Patent Publication Number: US-6339292-B1

Title: Color PDP with ARC discharge electrode and method for fabricating the same

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a color plasma display panel (hereafter called as PDP), and more particularly, to a color PDP with an arc discharge electrode; and a method for fabricating the same. 
     2. Background of the Related Art 
     In general, the PDP is the most suitable for a flat display panel because the PDP has a fast data display rate and a large sized panel is available with easy. The PDP is suggested to an AC type PDP or DC type PDP both with two electrodes, of which it is known that a surface discharge type AC PDP is the most appropriate for a color display. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a cross section of a related art surface discharge type PDP cell, with a direction of discharge electrodes  13  on a first insulating substrate  11  shown rotated by 90° for convenience of understanding. 
     Referring to FIG. 1, the related art PDP is provided with one pair of discharge electrodes  13  arranged on the same plane of the first insulating substrate  11 . And, there is a top panel provided with a first, and a second dielectric films formed on an entire surface of the first insulating substrate  11  inclusive of the first discharge electrodes  13  for limiting a discharge current, and an MgO protection film  16  on an entire surface. Each of the discharge electrodes  13  has a metal electrode  10  formed at a region thereof There is an address electrode  17  on a region of a second insulating substrate  12  in a direction perpendicular to a direction of the discharge electrodes  13  on the top panel. There are barriers  19  between the address electrodes  17  for providing different colors and fluorescent films coated on the barriers  19  and the address electrodes  17 , thereby forming a bottom panel. The first insulating substrate  11  in the top panel and the second insulating substrate  12  in the bottom panel are bonded together with Frit glass(not shown), and then, a mixture of gases are filled in discharge regions  20 , which are then sealed tightly. 
     Upon application of a driving voltage between one pair of discharge electrodes  13  in the aforementioned related art PDP, a surface discharge  20   a  is occurred at the discharge region  20  of surfaces of the first, and second dielectric films  14  and  15  by the filled mixture gas, to emit ultra-violet(UV) rays. The UV ray excites the fluorescent film  18 , to generate a visible light, displaying R(Red), G(Green), and B(Blue) colors depending on the fluorescent film  18 . That is, spatial charges present in the discharge region  20  are accelerated by the driving voltage, make the mixture gas filled in the discharge region  20  at an internal pressure of 400˜500 Torr, i.e., inert gas collision onto the fluorescent film  18 , to generate a vacuum UV ray in a Penning effect during the collision. The inert mixture gas has helium He as a major gas with addition of xenon Xe, and neon Ne gases. In other words, when the vacuum UV ray hits the fluorescent film  18  coated on the address electrode  17  and the barrier  19 , the fluorescent film  18  become luminant in a visible range. A color display is made by a combination of the R, G, B colors, defined at least three luminous regions. 
     However, because the related art PDP causes surface discharge according to the counter discharge principle upon application of a discharge initiation voltage between discharge electrodes, if a distance between the electrodes is made greater for having a larger discharge space, the discharge voltage rises, with a increased power consumption and a shortened lifetime. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a color PDP with an arc discharge electrode and a method for fabricating the same that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a color PDP which can cause a discharge with easy, enlarge a discharge space, and reduce dispersion of a discharge, for improving a discharge efficiency. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a color PDP which has a clear distinction between discharge regions and non-discharge regions, and can provide a difference of light paths for these two regions, for improving a contrast. 
     Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. 
     To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the color plasma display panel with arc discharge electrodes includes a top panel having a plurality of pairs of arc discharge electrodes formed on a same plane with a first insulating substrate and a dielectric film on an entire surface of the pairs of arc discharge electrodes for restricting a discharge current, a bottom panel having barriers formed on the second insulating substrate for providing different colors between adjacent cells opposite to the arc discharge electrodes, address electrodes formed on inside surfaces of the barriers, and fluorescent material films one entire surfaces of the address electrodes, Frit glass for bonding the top and bottom panels, and a mixture gas filled, and sealed in discharge regions of cells. 
     In the other aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for fabricating a color plasma display panel with arc discharge electrodes including the steps of (1) providing a first insulating substrate for displaying an image, (2) forming a first dielectric film on the first insulating substrate, (3) forming a recess of an arc form in a prescribed region of the first dielectric film, (4) forming one pair of arc discharge electrodes with a gap therebetween in the recess of an arc form in the first dielectric film, and (5) forming a second dielectric film on an entire surface inclusive to of the arc discharge electrodes, thereby completing fabrication of a top panel. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention: 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a cross section of related art cells of a color plasma display panel; and, 
     FIG. 2 iillustrates a cross section of cells of a color plasma display panel in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2A illustrates a cross section of cells of a color plasma display panel in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 illustrates a cross section of cells of a color plasma display panel in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein one pair of arc discharge electrodes  103  on a first insulating substrate  101  are turned by 90° for easy understanding. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, a first dielectric film  104  is formed on the first insulating substrate  101 . An arc shaped recess is etched in a region of the first dielectric film  104 . Indium oxide InO 2  or tin oxide SnO 2  is deposited in the arc shaped recess in the first dielectric film  104  by a thin film formation process, dipping method, or screen printing, to form one pair of transparent arc discharge electrodes  103  with a gap of 40˜105 μm. Then, a second dielectric film  105  is formed on an entire surface of the arc discharge electrodes  103  to a thickness for restricting a discharge current, thereby completing formation of a top panel. In this instance, instead of the first dielectric film  104 , a region of the first insulating substrate  101  may be etched to form the arc form of recess and the arc discharge electrodes  103  may be formed therein, as shown in FIG.  2 A. The arc discharge electrodes  103  are electrically connected to a bus electrode  100 , to form a display electrode pair  110 . The bus electrode  100  is formed of a conductive thin film to be in contact with both ends of the one pair of arc discharge electrodes  103  by photo lithography, or of metal paste added with black pigment by printing to a desired form and dimension. A second dielectric film  105  is formed on an entire surface of the first dielectric film  104  inclusive of the arc discharge electrodes  103  and the bus electrode  100  by printing or depositing dielectric paste in a arc form, for generating a wall charge that drops the driving voltage. A total thickness ‘T’ of the first dielectric film  104  and the second dielectric film  105  is 40˜105 μm. Barriers  109  are formed on a second insulating substrate  102  opposite to the second dielectric film  105 . A metal thin film is deposited on exposed surfaces of the second insulating substrate  102  and inside surfaces of the barriers, to form address electrodes  107 . The address electrodes  107  may be formed in a metal on groove form or on the second insulating substrate  102 . Then, a fluorescent material film  108  is formed on an entire surface of the address electrode  107  to a thickness by electrophoresis, thereby completing formation of a bottom panel. The fluorescent material film  108  may be formed to a thickness of 10˜50 μm by printing a fluorescent material paste of cellulose+acrylic resin+organic solvent (alcohol or ester) on a surface of the address electrode  107  and baking at 400˜600° C. The top panel and the bottom panel fabricated thus are bonded together with Frit glass (not shown), and the discharge region  120  is evacuated of air, filled with an inert mixture gas of neon Ne, helium He, and xenon X 3 , and sealed. 
     Upon application of a minimum driving voltage to the one pair of display electrodes  110  in the aforementioned color PDP of the present invention, a surface discharge  200   a  is caused at a surface of the second dielectric film  105  in the discharge region  200 , and UV rays are emitted from the surface discharge regions  200   a . The UV ray excites the fluorescent material film  108 , to generate a visible light, which is displayed on a display surface of the first substrate  101 , thereby making color display of R, G, B. Accordingly, it is found that a contrast and a luminance of the color PDP of the present invention are improved more than 4 times compared to the related art color PDP because the fluorescent material film  108  is excited by UV rays emitted from the two surface discharge regions  200   a.    
     As has been explained, the color PDP with arc discharge electrodes of the present invention can satisfy both a desired luminance and a contrast by providing different reflective paths of incident lights and an optical structure in which lights generated inside of cell is converged and lead out while preventing cross talk, thereby maximizing a discharge area. 
     And, the surface discharge type color PDP of the present invention can prevent erroneous discharge between column electrodes by forming arc forms of arc discharge electrode pair and a dielectric film on a first insulating substrate, forming barriers on a second insulating substrate opposite to the arc discharge electrodes, and stacking an address electrode and a fluorescent film in the barriers, enlarging a discharge area, that improves a luminance and, maintaining a discharge voltage constant. 
     It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the color PDP with an arc discharge electrode and the method for fabricating the same of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.