Ink for forming resistive structures and display panel containing the same

A material for use in forming resistive bodies for a gas-filled display panel comprising

• a first component including nickel in the form of a powder,
• a second component including silver in both flake form and powder form,
• a binder comprising a glass frit, and
• a vehicle for imparting body to the material so that it can be screened.

A gas discharge display panel including

• a gas-filled envelope including an ionizable gas capable of sustaining cathode glow, said gas containing mercury vapor,
• said envelope including a glass base plate and a glass face plate,
• at least one glow cathode and an anode inside said envelope in operative relation with each other, and
• a resistor formed inside said envelope usable to generate heat electrically inside said envelope to keep the mercury in the gas vaporized, said resistor made up of a mixture of silver and nickel with the nickel being controllably oxidized immediately after formation of the body of said mixture which is to become said resistor to impart resistivity to said mixture.

The method of forming a resistor body for use in a gas-filled display panel having cathode electrodes which glow comprising the steps of

• providing a base plate having a top surface,
• forming an ink mixture including silver in the form of flakes and powder and nickel in the form of a spherical powder,
• depositing a quantity of said ink mixture on said top surface of said base plate, and
• controllably heating said base plate in air to oxidize the nickel component of said mixture to render said quantity of ink on said base plate resistive.

The method of making a display panel comprising the steps of

• providing a glass base plate having a top surface,
• forming an ink mixture including silver in the form of flakes and powder and nickel in the form of a spherical powder,
• depositing a quantity of said ink mixture in a desired pattern on the top surface of said base plate,
• controllably heating said base plate in air to oxidize the nickel component of said mixture to impart resistance to said mixture and to said pattern of said ink,
• providing a layer of insulating material and an array of cathode electrodes on said base plate,
• heating said base plate with said oxidized resistive ink and said layers of insulating material and said cathode electrodes in nitrogen whereby desired processing is achieved without affecting the resistance of said pattern of resistive material, and
• securing a face plate to said base plate to form a gas-tight envelope and filling said envelope with an ionizable gas and processing the panel to completion without the use of heating in air.