1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a plasma display panel (PDP). More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a PDP having an improved structure of a common bar on discharge electrodes thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A PDP may refer to a flat panel display device displaying, e.g., images, via a gas discharge phenomenon. For example, the PDP may include a discharge gas between two substrates, so application of a voltage, e.g., direct or alternate, via a plurality of discharge electrodes to the discharge gas may generate a discharge. The discharge may trigger ultraviolet (UV) light to excite phosphor layers to emit visible light.
The conventional PDP, e.g., a three-electrode surface discharge type PDP, may be subjected to an aging process for stabilizing characteristics of electrical components thereof. In the aging process, a conventional PDP may be driven at a higher voltage than a normal operational voltage for a predetermined period of time. For example, in a PDP including a discharge gas having less than about 7% of xenon (Xe) gas, the aging process may be performed by applying a low sustaining voltage Vs of about 150 V to about 250 V for about 10 hours to about 12 hours. In another example, in a PDP including a discharge gas having about 7% or more of Xe gas, the aging process may be performed by applying a high sustaining voltage of about 300 V to about 350 V for about 4 hours to about 6 hours.
Application of high sustaining voltage to the PDP during the aging process, however, may increase temperature of the PDP to a higher temperature than a normal operational temperature, thereby generating a large amount of heat therein. Further, a frit glass used to seal the substrates of the PDP together may slow down dissipation of heat generated during the aging process, thereby increasing an amount of heat further. A large amount of localized heat may trigger thermal stress, thereby causing damage to the PDP, e.g., forming cracks in the substrate of the PDP.
Embodiments of the present invention are therefore directed to a PDP, which substantially overcomes one or more of the disadvantages and shortcomings of the related art.
It is therefore a feature of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a PDP having a common electrode bar structure capable of improving dissipation of heat during an aging process.
At least one of the above and other features and advantages of the present invention may be realized by providing a PDP, including a first substrate and a second substrate facing the first substrate, a frit glass layer between the first and second substrates, the frit glass layer having a closed geometrical cross-section in a horizontal plane to define a sealed space between the first and second substrates, a plurality of electrodes on the first substrate and facing the second substrate, the electrodes including electrode terminals, and a common bar extending along an edge of the first substrate to electrically connect the electrode terminals, the common bar being positioned in a region not overlapping with the frit glass layer. The common bar may be within the sealed space. The common bar may be outside the sealed space. The PDP may further include a silicon layer on the common bar.
The sealed space may be further defined by an overlap between the first and second substrates, the electrodes extending across the frit glass layer outside the sealed space to a region including no overlap of the first and second substrates, and the common bar being positioned inside the sealed space and being spaced apart from the frit glass layer. The sealed space may be defined by an overlap between the first and second substrates, the electrodes extending across the frit glass layer outside the sealed space to a region including no overlap of the first and second substrates, and the common bar being positioned outside the sealed space and being spaced apart from the frit glass layer. The PDP may further include a silicon layer on the common bar. The electrodes may be X electrodes disposed parallel to a long-side of the first substrate, and the common bar may be disposed parallel to a short-side of the first substrate. The common bar and the electrodes may include substantially same materials.
At least one of the above and other features and advantages of the present invention may be realized by providing a PDP, including a first substrate and a second substrate facing the first substrate, an overlap between the first and second substrates defining a display area and a region of the first substrate extending away from an edge of the display area defining a non-display area, a frit glass layer between the first and second substrates, the frit glass layer having an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter shorter than the outer perimeter, a plurality of electrodes on the first substrate and facing the second substrate, the electrodes being X electrodes and including discharge units in the display area and electrode terminals extending from the discharge units to the non-display area, a common bar extending along an edge of the first substrate to electrically connect the electrode terminals, the common bar being positioned in a region not overlapping the frit glass layer.
The common bar may be in the display area. The common bar may be between the inner boundary of the frit glass layer and a connection region of the discharge units and the electrode terminals. Each electrode terminal may include a connection unit in the non-display area and an inclined line unit connecting the connection unit to a respective discharge unit in the display area, the common bar intersecting the inclined line units. Adjacent connection units of the electrode terminals may have a smaller distance therebetween as compared to a distance between adjacent discharge units of the electrodes. The common bar may be in the non-display area. The common bar may be between the outer boundary of the frit glass and an outermost edge of the first substrate. The PDP may further include a silicon layer on the common bar.
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. 10-2007-0084498, filed on Aug. 22, 2007, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and entitled: “Plasma Display Panel,” is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated. Aspects of 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 may be exaggerated for clarity of illustration. It will also be understood that when a layer or element is referred to as being “on” another layer or substrate, it can be directly on the other layer or substrate, or intervening layers or elements may also be present. Further, it will be understood that the term “on” can indicate solely a vertical arrangement of one element or layer with respect to another element or layer, and may not indicate a specific vertical orientation. In addition, it will also be understood that when a layer is referred to as being “between” two layers, it can be the only layer between the two layers, or one or more intervening layers may also be present. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
As used herein, the expressions “at least one,” “one or more,” and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B, and C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, or C” and “A, B, and/or C” includes the following meanings: A alone; B alone; C alone; both A and B together; both A and C together; both B and C together; and all three of A, B, and C together. Further, these expressions are open-ended, unless expressly designated to the contrary by their combination with the term “consisting of.” For example, the expression “at least one of A, B, and C” may also include an nth member, where n is greater than 3, whereas the expression “at least one selected from the group consisting of A, B, and C” does not.
The sustain discharge electrodes 103 of the PDP 100 may be in the display area 301, i.e., on an inner surface of the first substrate 101. As illustrated in
The first bus electrode line 107 and the second bus electrode line 109 may be positioned along edges of facing sides of the discharge cells, and may have an alternating stripe pattern. Accordingly, a pair of first and second transparent electrodes 106 and 108 may be positioned in each discharge cell along adjacent first and second bus electrode lines 107 and 109, such that the first and second transparent electrodes 106 and 108 may be spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval. The predetermined interval may correspond to a center of each discharge cell in order to form a discharge gap.
The first transparent electrodes 106 and the second transparent electrodes 108 may have any suitable shape, e.g., a quadrangle. The first transparent electrodes 106 and the second transparent electrodes 108 may be formed of a transparent conductive film, e.g., indium tin oxide (ITO) film, and the first bus electrode line 107 and the second bus electrode line 109 may be formed of a metal material, e.g., silver (Ag) paste or chrome-copper-chrome (Cr—Cu—Cr).
The X electrode 104 and the Y electrode 105 may be buried by a first dielectric layer 110. The first dielectric layer 110 may be formed using a dielectric substance having high dielectric properties, e.g., a transparent dielectric. Examples of a transparent dielectric may include PbO—B2O3—SiO2. A protective film layer 111 may be formed, e.g., of magnesium oxide (MgO), on a surface of the first dielectric layer 110 in order to increase emission of secondary electrons.
The PDP 100 may further include a plurality of address electrodes 112 on an inner surface, i.e., a surface facing the discharge cells, of the second substrate 102. The address electrodes 112, as illustrated in
The PDP 100 may further include a barrier rib structure 114, as illustrated in
The PDP 100 may further include phosphor layers 117 to emit visible light when excited by UV light generated by the discharge gas, so a plurality of colors may be emitted from the discharge cells to realize a colored image. The phosphor layer 117 may be formed in any region of the discharge cell, e.g., on an inner surface of the second dielectric layer 113 and/or on sidewalls of the barrier ribs 214. The phosphor layers 117 may include red phosphor, e.g., (Y,Gd)BO3;Eu+3, green phosphor, e.g., Zn2SiO4:Mn3+, and/or blue phosphor, e.g., BaMgAl10O17:Eu2+. Accordingly, after selecting the discharge cells by applying an electrical signal to the Y electrodes 105 and the address electrodes 112 of the discharge cells to be selected, UV light may be generated in the discharge cells, e.g., on a surface of the first substrate 101, by alternately applying an electrical signal to the X and Y electrodes 104 and 105. The UV light may excite the phosphor layers 117 to emit visible light, so a stationary image or a moving image may be realized using the visible light emitted from the selected discharge cells.
As described previously, the display area 301 may define a region for forming functional elements, e.g., the discharge electrodes 103, the first and second dielectric layers 110 and 113, the first and second barrier ribs 115 and 116, and the phosphor layers 117, on inner surfaces of the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 102. Accordingly, an image may be realized in the display area 301 when a discharge is generated in the discharge cells. The non-display area 302 may provide a region for connecting the electrode terminals 303 to respective signal transmission units 204.
The electrode terminals 303 may be integral with the electrodes, e.g., discharge electrodes 103, and may extend on respective substrate, e.g., the first substrate 101, in a stripe-pattern in at least one non-display area 302. For example, the electrode terminals 303 may be electrode terminals of the X electrodes 104 extending along the x-axis on the first substrate 101 on at least one of a short-side or a long-side of the PDP 100 according to any suitable method of patterning discharge electrodes, as will be explained in more detail below with reference to
The electrode terminals 303 may be configured in groups. In other words, the electrode terminals 303 may be arranged into a plurality of groups spaced apart from each other, each group having a plurality of electrode terminals 303, as illustrated in
The signal transmission units 204 of the plasma display apparatus 200 may be formed in any suitable shape, and may be connected to the electrode terminals 303, as illustrated in
According to embodiments of the present embodiment, the electrode terminals 303 may be connected to each other by a common bar 408 configured in a region not overlapping the frit glass 118. Configuration of the common bar 408 with respect to the electrode terminal 303 will be described in more detail below with reference to
Referring to
For example, the frit glass 118 may be coated on a boundary where the first substrate 101 overlaps the second substrate 102, and may also be coated on inner sides of the boundary. In other words, as illustrated in
The X electrodes 104 may be disposed parallel to each other along the x-axis on an inner surface of the first substrate 101. Each X electrodes 104 may include a discharge unit 404 patterned in the display area 301 and a respective electrode terminal extending from the discharge unit 404 in the display region 301 to the non-display area 302. The discharge units 404 may be disposed in parallel to each other, and may have distances therebetween along the y-axis. The electrode terminals 303 may be connected to the discharge units 404, e.g., the electrode terminals 303 may be integral with the discharge units 404, and may include a connection unit 407 positioned in the non-display area 302 and an inclined line unit 406 connecting the connection unit 407 to a respective discharge unit 404. The connection units 407 may be exposed to the outside on the non-display area 302.
The connection units 407 may be disposed along the x-axis, and may be spaced apart from each along the y-axis. Distances between adjacent connection units 407 may be smaller than distances between adjacent discharge units 404, so a width of a group of connection units 407, i.e., a distance as measured along the y-axis between a first connection unit 407 in a group of connection units 407 to a last connection unit 407 in a group of connection units 407, may be smaller than a width of a group of discharge units 404, i.e., a distance as measured along the y-axis between a first discharge unit 404 in a group of discharge units 404 to a last discharge unit 404 in a group of discharge units 404. The relatively small width of a group of connection units 407 may facilitate connection thereof with first terminals 211 of a respective signal transmitting unit 204. Accordingly, the inclined line units 406 connecting the discharge units 404 to the connection units 407 may be obliquely disposed at a predetermined angle. The inclined line units 406 may extend on the inner surface of the first substrate 101 between the display area 301 and the non-display area 302 across the frit glass 118.
The common bar 408 may be connected to all the X electrodes 104 in order to commonly apply a discharge voltage to the X electrodes 104. For convenience of manufacturing, the common bar 408 may be formed of a substantially same material as the X electrodes 104, e.g., Ag paste or Cr—C—Cr. The common bar 408 may extend along the y-axis, and may be positioned in a region not overlapping with the frit glass 118. The common bar 408 may be positioned in the display area 301. For example, as illustrated in
The common bar 508 may be connected to all the X electrodes 104 in order to commonly apply a discharge voltage to the X electrodes 104. For convenience of manufacturing, the common bar 508 may be formed of a substantially same material as the X electrodes 104, e.g., Ag paste or Cr—Cu—Cr. The common bar 508 may not overlap the frit glass 118. In other words, the common bar 508 may be positioned between the outer perimeter of the frit glass 118 and an outermost edge of the first substrate 101. For example, as illustrated in
Positioning of the common bar 508 in the non-display area 302 may expose the common bar 508 to an outside, so dissipation of heat from the common bar 508 may be facilitated. A silicon layer 509 may be coated on the common bar 508, e.g., on a region where the common bar 508 is connected to the terminal units 407 of the electrode terminals 303. For example, surfaces of the common bar 508 exposed to the outside may be coated with the silicon layer 509 in order to protect the common bar 508.
A PDP manufactured according to an embodiment of the present invention, i.e., Example 1, was compared to a conventional PDP, i.e., Comparative Example 1. The conventional PDP was manufactured according to a substantially same method as the PDP of Example 1, with the exception of overlapping a common bar with a portion of a frit glass. X electrode terminals of each PDP were subjected to an increased temperature, and a response of each substrate according to the increasing temperature of the X electrode terminals, i.e., thermal stress, was observed. Results are reported in Table 1 below.
Referring to Table 1, the failure rate of the substrate of the conventional PDP was approximately 2.8%, while the failure rate of the substrate of the PDP according to embodiments of the present invention was approximately 0.21%. Thus, the substrate in the PDP of Example 1, i.e., a PDP according to embodiments of the present invention, exhibited a reduction of about 2.59% in substrate failure rate, i.e., damage, due to temperature increase at the electrode terminals.
In other words, an overlap between the frit glass and the common bar in the conventional PDP decreased dissipation of heat from the electrode terminals. As such, heat generated around the electrode terminals during the aging did not dissipate efficiently and caused rapid temperature increase in a predetermined localized region. The temperature increase lead to failure of the substrate, e.g., cracks in the substrate, and overall damage to the conventional PDP. Accordingly, from the results reported in Table 1, it can be seen that PDPs according to embodiments of the present invention may be advantageous in providing a common bar for the X electrodes in regions not overlapping with the frit glass, thereby facilitating smooth heat dissipation through heat convection during aging. Thus, breakage of the substrate due to a temperature increase may be substantially minimized or prevented.
As described above, a PDP according to embodiments of the present invention may be advantageous in providing a common bar for connecting electrode terminals, e.g., terminals of X electrodes, in a region not overlapping with a frit glass, i.e., in a region not overlapping an area where a frit glass is formed on inner surfaces of and between first and second substrates. Thus, heat convection in a connection region between the electrode terminals and common bar may be performed smoothly with increased efficiency during aging, thereby preventing or substantially minimizing substrate damage and/or breakage due to high temperature.
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 |
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10-2007-0084498 | Aug 2007 | KR | national |