Gas discharge panel and method for driving the same

A display device, comprising:

• a first substrate;
• a plurality of pairs of sustaining electrodes positioned on the first substrate;
• a dielectric layer covering the sustaining electrode pairs and the first substrate;
• a plurality of address electrodes arranged to intersect the sustaining electrode pairs, positioned on the dielectric layer;
• insulating layer means, covering the write electrodes and the dielectric layer and having a surface on which charges accumulate, comprising means for permitting a leakage current to flow from the surface of the insulating layer means to the write electrodes;
• a second substrate spaced from and in substantially parallel relation to the first substrate and defining a discharge gas gap therebetween;
• and
• a discharge gas in the gap.

A method of driving a gas discharge panel including a first substrate, a plurality of pairs of first and second sustaining electrodes positioned on the first substrate, the first sustaining electrodes of a plurality of pairs being connected in a group, a dielectric layer covering the sustaining electrodes, a plurality of address electrodes arranged to intersect the sustaining electrode pairs positioned on the dielectric layer, insulating layer means covering the address electrodes and the dielectric layer and having a surface on which charges accumulate comprising means for permitting a leakage current to flow from the surface of the insulating layer means to the address electrodes, and a second substrate opposing the first substrate in parallel relation to form a gas discharge space, comprising the steps of:

• (a) applying a first sustaining voltage to a group of first sustaining electrodes;
• (b) applying a write voltage having a polarity which is positive with respect to the sustaining voltage to an address electrode to generate discharges at the write cells defined by the intersections of the address electrode and the first sustaining electrodes in the group;
• and
• (c) applying a second sustaining voltage to a selected second sustaining electrode to maintain a discharge in the display cell positioned between the sustaining electrode pair including the selected second sustaining electrode.

A method of driving a gas discharge panel including a first substrate, a plurality of pairs of first and second sustaining electrodes positioned on the first substrate, a dielectric layer covering the sustaining electrodes, a plurality of address electrodes arranged to intersect the sustaining electrode pairs positioned on the dielectric layer, insulating layer means covering the address electrodes and the dielectric layer and having a surface on which charges accumulate comprising means for permitting a leakage current to flow from the surface of the insulating layer means to the address electrodes, and a second substrate opposing the first substrate in parallel relation to form a gas discharge space, comprising the steps of:

• (a) applying a sustaining voltage to the first sustaining electrode of a selected sustaining electrode pair;
• (b) applying a write voltage having a polarity which is positive with respect to the sustaining voltage to an address electrode to generate a discharge at the intersection of the first sustaining electrode and the address electrode;
• and
• (c) applying a sustaining voltage to the second sustaining electrode of the selected sustaining electrode pair to maintain the discharge at the display cell positioned between the first and second electrodes of the selected sustaining electrode pair.

A display device, comprising:

• a first substrate;
• a plurality of pairs of sustaining electrodes positioned on the first substrate;
• a dielectric layer covering the sustaining electrode pairs and the first substrate;
• a plurality of address electrodes arranged to intersect the sustaining electrode pairs, positioned on the dielectric layer;
• insulating layer means having a thickness of 1 .mu.m or less provided on the address electrodes and the dielectric layer for permitting the generation of a self-discharge at the falling edge of an address voltage pulse, thereby removing a wall voltage on the surface of the insulating layer means.