
  • the chamber between the two glass plates is evacuated, using any one of any several well-known techniques, and simultaneously the gas panel is baked thereby to remove moisture from the chamber and any gases which may escape from the lead glass sealing ma terial.
  • the chamber is filled with an illuminable gas which may be any one or a combination of several well-known gases used for this purpose. One suitable.
  • illuminable gas composed of 99.9% neon and 0.10% argon.
  • the evacuated chamber is filled with an illuminable gas preferably under less than atmospheric pressure. Suitable pressure in the chamber may be in a range of 600 to 700 torrs;
  • a white precipitate of lead chloride is formed.
  • the lead chloride precipitate settles on the surface of the lead glass dielectric and isolates the etchant from the surface of the dielectric thereby inhibiting further etching by the hydrochloric acid. This makes it necessary to perform the additional steps of l) removing the glass plate from the hydrochloric acid, and (2) rinsing with water, rubbing and scrubbing to remove the undesirable lead chloride precipitate. After cleaning, the edge of the glass plate again is immersed in the hydrochloric acid, and the etching process continues until the lead chloride precipitate settles on the surface-of the lead glass dielectric and again inhibits further etching.
  • perchloric acid etchant was found to be suitable for this etching process is eliminated, and the several etching and precipitate removal operations are not necessary.
  • perchloric acid as an etchant for hydrochloric acid
  • a soluble by-product of lead perchlorate is formed which easily goes into solution thereby allowing etching of the lead glass dielectric coating to continue without interruption until completed.
  • perchloric acid etchant provides a one-step etching operation, and furthermore the final result is a complete removal of the dielectric coating free and clear of any lead chloride to be scrubbed off. Since ther perchloric acid etchant reduces the time required to remove the dielectric coating, there is a saving of time and labor with a consequent reduction in the cost of production. Furthermore a better quality etch is obtained with perchloric acid.
  • the exposed outer chromium layer of the laminated parallel lines is removed next. This is done by immersion in another etchant. Potassium ferricyanide is suitable for this purpose.
  • the edge region of each glass plate is immersed in a solution of potassium ferricyanide until the outer chromium layer is removed from the laminated parallel lines thereby exposing the copper lands as electrical contacts.
  • steps 1 through 7 of the method according to this invention may be varied, and the order may be changed in many instances without departing from the essence of the invention.
  • the fabrication method lends itself to mass production techniques.
  • the construction of the panel is complete, and it may be operated by applying electrical signals to the ex posed copper regions near the edge of each glass plate.
  • the gas panel is operated in a test mode by applying electrical signals of approximately l80 to' 200 volts to all of the laminated parallel lines on each glass plate.
  • a novel fabrication technique for producing improved gas panels because they have uniformity in their mechanical, electrical and optical characteristics thereby permitting them to be used interchangeably.
  • the fabrication method according to this invention may be adapted to mass production techniques thereby making the gas panels relatively less expensive to manufacture.
  • the resulting superior product correspondingly decreases the cost of maintenance.
  • the gas panels moreover, are relatively inexpensive to operate as display or storage devices.
  • a method of fabricating a gas panel including the steps of:
  • a method of fabricating a gas panel including the steps of:
  • a method of fabricating a gas panel including the steps of:
  • a method of fabricating a gas panel including the steps of:
  • a method of fabricating a gas panel including the steps of:
  • a method of fabricating a gas panel including the steps of:
  • a method of fabricating a gas panel comprising the steps of:
  • each parallel line being a laminate composed of a first layer of chromium deposited on each glass plate, a second layer of copper deposited on said first layer, and a third layer of chromium deposited on said second layer,
  • each glass plate in an atmosphere of forming gas and water vapor to form a layer of chromium oxide on the outer surface of said third layer whereby the outer layer'of chromium oxiderenders the laminated parallel lines passive or nonreactive to subsequent firing operations,
  • step (j) is performed with potassium ferricyanide as the etchant.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Gas-Filled Discharge Tubes (AREA)
  • Surface Treatment Of Glass (AREA)
  • Manufacture Of Electron Tubes, Discharge Lamp Vessels, Lead-In Wires, And The Like (AREA)
  • Joining Of Glass To Other Materials (AREA)
US433716A 1974-01-16 1974-01-16 Gas panel construction Expired - Lifetime US3909094A (en)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US433716A US3909094A (en) 1974-01-16 1974-01-16 Gas panel construction
FR7441915A FR2257994B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-01-16 1974-11-22
IT30509/74A IT1027649B (it) 1974-01-16 1974-12-13 Procedimento per la fabbricazione di pannelli a gas
DE19742459834 DE2459834A1 (de) 1974-01-16 1974-12-18 Aufbau eines gasentladungs-bildschirm-bauelements
GB5558874A GB1464148A (en) 1974-01-16 1974-12-23 Manufacturing gas discharge display panels
JP14771974A JPS5444555B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-01-16 1974-12-24

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US433716A US3909094A (en) 1974-01-16 1974-01-16 Gas panel construction

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3909094A true US3909094A (en) 1975-09-30

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US433716A Expired - Lifetime US3909094A (en) 1974-01-16 1974-01-16 Gas panel construction

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3909094A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS5444555B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2459834A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2257994B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1464148A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
IT (1) IT1027649B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0050294A1 (en) * 1980-10-20 1982-04-28 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Method of making an electrode construction and electrode construction obtainable by this method
US5996736A (en) * 1998-03-11 1999-12-07 Danny Stankiewicz Ladder locking device
EP0924747A3 (en) * 1997-12-16 2000-01-12 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Flash discharge tube and method for producing the same

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2781308A1 (fr) * 1998-07-15 2000-01-21 Thomson Plasma Procede de realisation de moyens d'entretoisement pour panneaux de visualisation

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3767282A (en) * 1971-11-15 1973-10-23 Ibm Protection of terminal metallurgy during working and reworking of gas discharge display devices
US3778126A (en) * 1971-12-30 1973-12-11 Ibm Gas display panel without exhaust tube structure
US3778127A (en) * 1971-12-30 1973-12-11 Ibm Sealing technique for gas panel
US3778901A (en) * 1971-12-30 1973-12-18 Ibm Method of protecting electrical conductor terminations during gas panel fabrication
US3837724A (en) * 1971-12-30 1974-09-24 Ibm Gas panel fabrication

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3767282A (en) * 1971-11-15 1973-10-23 Ibm Protection of terminal metallurgy during working and reworking of gas discharge display devices
US3778126A (en) * 1971-12-30 1973-12-11 Ibm Gas display panel without exhaust tube structure
US3778127A (en) * 1971-12-30 1973-12-11 Ibm Sealing technique for gas panel
US3778901A (en) * 1971-12-30 1973-12-18 Ibm Method of protecting electrical conductor terminations during gas panel fabrication
US3837724A (en) * 1971-12-30 1974-09-24 Ibm Gas panel fabrication

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0050294A1 (en) * 1980-10-20 1982-04-28 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. Method of making an electrode construction and electrode construction obtainable by this method
EP0924747A3 (en) * 1997-12-16 2000-01-12 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Flash discharge tube and method for producing the same
US5996736A (en) * 1998-03-11 1999-12-07 Danny Stankiewicz Ladder locking device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2257994A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1975-08-08
DE2459834A1 (de) 1975-07-17
IT1027649B (it) 1978-12-20
JPS50104566A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1975-08-18
GB1464148A (en) 1977-02-09
FR2257994B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1976-10-22
JPS5444555B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1979-12-26

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