Claims
- 1. A baseplate for use in a field emission display, comprising:a supporting substrate having a primary surface upon which an array of emitters is formed; an insulator layer disposed on the primary surface, the insulator layer having a plurality of cavities aligned with respective emitters; an extraction grid having a plurality of cavity openings aligned with respective emitters, the extraction grid being made from a silicon based layer of material deposited on the insulator layer; and a current control substrate formed from the silicon based layer of material of the extraction grid, the current control substrate being physically non-contiguous with the supporting substrate and electrically isolated from the extraction grid and electrically connected to the emitters by a conductive lead connected between the current control substrate and the supporting substrate, the current control substrate being adapted to control the current flowing from the emitters.
- 2. The baseplate of claim 1 wherein the current control substrate comprises a passive current-limiting device formed from a conductance altering material doped onto the current control substrate.
- 3. The baseplate of claim 1 wherein the current control substrate comprises an active current control device fabricated on the current control substrate.
- 4. The baseplate of claim 3 wherein the active current control device comprises a field effect transistor.
- 5. The baseplate of claim 3 wherein the active current control device comprises a bipolar transistor.
- 6. The baseplate of claim 3 wherein the active current control substrate comprises a current-limiting device that regulates the current flowing from the emitters.
- 7. The baseplate of claim 3 wherein the active current control substrate comprises a current switching device that switches the current flowing from the emitters on and off.
- 8. The baseplate of claim 1, further comprising a conductive material doped onto the grid.
- 9. The baseplate of claim 1 wherein the silicon based layer comprises a layer of silicon doped with a substantially conductive material and the current control substrate comprises a layer of silicon doped with a conductance altering material.
- 10. The baseplate of claim 1 wherein the silicon based layer comprises a substantially resistive material and the grid is doped with a conductive material.
- 11. The baseplate of claim 1 wherein the emitters in the array are arranged in rows and columns, and wherein the emitters in either the rows or the columns are interconnected to each other and electrically isolated from the other emitters in the array.
- 12. The baseplate of claim 1 wherein all of the emitters in the array are interconnected to each other.
- 13. The baseplate of claim 1 wherein the silicon based layer of material is non-contiguous between the extraction grid and the current control substrate so that the extraction grid and the current control substrate are physically separate from each other.
- 14. The baseplate of claim 1 wherein the insulator layer includes a hole disposed therethrough, the conductive lead passing through the hole.
- 15. A field emission display, comprising:a faceplate having a transparent substrate, a transparent conductive material disposed on the transparent substrate, and a cathodoluminescent material disposed on the transparent conductive material; a baseplate having a supporting substrate upon which a plurality of emitters are formed and a dielectric layer disposed on the supporting substrate, the dielectric layer having a plurality of cavities aligned with respective emitters; an extraction grid having a plurality of cavity openings aligned with respective emitters, the extraction grid being formed from a silicon based layer of material deposited on the dielectric layer; and a current control substrate formed from the silicon based layer of material of the extraction grid, the current control substrate being physically non-contiguous with the supporting substrate and electrically isolated from the extraction grid and electrically connected to the emitters by a conductive lead connected between the current control substrate and the supporting substrate, the current control substrate being adapted to control the current flowing from the emitters.
- 16. The field emission display of claim 15 wherein the current control substrate comprises a passive current-limiting device formed from a conductance altering material doped onto the current control substrate.
- 17. The field emission display of claim 15 wherein the current control substrate comprises an active current-limiting device fabricated on the current control substrate.
- 18. The field emission display of claim 17 wherein the active current-limiting device comprises a field effect transistor.
- 19. The field emission display of claim 17 wherein the active current-limiting device comprises a bipolar transistor.
- 20. The field emission display of claim 17 wherein the active current control substrate comprises a current-limiting device that regulates the current flowing from the emitters.
- 21. The field emission display of claim 17 wherein the active current control substrate comprises a current switching device that switches the current flowing from the emitters on and off.
- 22. The field emission display of claim 15, further comprising a conductive impurity doped onto the grid.
- 23. The field emission display of claim 15 wherein the silicon based layer comprises a layer of silicon doped with a substantially conductive material and the current control substrate comprises a layer of silicon doped with a conductance altering material.
- 24. The field emission display of claim 15 wherein the silicon based layer is made from a substantially resistive material and the grid is doped with a conductive material.
- 25. The field emission display of claim 15 wherein the emitters in the array are arranged in rows and columns, and wherein the emitters in either the rows or the columns are interconnected to each other and electrically isolated from the other emitters in the array.
- 26. The field emission display of claim 15 wherein all of the emitters in the array are interconnected to each other.
- 27. The field emission display of claim 15 wherein the silicon based layer of material is non-contiguous between the extraction grid and the current control substrate so that the extraction grid and the current control substrate are physically separate from each other.
- 28. The field emission display of claim 15 wherein the insulator layer includes a hole disposed therethrough, the conductive lead passing through the hole.
- 29. A baseplate for use in a field emission display, comprising:a supporting substrate having a primary surface upon which at least one emitter is formed; an insulator layer disposed on the primary surface, the insulator layer having at least one cavity aligned with the at least one emitter; and an at least partially conductive layer formed on the insulator layer and having a first portion including at least one opening aligned with the at least one emitter to form an extraction grid, and a second portion including a current control substrate electrically isolated from the extraction grid and electrically connected to the at least one emitter by a conductive lead connected between the current control substrate and the supporting substrate, the current control substrate being adapted to control the current flowing from the at least one emitter.
- 30. The baseplate of claim 29 wherein the insulator layer includes a hole disposed therethrough, the conductive lead passing through the hole.
- 31. The baseplate of claim 29 wherein the current control substrate comprises a passive current-limiting device formed from a conductance altering material doped onto the current control substrate.
- 32. The baseplate of claim 29 wherein the current control substrate comprises an active current control device fabricated on the current control substrate.
- 33. The baseplate of claim 30 wherein the active current control device comprises a field effect transistor.
- 34. The baseplate of claim 29 wherein the at least partially conductive layer comprises a silicon-based layer.
- 35. The baseplate of claim 29 wherein the current control substrate comprises a layer of silicon doped with a conductance altering material.
- 36. The baseplate of claim 29 wherein the extraction grid comprises a layer of silicon doped with a conductive material.
- 37. The baseplate of claim 29 wherein the at least partially conductive layer is non-contiguous between the extraction grid and the current control substrate so that the extraction grid and the current control substrate are physically separate from each other.
- 38. A field emission display, comprising:a faceplate having a transparent substrate, a transparent conductive material disposed on the transparent substrate, and a cathodoluminescent material disposed on the transparent conductive material; and a baseplate operatively coupled to the faceplate, the baseplate including: a supporting substrate upon which at least one emitter is formed, and a dielectric layer disposed on the supporting substrate, the dielectric layer having at least one cavity aligned with the at least one emitter; and an at least partially conductive layer formed on the insulator layer and having a first portion including at least one opening aligned with the at least one emitter to form an extraction grid, and a second portion including a current control substrate electrically isolated from the extraction grid and electrically connected to the at least one emitter by a conductive lead connected between the current control substrate and the supporting substrate, the current control substrate being adapted to control the current flowing from the at least one emitter.
- 39. The field emission display of claim 38 wherein the insulator layer includes a hole disposed therethrough, the conductive lead passing through the hole.
- 40. The field emission display of claim 38 wherein the current control substrate comprises a passive current-limiting device formed from a conductance altering material doped onto the current control substrate.
- 41. The field emission display of claim 38 wherein the current control substrate comprises an active current control device fabricated on the current control substrate.
- 42. The field emission display of claim 41 wherein the active current control device comprises a field effect transistor.
- 43. The field emission display of claim 38 wherein the at least partially conductive layer comprises a silicon-based layer.
- 44. The field emission display of claim 38 wherein the current control substrate comprises a layer of silicon doped with a conductance altering material.
- 45. The field emission display of claim 38 wherein the extraction grid comprises a layer of silicon doped with a conductive material.
- 46. The field emission display of claim 38 wherein the at least partially conductive layer is non-contiguous between the extraction grid and the current control substrate so that the extraction grid and the current control substrate are physically separate from each other.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/152,772, filed Sep. 10, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,752.
US Referenced Citations (18)
Non-Patent Literature Citations (3)
Entry |
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