Display device

Abstract

Provided is a display device that performs addressing by discharging electrons and performs a sustain discharge according to gradation in an addressed discharge cell. The display device includes: first and second substrates facing each other; barrier ribs disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and defining a plurality of discharge cells with the first and second substrates; first and second electrodes disposed in the barrier ribs; an electron emissive source formed on the second substrate and discharging a plurality of electrons into the discharge cells; a phosphor layer disposed in the discharge cells; and a gas stored in the discharge cells.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of the present embodiments will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a display device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an electron emissive source of the display device illustrated in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an electron emissive source of the display device illustrated in FIG. 1 according to another embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an electron emissive source of the display device illustrated in FIG. 1 according to another embodiment;

FIG. 5 illustrates an arrangement of electrodes of a display device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a timing diagram of driving signals applied to each of the electrodes illustrated in FIG. 5 according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 7 is a timing diagram of driving signals applied to each of the electrodes illustrated in FIG. 5 according to another embodiment.

Claims

1. A display device, comprising: first and second substrates facing each other;barrier ribs disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate configured to define a plurality of discharge cells with the first and second substrates;first and second electrodes disposed in the barrier ribs;an electron emissive source formed on the second substrate configured to discharge a plurality of electrons into the discharge cells;a phosphor layer disposed in the discharge cells; anda gas in the discharge cells.

2. The display device of claim 1, wherein the electron emissive source comprises: third electrodes disposed on the second substrate;an electron emissive device formed on the third electrodes; andfourth electrodes disposed on the third electrodes.

3. The display device of claim 2, wherein the electron emissive source further comprises an insulation layer between the electron emissive device and the fourth electrodes.

4. The display device of claim 2, wherein a unit frame configured to display an image is divided into a plurality of sub fields, wherein each sub field has an address period where a discharge cell is selected to be turned on and off from all the discharge cells and a sustain period where a sustain discharge is performed in discharge cells that are selected to be turned on according to a gradation allocated to each of the sub fields.

5. The display device of claim 4, wherein during the address period, a scan pulse sequentially having a ground voltage or a negative voltage is applied to the third electrodes, and a display data signal selectively having a positive voltage is applied to the fourth electrodes in accordance with the scan pulse.

6. The display device of claim 4, wherein during the sustain period, a sustain pulse having a high level and a low level is alternately applied to the first electrodes and the second electrodes.

7. The display device of claim 4, wherein the sustain pulse having the high level and the low level is applied to one of the first electrodes and the second electrodes, and an intermediate level between the high level and the low level of the sustain pulse is applied to the other electrodes.

8. The display device of claim 4, wherein during the sustain period, the gas is excited due to a difference in electric potentials between the first electrodes and the second electrodes, wherein discharged electrons and ultraviolet rays are generated, and wherein the phosphor layer is excited due to the ultraviolet rays, and visible light is generated.

9. The display device of claim 8, wherein during the sustain period, the difference in electric potentials between the first electrodes and the second electrodes is lower than a discharge start voltage.

10. The display device of claim 1, wherein the first electrodes and the second electrodes are parallel to each other.

11. The display device of claim 2, wherein the third electrodes and the fourth electrodes extend to cross each other.

12. The display device of claim 2, further comprising: fifth electrodes disposed on the first substrate configured to collect the discharge electrons.

13. The display device of claim 1, wherein the phosphor layer is formed on the first substrate.

14. The display device of claim 1, further comprising: a protective layer formed on the sidewalls of the barrier ribs.

15. The display device of claim 2, wherein the electron emissive device comprises a carbon nanotube (CNT).

16. The display device of claim 15, wherein the electron emissive device has a boron nitride bamboo shoot (BNBS) structure.

17. The display device of claim 2, wherein the electron emissive device comprises porous silicon (OPS).

18. The display device of claim 17, wherein the porous silicon is oxidized porous poly silicon (OPPS).

19. The display device of claim 17, wherein the porous silicon is oxidized porous amorphous silicon (OPAS).

20. The display device of claim 1, further comprising a protective layer formed on the sidewalls of the barrier ribs.