Patent Grant
7291978
This Nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on Patent Application No. 10-2003-0048732 filed in Korea on Jul. 16, 2003, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel and method for manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a plasma display panel and method for manufacturing the same wherein the quality of an image can be improved by preventing an erroneous discharge.
2. Description of the Background Art
Various flat panel display devices have recently been developed which can reduce their heavy weight and large volume as shortcomings of the cathode ray tube. These flat panel display devices include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma display panel (hereinafter, referred to as “PDP”), an electro-luminescence (EL) display device and so on.
Among them, the PDP is a display device using a gas discharge and has a competitive advantage in that it can be easily fabricated as a large-sized panel. An example of a representative PDP includes a three-electrode AC surface discharge type PDP having three electrodes and driven by an AC voltage, as shown in
A discharge cell of the PDP shown in
A lower dielectric layer 22 for accumulation of wall charges is formed on the lower substrate 18 having the address electrode 12X formed thereon. Barrier ribs 24 are formed on the lower dielectric layer 22. A phosphor layer 20 is covered on the surface of the lower dielectric layer 22 and the barrier rib 24. The barrier ribs 24 serve to prevent ultraviolet rays and a visible ray generated by a discharge from leaking toward a neighboring discharge cell. The phosphor layer 20 is excited by ultraviolet rays generated upon the discharge of gas to generate any one of red, green and blue visible rays. An insert gas is injected into a discharge space provided between the upper/lower substrates 10 and 18 and the barrier rib 24.
The pair of the sustain electrodes 12Y and 12Z formed on the underside of the upper substrate 10 consists of a transparent electrode 12a and a bus electrode 12b and intersect an address electrode 12X.
The transparent electrode 12a is formed of a transparent conductive material in order to shield light supplied from the discharge cell. The bus electrode 12b compensates for the conductivity of the transparent electrode 12a having a low conductivity due to relatively high resistance property.
An upper dielectric layer 14 and a protection film 16 are formed on the upper substrate 10 in which the pair of the sustain electrodes 12Y and 12Z are formed. The upper dielectric layer 14 has a wall charge accumulated thereon upon discharge. The protection film 16 serves to prevent damage of the upper dielectric layer 14 due to sputtering generated upon plasma discharge and also to increase discharge efficiency of secondary electrons. The protection film 16 is usually formed of magnesium oxide (MgO).
Such a discharge cell having the above structure is selected by an opposite discharge between the address electrode 12X and the scan/sustain electrode 12Y, and maintains a discharge by means of the surface discharge between the pair of the sustain electrodes 12Y and 12Z.
In this discharge cell, the phosphor layer 20 is light-emitted by means of ultraviolet rays generated upon sustain discharge, so that a visible ray is emitted to the outside of the cell. As a result, the discharge cell controls the period where the discharge is maintained to implement gray scale (also called “gradation”) and the PDP whose discharge cells are arranged in the form of a matrix displays an image.
An address electrode 12X is formed on a lower substrate 18 by means of a photo method, a printing method, etc., as shown in
Barrier ribs 24 are formed on the lower dielectric layer 22 by means of a screen printing method, a sand blasting method, a pressing method, etc., as shown in
Thereafter, a phosphor layer 20 is formed on the substrate on which the barrier ribs 24 and the lower dielectric layer 22 are formed by means of a screen printing method, a printing method and the like, as shown in
The lower substrate of the PDP formed thus is closely adhered to the upper substrate by means of a sealing process (not shown).
In order to facilitate formation of a wall charge upon reset discharge, the upper dielectric layer of the conventional PDP contains a material of a high dielectric constant such as Pb (lead), Zr (zirconium), TiO3, etc. and the barrier rib also contains a material of a high dielectric constant such as Pb(lead), Zr(zirconium m), TiO3 and so on. Thereby, a number of wall charges are formed on the lateral sides of the barrier ribs 24 as well as the upper dielectric layer 14 upon reset discharge. However, since unwanted wall charges are formed on the barrier ribs of the PDP and the wall charges formed in a scan/sustain electrode 12Y are removed by these wall charges, erroneous discharge frequently occurs.
More specifically, during a reset period, a discharge occurs between the scan/sustain electrode 12Y and a common sustain electrode 12Z and between the scan/sustain electrode 12Y and the address electrode 12X. Therefore, during the reset period, a wall charge of the negative polarity is formed in the scan/sustain electrode 12Y, a wall charge of the positive polarity is formed in the common sustain electrode 12Z, and a wall charge of the positive polarity is formed in the address electrode 12X, respectively.
In the above, the barrier ribs 24 are formed of a material having a high dielectric constant. Thus, a wall charge is formed even in the barrier ribs 24 during the reset period, as shown in
Accordingly, since wall charges are sufficiently not formed on the electrodes during the reset period, an instable address discharge occurs. For this reason, an optical waveform A is shaken due to the address discharge, as shown in
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve at least the problems and disadvantages of the background art.
An object of the present invention is to provide a PDP and method for manufacturing the same wherein the quality of an image is improved by preventing an erroneous discharge.
To achieve the above objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plasma display panel having a plurality of discharge cells, including barrier ribs by which a discharge space is defined between an upper substrate and a lower substrate; and an oxide film of a low dielectric constant formed on each of the barrier ribs.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a method for manufacturing a plasma display panel, including the steps of: forming barrier ribs on a lower substrate so that a discharge space is defined by the barrier ribs between an upper substrate and a lower substrate; and forming an oxide film of a low dielectric constant on each of the barrier ribs.
According to a PDP and method for manufacturing the same of the present invention, since an erroneous discharge does not occur, the quality of an image of a plasma display panel is improved.
The invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like numerals refer to like elements.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in a more detailed manner with reference to the drawings.
A plasma display panel may hereafter be described as having a plurality of discharge cells, including barrier ribs by which a discharge space is defined between an upper substrate and a lower substrate, and an oxide film of a low dielectric constant formed on each of the barrier ribs.
The oxide film of the plasma display panel may include at least one of silicon oxide and magnesium oxide.
The plasma display panel may further include a first electrode formed on the underside of the upper substrate and a second electrode formed on the underside of the upper substrate in such a manner as to extend over the first electrode.
A first barrier rib may be arranged in parallel with the first and second electrodes and have an auxiliary discharge space. A second barrier rib may be arranged to intersect the first barrier rib.
A method for manufacturing a plasma display panel may hereafter be described as including forming barrier ribs on a lower substrate so that a discharge space is defined by the barrier ribs between an upper substrate and a lower substrate, and forming an oxide film of a low dielectric constant on each of the barrier ribs.
The oxide film may include at least one of silicon oxide and magnesium oxide.
The method may also include forming a first electrode on the upper substrate, and forming a second electrode on the underside of the upper substrate in such a manner as to extend over the first electrode.
Forming the barrier rib may include forming a first barrier rib arranged in parallel with the first and second electrodes and having an auxiliary discharge space, and forming a second barrier rib that intersects the first barrier rib.
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in a more detailed manner with reference to
Referring to
A lower dielectric layer 122 for accumulation of wall charges is formed on the surface of the lower substrate 118 on which the address electrode 112X is formed. A lattice type barrier rib 124 overlapped with a bus electrode 112b is formed on the lower dielectric layer 122. An oxide film 145 is formed on the lattice type barrier rib 124. A phosphor layer 120 is covered on the surface between of the oxide film 145 and the lower dielectric layer 120.
As shown in
Upon address discharge, priming particles are created in the auxiliary discharge spaces 115 due to differences in voltage between the scan/sustain electrode 112Y and the common sustain electrode 112Z in a neighboring discharge cell and are then supplied to a neighboring discharge cell that will be selected next time. A wall charge is sufficiently formed in the discharge cell to which the priming particles are supplied by means of the priming effect, thus helping an address discharge. That is, the amount of wall charges offset by the conventional barrier rib is compensated for by the priming particles. Consequently, an erroneous discharge of the PDP due to conventional unstable address discharge does not occur.
The oxide film 145 is formed of at least one of silicon oxide (SiO2) and magnesium oxide (MgO) having a low dielectric constant. It minimizes the amount of wall charges formed on the lateral side of the barrier rib 124. In the concrete, the barrier rib 124 containing a material of a high dielectric constant is serially connected to the oxide film 145 of a material of a low dielectric constant. In other words, as the barrier rib 124 and the oxide film 145 are serially connected, a total amount of electric charges of the barrier rib 124 and the oxide film 145 is reduced. Thereby, since the amount of the wall charge formed on the barrier rib 124 is significantly reduced compared to a prior art, the wall charge formed in the electrodes is also reduced or minimized. Accordingly, an erroneous discharge of the PDP due to unstable address discharge is not generated.
The phosphor layer 120 is excited by ultraviolet rays generated upon plasma discharge to generate any one of red, green and blue visible rays. An insert gas for gas discharge is injected into a discharge space formed between the upper/lower substrates 110 and 118 and the barrier rib 124.
Each of the pair of the sustain electrodes 112Y and 112Z formed on the underside of the upper substrate 110 consists of a transparent electrode 112a and a bus electrode 112b and intersects the address electrode 112X.
The transparent electrode 112a through which light supplied from the discharge cell passes is formed of a transparent conductive material. The bus electrode 112b is formed on the underside of the upper substrate 110 in such a manner as to extend over the transparent electrode 112a and compensates for the conductivity of the transparent electrode 112a having low conductivity due to relatively high resistance property.
A distance d2 between the bus electrodes 112b between the auxiliary discharge spaces 115 formed within the horizontal barrier rib 124a is narrower than a distance d1 between the transparent electrodes 112a within each discharge cell, i.e., within a main discharge space. By forming the distance d2 between the bus electrodes 112b within the auxiliary discharge space 115 narrower than the distance d1 between the transparent electrodes 112a within the main discharge space, it is possible to easily form priming particles with even a relatively low voltage.
An upper dielectric layer 114 and a protection film 116 are formed on the upper substrate 110 on which the pair of the sustain electrodes 112Y and 112Z are formed. A wall charge generated upon plasma discharge is accumulated on the upper dielectric layer 114. The protection film 116 serves to prevent damage of the upper dielectric layer 114 due to sputtering generated upon plasma discharge and to increase discharge efficiency of secondary electrons. The protection film 116 is usually formed of magnesium oxide (MgO).
The discharge cell of such a structure is selected by an opposite discharge between the address electrode 112X and the scan/sustain electrode 112Y and then maintains a discharge by means of a surface discharge between the pair of the sustain electrodes 112Y and 112Z. In this discharge cell, the phosphor layer 120 emits light by means of ultraviolet rays generated upon sustain discharge, so that a visible ray is discharged to the outside of the cell. As a result, the discharge cells controls the period where the discharge is maintained to implement gradation and the PDP whose discharge cells are arranged in the formed of a matrix displays an image.
As such, in the PDP according to an embodiment of the present invention, the auxiliary discharge space 115 is formed within the horizontal barrier rib 124a of the lattice type barrier rib 124a. Thus, priming particles are generated by means of differences in voltage between the scan/sustain electrode 112Y and the common sustain electrode 112Z. The priming particles are supplied to a neighboring discharge cell that will be selected next time and the amount of wall charges offset by the conventional barrier rib are compensated for the priming particles.
Furthermore, in the PDP according to an embodiment of the present invention, the oxide film 145 of a low dielectric constant is formed on the barrier rib 124 of a high dielectric constant. Thus, the amount of a wall charge formed on the lateral side of the barrier rib 124 is minimized.
As such, by minimizing the amount of the wall charge formed on the barrier rib 124 and compensating for the amount of the wall charge whose priming particles generated from the auxiliary discharge space 115 are reduced, the PDP does not generate an erroneous discharge due to unstable address discharge. Accordingly, since the erroneous discharge is prevented, the quality of the image in the PDP can be improved.
Referring to
An address electrode 112X is first formed on the lower substrate 118 by means of a photo method, a printing method, etc., as shown in
Referring to
Thereafter, an oxide film 145 including at least one of silicon oxide (SiO2) and magnesium oxide (MgO) is formed on the lattice type barrier rib 124 by means of a screen printing method, etc., as shown in
A phosphor layer 120 is formed on the substrate 118 o which the oxide film 145 is formed by means of a screen printing method, etc., as shown in
The lower substrate of the PDP formed thus is closely adhered to the upper substrate by means of a sealing process (not shown).
According to a PDP and method for manufacturing the same of the present invention as described above, an oxide film of a low dielectric constant is formed on a lattice type barrier rib. The amount of a wall charge formed in barrier ribs is thus minimized. Furthermore, the amount of wall charges formed in electrodes, which is reduced by wall charges formed in the barrier rib, is compensated for by priming particles generated in an auxiliary discharge space. Therefore, since an erroneous discharge of a PDP due to instable address discharge does not occur, the quality of an image of the PDP is improved.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
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