Claims
- 1. A field-emission display faceplate comprising:
- a transparent substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface through which an image is adapted to be viewed;
- a substantially transparent layer of conductive material coating the inner surface of the substrate;
- a layer of cathodoluminescent material coating the layer of conductive material; and
- a depixellation film containing microlenses overlying a surface of the substrate.
- 2. The field-emission display faceplate of claim 1 wherein the depixellation film overlies the outer surface of the substrate.
- 3. The field-emission display faceplate of claim 2 wherein the depixellation film is supported on the outer surface of the substrate.
- 4. The field-emission display faceplate of claim 1 wherein the depixellation film overlies the inner surface of the substrate.
- 5. The field-emission display faceplate of claim 4 wherein the depixellation film is supported on the inner surface of the substrate between the substrate and the substantially transparent layer of conductive material.
- 6. A field-emission display faceplate comprising:
- a transparent substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface through which an image is adapted to be viewed;
- a substantially transparent layer of conductive material coating the inner surface of the substrate;
- a layer of cathodoluminescent material coating the layer of conductive material; and
- a film containing a plurality of microlenses overlying a surface of the substrate.
- 7. The field-emission display faceplate of claim 6 wherein the film containing a plurality of microlenses overlies the outer surface of the substrate.
- 8. The field-emission display faceplate of claim 7 wherein the film containing a plurality of microlenses is supported on the outer surface of the substrate.
- 9. The field-emission display faceplate of claim 6 wherein the film containing a plurality of microlenses overlies the inner surface of the substrate.
- 10. The field-emission display faceplate of claim 9 wherein the film containing a plurality of microlenses is supported on the inner surface of the substrate between the substrate and the substantially transparent layer of conductive material.
- 11. The field-emission display faceplate of claim 6 wherein the microlenses comprise graded refractive index microlenses.
- 12. A field-emission display faceplate comprising:
- a transparent substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface through which an image is adapted to be viewed;
- a substantially transparent layer of conductive material coating the inner surface of the substrate;
- a layer of cathodoluminescent material coating the layer of conductive material; and
- a plurality of microlenses mounted on a surface of the substrate.
- 13. The field-emission display faceplate of claim 12 wherein the plurality of microlenses are mounted on the inner surface of the substrate.
- 14. The field-emission display faceplate of claim 12 wherein the plurality of microlenses are mounted on the outer surface of the substrate.
- 15. The field-emission display faceplate of claim 12 wherein the microlenses comprise graded refractive index microlenses.
- 16. A field-emission display comprising:
- a baseplate comprising:
- a substrate;
- a plurality of emitters mounted on the substrate; and
- an extraction grid adjacent each emitter; and
- a faceplate positioned parallel to and spaced apart from the baseplate, the faceplate comprising:
- a transparent substrate having an inner surface facing the baseplate and an outer surface opposite the inner surface;
- a substantially transparent layer of conductive material coating the inner surface of the substrate;
- a layer of cathodoluminescent material coating the layer of conductive material; and
- a depixellation film overlying a surface of the substrate.
- 17. The field-emission display of claim 16 wherein the depixellation film overlies the outer surface of the substrate.
- 18. The field-emission display of claim 17 wherein the depixellation film is supported on the outer surface of the substrate.
- 19. The field-emission display of claim 16 wherein the depixellation film overlies the inner surface of the substrate.
- 20. The field-emission display of claim 19 wherein the depixellation film is supported on the inner surface of the substrate between the substrate and the substantially transparent layer of conductive material.
- 21. A field-emission display comprising:
- a baseplate comprising:
- a substrate;
- a plurality of emitters mounted on the substrate; and
- an extraction grid adjacent each emitter; and
- a faceplate positioned parallel to and spaced apart from the baseplate, the faceplate comprising:
- a transparent substrate having an inner surface facing the baseplate and an outer surface opposite the inner surface;
- a substantially transparent layer of conductive material coating the inner surface of the substrate;
- a layer of cathodoluminescent material coating the layer of conductive material; and
- a film containing a plurality of microlenses overlying the outer surface of the substrate.
- 22. The field-emission display of claim 21 wherein the film containing a plurality of microlenses overlies the outer surface of the substrate.
- 23. The field-emission display of claim 22 wherein the film containing a plurality of microlenses is supported on the outer surface of the substrate.
- 24. The field-emission display of claim 21 wherein the film containing a plurality of microlenses overlies the inner surface of the substrate.
- 25. The field-emission display of claim 24 wherein the film containing a plurality of microlenses is supported on the inner surface of the substrate between the substrate and the substantially transparent layer of conductive material.
- 26. The field-emission display of claim 21 wherein the microlenses comprise graded refractive index microlenses.
- 27. A field-emission display comprising:
- a baseplate comprising:
- a substrate;
- a plurality of emitters mounted on the substrate; and
- an extraction grid adjacent each emitter; and
- a faceplate positioned parallel to and spaced apart from the baseplate, the faceplate comprising:
- a transparent substrate having an inner surface facing the baseplate and an outer surface opposite the inner surface;
- a substantially transparent layer of conductive material coating the inner surface of the substrate;
- a layer of cathodoluminescent material coating the layer of conductive material; and
- a plurality of microlenses mounted on the outer surface of the substrate.
- 28. The field-emission display of claim 27 wherein the microlenses comprise graded refractive index microlenses.
- 29. A method of improving the viewing characteristics of a field-emission display of the type including a faceplate having an inner surface and an outer surface through which an image formed by a plurality of pixels is adapted to be visible, the method comprising averaging in substantially all directions the intensity of light emitted by a plurality of the pixels over the respective areas of the pixels so that the light emitted by such pixels is relatively uniform.
- 30. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of averaging the intensity of light emitted by a plurality of the pixels is provided by positioning a sheet of depixellation film so that it overlies the outer surface of the faceplate.
- 31. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of positioning a sheet of depixellation film so that it overlies the outer surface of the faceplate is provided by placing the sheet of depixellation film on the outer surface of the faceplate.
- 32. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of averaging the intensity of light emitted by a plurality of the pixels is provided by positioning a sheet of depixellation film so that it overlies the inner surface of the faceplate.
- 33. The method of claim 32 wherein the step of positioning a sheet of depixellation film so that it overlies the inner surface of the faceplate is provided by placing the sheet of depixellation film on the inner surface of the faceplate.
- 34. The method of claim 29 wherein the step of averaging the intensity of light emitted by a plurality of the pixels is provided by placing a plurality of microlenses on a surface of the faceplate.
- 35. The method of claim 34 wherein the step of placing a plurality of microlenses on a surface of the faceplate is provided by placing a plurality of microlenses on the inner surface of the faceplate.
- 36. The method of claim 34 wherein the step of placing a plurality of microlenses on a surface of the faceplate is provided by placing a plurality of microlenses on the outer surface of the faceplate.
- 37. The method of claim 34 wherein the microlenses comprise grad ed refractive index microlenses.
- 38. A method of improving the viewing characteristics of a field-emission display of the type including a faceplate having an inner surface and an outer surface through which an image formed by a plurality of pixels is adapted to be visible, the method comprising spreading light emitted from a plurality of locations at each of a plurality of the pixels in substantially all directions so that the light emitted from each of the locations overlaps light emitted from other locations.
- 39. The method of claim 38 wherein the step of spreading light emitted from a plurality of locations at each of a plurality of the pixels is provided by positioning a sheet of depixellation film so that it overlies the outer surface of the faceplate.
- 40. The method of claim 39 wherein the step of positioning a sheet of depixellation film so that it overlies the outer surface of the faceplate is provided by positioning a sheet of depixellation film on the outer surface of the faceplate.
- 41. The method of claim 38 wherein the step of spreading light emitted from a plurality of locations at each of a plurality of the pixels is provided by positioning a sheet of depixellation film so that it overlies the inner surface of the faceplate.
- 42. The method of claim 41 wherein the step of positioning a sheet of depixellation film so that it overlies the inner surface of the faceplate is provided by positioning the sheet of depixellation film on the inner surface of the faceplate.
- 43. The method of claim 38 wherein the step of spreading light emitted from a plurality of locations at each of a plurality of pixels is provided by positioning a sheet of film containing a plurality of microlenses so that it overlies the outer surface of the faceplate.
- 44. The method of claim 43 wherein the step of positioning a sheet of film containing a plurality of microlenses so that it overlies the outer surface of the faceplate is provided by positioning the sheet of film containing a plurality of microlenses on the outer surface of the faceplate.
- 45. The method of claim 38 wherein the step of spreading light emitted from a plurality of locations at each of a plurality of pixels is provided by positioning a sheet of film containing a plurality of microlenses so that it overlies the inner surface of the faceplate.
- 46. The method of claim 45 wherein the step of positioning a sheet of film containing a plurality of microlenses so that it overlies the inner surface of the faceplate is provided by positioning the sheet of film containing a plurality of microlenses on the inner surface of the faceplate.
- 47. The method of claim 38 wherein the step of spreading light emitted from a plurality of locations at each of a plurality of pixels is provided by placing a plurality of microlenses on the outer surface of the faceplate.
- 48. The method of claim 47 wherein the microlenses comprise graded refractive index microlenses.
- 49. The method of claim 38 wherein the step of spreading light emitted from a plurality of locations at each of a plurality of pixels is provided by placing a plurality of microlenses on the inner surface of the faceplate.
- 50. The method of claim 49 wherein the microlenses comprise graded refractive index microlenses.
Government Interests
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DABT63-93-C-0025 awarded by Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). The government has certain rights in this invention.
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