Abstract:
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel for maintaining the light emission and enhancing the contrast. The plasma display panel of the present invention includes the first electrodes for receiving scan pulses, the second electrodes for receiving first sustain pulses and the third electrodes for receiving second sustain pulses. The black matrices are formed to cover the first electrodes. Thus, the first electrodes are used during resetting or addressing and the second electrodes and the third electrodes are use during sustaining so as to maintain the light emission and enhance the contrast greatly.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a plasma display panel, and more particularly, to a plasma display panel capable of improving the contrast using a black matrix.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    In general, a plasma display panel (hereafter, referred to as PDP) is a display device that uses the visible rays generated when vacuum ultraviolet rays generated by gas discharge excite phosphor.  
           [0005]    The PDP is thinner in thickness and lighter in weight than the cathode ray tubes (CRTs) that have been usually employed as display devices. The PDP has an advantage in that a high definition and large-sized screen can be realized.  
           [0006]    The PDP that has such advantages described above includes many discharge cells arranged in matrix fashion and each of the discharge cells works as one pixel of a screen.  
           [0007]    [0007]FIG. 1 illustrates the structure of three-electrode AC surface discharge type PDP in the related art. Even though FIG. 1 depicts one discharge cell  1  for the convenience of explanation, a PDP has generally many millions of the discharge cells  1  shown in the FIG. 1 in matrix fashion.  
           [0008]    Referring to FIG. 1, a three-electrode AC surface discharge type PDP in the related art includes first electrodes  12 Y and second electrodes  12 Z formed on a front substrate  10  and address electrodes  20 X formed on a rear substrate  18 .  
           [0009]    A front dielectric layer  14  and a protective layer  16  are laminated on the front substrate  10  that has the first electrodes  12 Y and the second electrodes  12 Z arranged in parallel. Wall charge generated during plasma discharge is stored on the front dielectric layer  14 . The front dielectric layer  14  is designed to have a thickness within 30 μm to 45 μm. The protective layer  16  protects the front dielectric layer  14  from damages caused by sputtering during plasma discharge and also improves the second electrons emission efficiency. The protective layer  16  is usually made of magnesium oxide (MgO).  
           [0010]    A rear dielectric layer  22  and barrier ribs  24  are formed on the rear substrate  18  that has the address electrodes  20 X formed thereon. A phosphor layer  26  is coated on the surfaces of the rear dielectric layer  22  and the barrier ribs  24 . The address electrodes  20 X is formed in the direction to cross over the first electrodes  12 Y and the second electrodes  12 Z. The barrier ribs  24  are formed in parallel with the address electrodes  20 X so as to prevent the ultraviolet rays and the visible rays generated by the plasma discharge from leaking into the neighboring discharge cells  1 .  
           [0011]    The phosphor layer  26  is excited by the ultraviolet rays generated during the plasma discharge so as to generate one of visible rays of red, green and blue colors. The inert gas for discharge is injected into discharge spaces prepared between the front substrate  10 /the rear substrate  18  and the barrier ribs  24 . As shown in FIG. 2, a black matrix is formed between the first electrode  12 Y and the second electrode  12 Z which are respectively formed in the neighboring discharge cells  1 . FIG. 2 illustrates the front substrate  10  of PDP shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, a black matrix  30  is formed between a first electrodes group including the electrodes  12 Y 1  and the second electrodes  12 Z 1  and a second electrodes group including the electrodes  12 Y 2  and the second electrodes  12 Z 2  that are different from electrodes  12 Y 1  and the second electrodes  12 Z 1  respectively. More particularly, the black matrix  30  is formed on the areas from the external edge  11  of the second electrodes  12 Z 1  included in the first electrodes group to the external edge  13  of the first electrodes  12 Y 2  included in the second electrodes group.  
           [0012]    In this AC surface discharge type PDP, one frame is divided into a few subfields each of which is different from others in the number of discharge times so as to display the gray levels of images. Each of the subfields is divided into a reset period for generating a uniform discharge, an address period for selecting a discharge cell, and a sustain period for displaying gray levels according to the number of discharge times. For example, to display an image in 256 gray levels, the frame period (16.67 ms) corresponding to one 60th second is divided into eight subfields.  
           [0013]    Each of the eight subfields is divided into the reset period, the address period and a sustain period. The reset period of each subfield is the same as the address period in length while the sustain period increases at each subfield at the ratio of 2 n  (n=0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7). In this way, the sustain period of each field is different from that of other fields, and hence the gray levels of the image can be displayed.  
           [0014]    In the reset period, reset pulses are applied to the first electrodes  12 Y to cause reset discharge. In the address period, scan pulses are applied to the first electrodes  12 Y and data pulses are applied to the address electrodes  20 X to cause address discharge between two electrodes  12 Y and  20 X. The wall charge is created on the front dielectric layer  14  and the rear dielectric layer  22  during the address discharge. In the sustain period, AC signals that are alternatively applied to the first electrodes  12 Y and the second electrodes  12 Z cause sustain discharge between two electrodes  12 Y and  12 Z.  
           [0015]    In such a PDP of the related art, the contrast is degenerated due to the reset discharge caused in the reset period and the address discharge caused in the address discharge. In other words, the light generated by the reset discharge and the address discharge lowers darkroom contrast since the reset discharge and the address discharge do not contribute to the brightness of the PDP.  
           [0016]    In order to improve the contrast, as shown in FIG. 3, a black matrix  32  is formed on the areas from the external edge  15  of the second electrodes  12 Z 1  included in the first electrodes group to the external edge  17  of the first electrodes  12 Y 2  included in the second electrodes group. The black matrix  32  shields the light generated by the reset discharge and the address discharge to improve the contrast. Since the light generated by the first electrodes  12 Y 2  during the reset discharge and the address discharge does not contribute to the brightness, the black matrix  32  shields the light to improve the contrast.  
           [0017]    However, the black matrix  32  to improve the contrast also shields the light generated by the sustain discharge that contributes to the brightness. The sustain pulses are applied to the first electrodes  12 Y 2 . It is desired that the light generated by the sustain discharge should not be shielded since it contributes to the brightness. In case a black matrix  32  is formed on the areas from the external edge  15  of the second electrodes  12 Z 1  included in the first electrodes group to the external edge  17  of the first electrodes  12 Y 2  included in the second electrodes group, the black matrix  32  also shields the light generated by the sustain discharge so that the brightness degenerates and also the light emission efficiency and the display quality deteriorate.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0018]    An object of the invention is to at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described hereinafter.  
           [0019]    Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a plasma display panel capable of enhancing the contrast by overlapping a first electrode to which scan pulses are applied among a plurality of electrodes with a black matrix.  
           [0020]    These and other objects and advantages of the invention are achieved by providing a plasma display panel which includes: a first electrodes group including a first electrode formed on a front substrate, a second electrode formed in parallel with and near to the first electrode, and a third electrode formed in parallel with and spaced widely from the second electrode; a second electrodes group formed adjacent to the first electrodes group, and including first to third electrodes, the first to third electrodes of the second electrodes group playing the same roles as the first to third electrodes of the first electrodes group; and a plurality of black matrices formed between the neighboring first electrodes group and the neighboring second electrodes group to be overlapped with the first electrodes of the first electrodes group and the first electrodes of the second electrodes group.  
           [0021]    Preferably, the first to the third electrodes of the second electrodes group are formed in a same order as the first to third electrodes of the first electrodes group, and the black matrices are overlapped between the neighboring first electrodes group and the neighboring second electrodes group.  
           [0022]    Preferably, the first electrodes, the second electrodes and the third electrodes of the second electrodes group are arranged symmetrically to the first electrodes, the second electrodes and the third electrodes of the first electrodes group.  
           [0023]    Preferably, the plasma display panel further includes: a front dielectric layer formed to cover the first electrodes group, the second electrodes group and the front substrate; and a protective layer formed to cover the front dielectric layer.  
           [0024]    Preferably, the black matrices are formed between the front dielectric layer and protective layer.  
           [0025]    According to another aspect of the present invention, a plasma display panel includes: a first electrodes group including a first electrode formed on a front substrate, a second electrode formed in parallel with and near to the first electrode, and a third electrode formed in parallel with and spaced widely from the second electrode; a second electrodes group provided with a first electrode, a second electrode and a third electrode formed in a same order as and adjacent to the first to third electrodes of the first electrodes group, the first to third electrodes of the second electrodes group playing same roles as the first to third electrodes of the first electrodes group; a plurality of black matrices formed between the neighboring first electrodes group and the neighboring second electrodes group to be overlapped with areas from external edges of the third electrodes of the first electrodes group to the first electrodes of the second electrodes group; a front dielectric layer formed to cover the first electrodes group, the second electrodes group and the front substrate; and a protective layer formed to cover the front dielectric layer.  
           [0026]    According to further another aspect of the present invention, a plasma display panel includes: a first electrodes group including a first electrode formed on a front substrate, a second electrode formed near to the first electrode, and a third electrode formed spaced widely from the second electrode; a second electrodes group including first to third electrodes, the first to third electrodes of the second electrodes group being formed symmetrically to the first to third electrodes of the first electrodes group with respect to left and right directions and playing the same roles as the first to third electrodes of the first electrodes group; a plurality of black matrices formed between the neighboring first electrodes group and the neighboring second electrodes group to be overlapped with the first electrodes of the first electrodes group and the first electrodes of the second electrodes group; a front dielectric layer formed to cover the first electrodes group, the second electrodes group and the front substrate; and a protective layer formed to cover the front dielectric layer.  
           [0027]    According to still another aspect of the present invention, a plasma display panel includes: a first dielectric layer formed on a front substrate; a first electrodes group including a first electrode formed on the first dielectric layer, a second electrode formed in parallel with and near to the first electrode, and a third electrode formed in parallel with and spaced widely from the second electrode; a second electrodes group including first to third electrodes formed adjacent to the first to third electrodes of the first electrodes group, the first to third electrodes of the second electrodes group playing the same roles as the first to third electrodes of the first electrodes group; a second dielectric layer formed to cover the first electrodes group and the second electrodes group; a protective layer formed to cover the second dielectric layer; and a plurality of black matrices formed between the front substrate and the first dielectric layer and between the neighboring first electrodes group and the neighboring second electrodes group to be overlapped with the first electrodes of the first electrodes group and the first electrodes of the second electrodes group.  
           [0028]    Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0029]    The following detailed description will present a preferred embodiment of the invention in reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the three-electrode AC surface discharge type PDP of the prior art;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of a front substrate having black matrices in the three-electrode AC surface discharge type PDP shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of a front substrate having black matrices in the three-electrode AC surface discharge type PDP shown in FIG. 1;  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the PDP according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0034]    [0034]FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the first embodiment of a front substrate having black matrices in the PDP shown in FIG. 4;  
         [0035]    [0035]FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the second embodiment of a front substrate having black matrices in the PDP shown in FIG. 4;  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 9 illustrates the third embodiment of a front substrate having black matrices in a PDP. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0037]    Reference will now be made in detail to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the PDP according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and more particularly, of one discharge cell  50  of PDP. Referring to FIG. 4, a discharge cell  50  of a PDP according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes first electrode  64 T 1 , second electrode  64 Y 1  and third electrode  64 Z 1  formed in parallel on a front substrate  52 . It is desired that the first electrode  64 T 1 , the second electrode  64 Y 1  and the third electrode  64 Z 1  be used as a scan electrode, a first sustain electrode and a second sustain electrode respectively.  
         [0039]    In general, first electrodes and second electrodes are formed on a front substrate in the prior art. The first electrodes are used as both scan electrodes and first sustain electrodes and the second electrodes are used as second sustain electrodes. In contrast, in a discharge cell  50  of a PDP according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a first electrode  64 T 1  and a second electrode  64 Y 1  are formed on a front substrate  52  so as to separate a scan electrode and a first sustain electrodes.  
         [0040]    It is desired that a second electrode  64 Y 1  be formed near to the first electrode  64 T 1  while a third electrode  64 Z 1  be formed spaced widely from the second electrode  64 Y 1 . A front dielectric layer  54  and a protective layer  56  are laminated successively on the first electrode  64 T 1 , the second electrode  64 Y 1 , the third electrode  64 Z 1  and the front substrate  52 . The wall charge is generated during plasma discharge is stored on the front dielectric layer  54 . The protective layer  56  protects the front dielectric layer  54  from damages caused by sputtering during plasma discharge and also improves the second electrons emission efficiency.  
         [0041]    An address electrode  63 X is formed on a rear substrate  58  and orthogonal to the first electrode  64 T 1 , the second electrode  64 Y 1  and the third electrode  64 Z 1 . A rear dielectric layer  59  is formed on the address electrode  63 X and the rear substrate  58 . The barrier ribs  60  are formed in parallel with the address electrode  63 X. A phosphor layer  62  is coated on the surfaces of the barrier ribs  60  and the rear dielectric layer  59 . The barrier ribs  60  prevent the ultraviolet rays and the visible rays generated by the plasma discharge from leaking into the neighboring discharge cells. The phosphor layer  62  is excited by the ultraviolet rays generated during the plasma discharge so as to generate one of visible rays among red, green and blue colors. The inert gas for discharge is injected into discharge spaces prepared between the front substrate  52 /the rear substrate  58  and the barrier ribs  60 . Here, a black matrix is formed between the neighboring discharge cells. This is depicted in FIG. 5.  
         [0042]    In general, PDP is composed of many discharge cells  50  shown in FIG. 4 arranged in matrix fashion. FIG. 5 illustrates a front substrate for convenience of explanation. It depicts a first electrodes group  68  including the first electrode  64 T 1 , the second electrode  64 Y 1  and the third electrode  64 Z 1 , and a second electrodes group  70  including the first electrode  64 T 2 , the second electrode  64 Y 2  and the third electrode  64 Z 2  which are different from the first electrode  64 T 1 , the second electrode  64 Y 1  and the third electrode  64 Z 1  respectively. In other words, the first electrode  64 T 2 , the second electrode  64 Y 2  and the third electrode  64 Z 2  included in second electrodes group  70  are arranged in the same order of the first electrode  64 T 1 , the second electrode  64 Y 1  and the third electrode  64 Z 1  included in the first electrodes group  68 . The second electrodes group  70  has the first electrode  64 T 2 , the second electrode  64 Y 2  and the third electrode  64 Z 2  in the order in which the first electrodes group  68  has the first electrode  64 T 1 , the second electrode  64 Y 1  and the third electrode  64 Z 1 .  
         [0043]    As shown in FIG. 5, the black matrix  66  is formed between the first electrodes group  68  and the second electrodes group  70 . The black matrix  66  is formed between the front dielectric layer  54  and protective layer  56 . More particularly, it is desired that the black matrix  66  be overlapped with the area from external edge  72  of the third electrode  64 Z 1  of the first electrodes group  68  to the first electrode  64 T 2  of the second electrodes group  70 . In this case, the black matrix  66  may be overlapped with a portion of the first electrode  64 T 2  of the second electrodes group  70  or may be overlapped with an inner edge  74  of the first electrode  64 T 2  of the second electrodes group  70 . Such a black matrix  66  is made of dielectric material.  
         [0044]    In reset period, reset pulses are applied to the first electrodes  64 T 2  of the second electrodes group  70  so as to cause reset discharge. The light generated by the reset discharge is absorbed by the black matrix  66  that is overlapped with the first electrodes  64 T 2  of the second electrodes group  70 .  
         [0045]    In address period, scan pulses are applied to the first electrodes  64 T 2  of the second electrodes group  70  and data pulses are applied to the address electrodes  63 X so as to cause address discharge. The light generated by the address discharge is also absorbed by the black matrix  66 . This results in contrast improvement.  
         [0046]    In sustain period, sustain pulses are alternatively applied to the second electrode  64 Y 2  and the third electrode  64 Z 2  of the second electrodes group  70  so as to cause sustain discharge. Accordingly, since the black matrix  66  is formed to cover only the first electrodes  64 T 2  of the second electrodes group  70 , the light generated by the sustain discharge is not absorbed by the black matrix  66 . This does not result in the deterioration of the light emission efficiency.  
         [0047]    On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, a black matrix  76  may be overlapped with the first electrode  64 T 2  and the external edge of the second electrode  64 Y 2  of the second electrodes group  70 . In other words, the black matrix  76  can be formed to cover the area from an external edge  78  of the third electrode  64 Z 1  of the first electrodes group  68  to an external edge  80  of the first electrode  64 Y 2  of the second electrodes group  70 .  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 7 illustrates the second embodiment of a front substrate having black matrices in the PDP shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 7, a first electrode  83 T 2 , a second electrode  83 Y 2  and a third electrode  83 Z 2  of a second electrodes group  88  are arranged symmetrically to a first electrode  83 T 1 , a second electrode  83 Y 1  and a third electrode  83 Z 1  of a first electrodes group  86 . In other words, the first electrodes group  86  and the second electrodes group  88  is formed in the mirror symmetric form to interpose the black matrix  81  between themselves. In this electrodes arrangement, the black matrix  81  is formed to cover the area from inner edge  82  of the first electrode  83 T 1  of the first electrodes group  86  to inner edge  84  of the first electrode  83 T 1  of the second electrodes group  88  as shown in FIG. 7.  
         [0049]    As another case, even though not described in drawings, the black matrix is formed to cover the area from the portion between the neighboring first electrode  83 T 1  and the neighboring second electrode  83 Y 1  of the first electrodes group  86  to the portion between the neighboring first electrode  83 T 2  and the neighboring second electrode  83 Y 2  of the second electrodes group  88 .  
         [0050]    As shown in FIG. 8, the black matrix  85  is formed to cover the area from an external edge  87  of the second electrode  83 Y 1  of the first electrodes group  86  to an external edge  89  of the second electrode  83 Y 2  of the second electrodes group  88 .  
         [0051]    As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, if the black matrices  81  and  85  are formed to cover the areas between inner edges  82  and  84  of the first electrodes  83 T 1  and  83 T 2  of the first and second electrodes group  86  and  88  or the areas between external edges  87  and  89  of the second electrodes  83 Y 1  and  83 Y 2  of the first and second electrodes group  86  and  88 , the light generated during the reset period or the address period is absorbed by the black matrices  81  and  85  while the light generated during the sustain period is not absorbed by the black matrices  81  and  85 . This makes the light emission efficiency not degenerate and the contrast be improved.  
         [0052]    On the other hand, the black matrices  66 ,  76 ,  81  and  85  illustrated by FIGS. 5 through 8 can be formed between the front  52  and the electrodes group  68 ,  70 ,  86  and  88 . These are described referring to FIG. 9.  
         [0053]    [0053]FIG. 9 illustrates the third embodiment of a front substrate having black matrices in a PDP. Referring to FIG. 9, a first dielectric layer  91  is formed on a front substrate  52  and black matrix  97  is provided between the front substrate  52  and the first dielectric sub-layer. First electrodes group  96  and second electrodes group  98  are formed near to each other neighboring in parallel on the first dielectric layer  91 . The first electrodes group  96  include a first electrode  99 T 1 , a second electrode  99 Y 1  near to the first electrode  99 T 1 , and a third electrode  99 Z 1  spaced widely from the second electrode  99 Y 1 . Also the second electrodes group  98  includes a first electrode  99 T 2 , a second electrode  99 Y 2  near to the first electrode  99 T 2 , and a third electrode  99 Z 2  spaced widely from the second electrode  99 Y 2 . The first electrode  99 T 2 , the second electrode  99 Y 2  and the third electrode  99 Z 2  of the second electrodes group  98  work as the same as the first electrode  99 T 1 , the second electrode  99 Y 1  and the third electrode  99 Z 1  of the first electrodes group  96 . The first electrode  99 T 1 , the second electrode  99 Y 1  and the third electrode  99 Z 1  of the first electrodes group  96  are arranged in the same order of the first electrode  99 T 2 , the second electrode  99 Y 2  and the third electrode  99 Z 2  of the second electrodes group  98  as shown in FIG. 9. The first electrode  99 T 1 , the second electrode  99 Y 1  and the third electrode  99 Z 1  of the first electrodes group  96  may be arranged in the symmetric (opposite) order of the first electrode  99 T 2 , the second electrode  99 Y 2  and the third electrode  99 Z 2  of the second electrodes group  98  as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.  
         [0054]    A second dielectric layer  93  is formed to cover a first layer  91 , the first electrodes group  96  and the second electrodes group  98 . A protective layer  95  is formed to cover the second dielectric layer  93 .  
         [0055]    As shown in FIG. 9, the black matrix  97  is formed to cover the area from external edge  92  of the third electrode  99 Z 1  of the first electrodes group  96  to inner edge  94  of the first electrode  99 T 2  of the second electrodes group  98 . The black matrix  97  is formed to cover the portion or the entire area of the first electrodes  99 T 1  of the first electrodes group  96 . As the same manner, even though the black matrix  97  is formed on the back surface of the front substrate  52 , the same effects as the other embodiments can be obtained.  
         [0056]    The present invention is characterized in that the light generated during the reset period or the address period is prevented from releasing to the externals by covering black matrices over first electrodes. Therefore, note that it is very critical not how much the black matrices are overlapped with the first electrodes but whether the black matrices are overlapped with the first electrodes so as to shield the light required for light emission.  
         [0057]    As above described, the plasma display panel according to the present invention in which black matrices are formed to cover the first electrodes for receiving reset pulses and scan pulses improve the contrast. At the same time, it does not lower the light emission efficiency since sustain pulses are applied to second electrodes and third electrodes.  
         [0058]    The forgoing embodiment is merely exemplary and is not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teachings can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. The description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.