The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
Korean Patent Application No. 10-2006-0088067, filed on Sep. 12, 2006, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office and entitled: “Electron Emission Display” is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however, be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
In the figures, the dimensions of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity of illustration. It will also be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being “on” another layer, element, or substrate, it can be directly on the other layer, element, or substrate, or intervening layers or elements may also be present. Further, it will be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being “under” another layer or element, it can be directly under, or one or more intervening layers or elements may also be present. In addition, it will also be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being “between” two layers or elements, it can be the only layer or element between the two layers or elements, or one or more intervening layers or elements may also be present. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
An exemplary embodiment of an electron emission display according to the present invention is more fully described below with reference to
The first and second substrates 10 and 12 may face each other, and may be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval. A sealing member (not shown) may be provided at peripheral portions of inner surfaces of the first and the second substrates 10 and 12 to provide connection therebetween. In other words, the first and second substrates 10 and 12 may be affixed to each other, such that the electron emission unit 14 and the light emission unit 16 may be enclosed in a vacuum envelope between the first and second substrates 10 and 12. The vacuum envelope, i.e., an inner space between the sealed first and second substrates 10 and 12, may be maintained at about 10−6 Torr.
The electron emission unit 14 may include an array of electron emission elements, and may be positioned on the first substrate 10. More specifically, the electron emission unit 14 may include a plurality of first electrodes 20 on the first substrate 10, an insulating layer 18 on the first substrate 10 to coat the plurality of first electrodes 20, a plurality of second electrodes 22 on the insulating layer 18, and a plurality of electron emission regions 24 electrically connected to at least one of each of the pluralities of first and second electrodes 20 and 22. A structure including one first electrode 20 of the plurality of first electrodes 20, one second electrode 22 of the plurality of second electrodes 22, and at least one electron emission region 24 may be defined as one field emission array (FEA) element, i.e., one sub-pixel.
The plurality of the first electrodes 20 of the electron emission unit 14 may be stripe-patterned, so that each first electrode 20 may be positioned along a second direction, e.g., in parallel to the y-axis. The plurality of second electrodes 22 may be stripe-patterned, so that each second electrode 22 may be positioned along a first direction perpendicular to the second direction, e.g., in parallel to the x-axis. Accordingly, the first and second electrodes 20 and 22 may cross one another. It should be noted, however, that while directions of the first and second electrodes 20 and 22 may be perpendicular, the first and second electrodes 20 and 22 may be insulated from one another.
The electron emission regions 24 of the electron emission unit 14 may be formed either on the first electrodes 20 or on the second electrodes 22. For example, as illustrated in
The electron emission regions 24 may be formed of a material capable of emitting electrons upon application of an electric field under a vacuum atmosphere, e.g., a carbonaceous material or a nanometer-sized material. More specifically, the electron emission regions 24 may be formed of one or more of carbon nanotubes, graphite, graphite nanofibers, diamonds, diamond-like carbon, C60, silicon nanowires, a molybdenum-based material, and/or a silicon-based material. If the electron emission regions 24 are formed of a molybdenum-based material or a silicon-based material, the electron emission regions 24 may be formed to have a pointed-tip structure.
The electron emission unit 14 of the electron emission display may further include at least one first opening 181 and at least one second opening 221, as illustrated in
The electron emission unit 14 of the electron emission display may further include a second insulating layer 28 and a third electrode 26, as illustrated in
More specifically, the third electrode 26 may include a plurality of fourth openings 261, so that each fourth opening 261 may be formed to correspond to a single respective electron emission region 24 to separately focus electrons emitted therefrom. Alternatively, as illustrated in
The light emission unit 16 of the electron emission display may include a plurality of light emission elements, and may be positioned on the second substrate 12. More specifically, the light emission unit 16 may include a plurality of photoluminescent layers 30, a plurality of black layers 32 between the photoluminescent layers 30, and an anode electrode 29. The light emission unit 16 may further include a reflection layer 34.
The photoluminescent layers 30 may include red, blue, and green photoluminescent layers 30R, 30B, and 30G formed of, e.g., a phosphorescent material, on a surface of the second substrate 12. The red, blue, and green photoluminescent layers 30R, 30B, and 30G may be positioned to define respective red, blue, and green sub-pixels, so that three sub-pixels having different colors may form a single pixel. Further, as illustrated in
The photoluminescent layers 30, i.e., sub-pixels, may have a substantially similar rectangular shape, i.e., a pair of longitudinal sides parallel to the y-axis and a pair of lateral sides parallel to the x-axis. Therefore, each individual photoluminescent layer 30 may be positioned along the y-axis, as further illustrated in
The plurality of black layers 32 of the light emission unit 16 may be formed on the surface of the second substrate 12 adjacent to the photoluminescent layers 30 to enhance the contrast of the screen. For example, the plurality of black layers 32 may be formed between the photoluminescent layers 30, such that each black layer 32 may be between two photoluminescent layers 30, as illustrated in
The anode electrode 29 of the light emission unit 16 may be formed of a transparent conductive material, e.g., indium tin oxide (ITO). Further, the anode electrode 29 may receive high voltage to place the photoluminescent layers 30 at a high electric potential state, thereby facilitating acceleration of electron beams from the first substrate 10 toward the second substrate 12 and generation of visible light in the photoluminescent layers 30.
The reflection layer 34 of the light emission unit 16 may be formed of a reflective material, e.g., aluminum, to a thickness of about several thousands angstroms. Further, the reflection layer 34 may include a plurality of apertures to facilitate passage of electron beams from the first substrate 10 to the second substrate 12. The reflection layer 34 may enhance screen luminance. More specifically, a portion of the visible light emitted from the photoluminescent layers 30, i.e., light emitted toward the first substrate 10, may be reflected by the reflection layer 34 toward the second substrate 12. The reflection layer 34 may also function as an anode electrode, so that formation of the anode electrode 29 as a separate element may be eliminated.
The plurality of spacers 36 of the electron emission display may be disposed between the first and second substrates 10 and 12 along the first direction, i.e., each spacer 36 may be positioned in parallel to the x-axis, as illustrated in
Each spacer 36 may be formed of a dielectric material, e.g., glass, ceramic, or tempered glass, and may be formed to have a predetermined structure, e.g., a long rod-type, a short rod-type, or a cylindrical-type. A long rod-type structure may refer to a spacer 36 having a longitudinal structure with a length that may be substantially equal to a length of the first substrate 10 along the x-axis, i.e., the long rod-type structured spacer 36 may be adjacent to all the photoluminescent layers 30 positioned in an array along the x-axis. A short rod-type structure may refer to a spacer 36 having a longitudinal structure with a length that may be substantially shorter than a length of the first substrate 10 along the x-axis, i.e., the short rod-type structured spacer 36 may be adjacent to only part of the photoluminescent layers 30 positioned in an array along the x-axis.
For example, as illustrated in
The electron emission display may be driven by applying a predetermined voltage to the first, second, third, and anode electrodes 20, 22, 26, and 29 as follows. A scan electrode, i.e., either one of the first and second electrodes 20 and 22, may receive a scan driving voltage. A data electrode, i.e., either the first or the second electrode 20 and 22 not operating as a scan electrode, may receive a data driving voltage. The third electrode 26 may receive 0V or a negative DC voltage, e.g., about several volts to about tens of volts. The anode electrode 29 may receive a positive DC voltage, e.g., about several hundreds of volts to about several thousands of volts. The application of voltage may form an electric field around the electron emission regions 24, so that a voltage difference between the first and second electrodes 20 and 22 may facilitate electron emission, i.e., electron beams, from the electron emission regions 24. The high voltage applied to the anode electrode 29 may accelerate electrons emitted from the electron emission regions 24 toward the light emission unit 16, as illustrated in
More specifically, electrons emitted from the electron emission regions 24 toward the photoluminescent layers 30 may form an electron beam of a predetermined size, so that an electron beam spot may be formed to overlap with the photoluminescent layers 30 to facilitate collision of electrons with the photoluminescent layers 30. Despite focusing of the third electrode 26, potentially random collisions of electrons with the spacers 36 may occur and charge the spacers 36, so that the electron beam may shift along the second direction with respect to the spacers 36, i.e., closer or further from the spacers 36 with respect to charge thereof. According to an embodiment of the present invention and without intending to be bound by theory, it is believed that formation of the electron emission display with photoluminescent layers 30 satisfying Equation 1 may maintain a substantially complete overlap between the electron beam and the photoluminescent layers 30 despite the shift of the electron beam, thereby providing uniform light emission from the photoluminescent layers 30, as will be discussed below with respect to
In detail, each photoluminescent layer 30 may be formed to satisfy the condition of equation 1 below.
where, as illustrated in
In further detail, according to Equation 1, as long as the length “a” of the photoluminescent layer 30 is larger than the magnitude “b” of the electron beam spot 50 in the second direction, each photoluminescent layer 30 may have a portion thereof, i.e., a color-lacking region 38, not in contact with the electron beam spot 50, as further illustrated in
More specifically, as illustrated in
For example, as illustrated in
In this respect, it is noted that uniform luminance may be determined with respect to a surface area of the overlapping photoluminescent layer 30 and the electron beam spot 50. For example, an overlapping area of the electron beam spot 50 and each of the green and blue photoluminescent layers 30G and 30B adjacent to the spacer 36, as further illustrated in
Comparative Examples 1-2: electron emission displays according to conventional art are formed, i.e., electron emission displays not having photoluminescent layers 30 satisfying Equation 1, as schematically illustrated in
Similarly, as illustrated in
According to another embodiment of the present invention illustrated in
The electron emission unit 14′ may include a plurality of first electrodes 46 extending in the second direction on the first substrate 10, a plurality of second electrodes 48 extending in the first direction and insulated from the first electrodes 46, a plurality of first conductive layers 50 electrically connected to the first electrodes 46, a plurality of second conductive layers 52 electrically connected to the second electrodes 48 and spaced apart from the first conductive layers 50, and electron emission regions 54 between the first and second conductive layers 50 and 52. A structure including one first electrode 46 of the plurality of first electrodes 46, one second electrode 48 of the plurality of second electrodes, one first conductive layer 50 of the plurality of conductive layers 50, one second conductive layer 52 of the plurality of conductive layers 52, and at least one electron emission region 54 may form one SCE element, i.e., one sub-pixel.
The electron emission region 54 may be formed by fine cracks provided between the first and the second conductive layers 50 and 52. Alternatively, the electron emission region 54 may be a layer formed of a carbonaceous material, e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphite, graphite nanofibers, diamonds, diamond-like carbon, fullerene C60, and combinations thereof. When voltages are applied to respective first and second electrodes 46 and 48, a current may flow in a direction parallel to an upper surface of the electron emission region 54 through the first and second conductive layers 50 and 52, thereby realizing the surface-conduction emission from the electron emission region 54.
In this respect, it should be noted that even though embodiments of the present invention were described with respect to electron emission display having FEA elements or SCE elements, other types of electron emission display elements, e.g., Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) elements, Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor (MIS) elements, and so forth, are included within the scope of the present invention.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed herein, and although specific terms are employed, they are used and are to be interpreted in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purpose of limitation. Accordingly, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
10-2006-0088067 | Sep 2006 | KR | national |