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US 5,495,143 AGranted
Gas discharge device having a field emitter array with microscopic emitter elements
AssigneeScience Applications International Corporation
InventorsMichael Lengyel, Douglas A. Kirkpatrick, George L. Bergeron, III, Otto J. Hunt, James J. Hickman, Stanley E. Busby
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas discharge device includes an envelope containing a low pressure gas and a field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements which emit electrons into the gas. The device can be employed, for example, in a gas discharge lamp.
Claims34
A gas discharge device, comprising:
- an envelope containing a low pressure gas having a gas pressure greater than 0.1 Torr;
- a field emitter array forming a cathode, said field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements which emit electrons into said gas;
- an anode spaced from said cathode;
- and
- a first conductor connected to said cathode and a second conductor connected to said anode for supplying a voltage potential between said cathode and said anode upon operation of said gas discharge device such that a plasma sheath is formed about said microscopic emitter elements, said plasma sheath acting to extract electrons from said emitter elements and wherein said electrons produce a gas discharge which closes a circuit between said cathode and said anode.
2 more elements
A gas discharge lamp, comprising:
- an envelope containing a gas having a gas pressure greater than 0.1 Torr, said gas emitting photons when said gas is excited by electrons, said envelope being at least partially transparent to emit light;
- a field emitter array forming a cathode, said field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements which emit electrons into said gas to excite said gas;
- and
- said gas discharge lamp, in operation, forming a plasma sheath about said microscopic emitters for extracting electrons from said emitter elements.
1 more element
A method of producing light, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a gas discharge enclosure containing a gas at a pressure greater that 0.1 Torr;
- (b) providing an electric potential between a cathode and an anode, said cathode including a field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements arranged within said gas discharge enclosure;
- and
- (c) forming a plasma sheath about said microscopic emitter elements for causing electron emission from said microscopic emitter elements into said gas to form a gas discharge between said cathode and said anode that completes a circuit between said cathode and said anode and thereby generates light.
1 more element
A flat panel display, comprising:
- a layer of transmissive material which transmits and blocks light in accordance with control signals;
- and
- a gas discharge lamp to backlight said layer of transmissive material, said gas discharge lamp including;
- (a) a gas discharge envelope containing a low pressure gas having a gas pressure greater than 0.1 Torr;
- (b) an anode and a cathode spaced apart from one another;
- (c) a field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements;
- and
- (d) a plasma sheath formed about said microscopic emitter elements for extracting electrons from said emitter elements into said gas.
5 more elements
A method of producing a gas discharge, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an electric potential between a cathode and an anode, said cathode including a field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements;
- and
- (b) forming a plasma sheath about said microscopic emitter elements for emitting electrons from said microscopic emitter elements into a gas discharge enclosure to form a gas discharge between said cathode and said anode, said gas having a gas pressure greater than 0.1 Torr and said gas discharge completing a circuit between said cathode and said anode.
A gas discharge lamp, comprising:
- (a) a gas discharge enclosure containing a gas which emits photons when excited by electrons;
- (b) a first cathode-anode assembly in said gas discharge enclosure, said first cathode-anode assembly including:
- (1) a first field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements which emit electrons into said gas to excite said gas when said first cathode-anode assembly is connected to a first potential;
- and
- (2) a first collecting anode to collect electrons in said gas when said first cathode-anode assembly is connected to a second potential;
- (c) a second cathode-anode assembly in said gas discharge enclosure, said second cathode-anode assembly including:
- (1) a second field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements which emit electrons into said gas to excite said gas when said second cathode-anode assembly is connected to said first potential;
- and
- (2) a second collecting anode to collect electrons in said gas when said second cathode-anode assembly is connected to said second potential;
- wherein, during operation of the discharge lamp, a plasma sheath is formed about at least one of said emitter arrays, said plasma sheath acting to extract electrons from said at least one emitter array.
7 more elements
An ultraviolet gas discharge lamp, comprising:
- an envelope containing a gas at a gas pressure greater that 0.1 Torr, and which emits ultraviolet light when said gas is excited by electrons, said envelope being at least partially transparent to ultraviolet light;
- and
- a field emitter array forming a cathode, said field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements and a plasma sheath formed about said emitter elements for extracting electrons from said emitter elements into said gas to excite said gas.
A method of illuminating a panel display while minimizing an infrared signature of said panel display, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a panel display having a layer of transmissive material which transmits and blocks light in accordance with control signals and a gas discharge tube located to backlight said layer of transmissive material, said gas discharge tube including an envelope containing a gas, at a gas pressure greater that 0.1 Torr, which emits photons when said gas is excited by electrons and a field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements, said field emitter array forming a cold cathode for minimizing emission of infrared components from said gas discharge tube;
- (b) providing an electric potential across said field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements;
- (c) producing a plasma sheath for extracting electrons from said microscopic emitter elements into said gas through field emission;
- (d) exciting atoms in said gas using said electrons emitted in step (c);
- and
- (e) permitting atoms excited in step (d) to relax and thereby generate light for backlighting said panel display.
3 more elements
A gas discharge lamp, comprising:
- an envelope containing a gas having a gas pressure greater than 0.1 Torr, said gas including mercury, said mercury emitting photons when excited by electrons;
- and
- a field emitter array having uncoated microscopic tantalum disilicide rods, and, in operation, a plasma sheath formed about said rods for extracting electrons from said rods into said gas to excite said mercury and thereby produce light.
A panel display with a reduced infrared signature, comprising:
- a layer of transmissive material which transmits and blocks light in accordance with control signals;
- and
- a gas discharge tube located to backlight said layer of transmissive material, said gas discharge tube including;
- an envelope containing a gas, at a gas pressure greater than 0.1 Torr, which emits photons when said gas is excited by electrons;
- and
- a field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements, and, in operation, a plasma sheath formed about said emitter elements for extracting electrons from said emitter elements, said field emitter array forming a cold cathode for minimizing emission of infrared components from said gas discharge tube.
3 more elements
A method of producing free electrons, comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an electric potential between a cathode and an anode, said cathode including a field emitter array having microscopic emitter elements;
- and
- (b) forming a plasma sheath about said emitter elements for extracting electrons from said microscopic emitter elements into a gas discharge enclosure having a gas pressure greater than 0.1 Torr to form a gas discharge between said cathode and said anode, said gas discharge producing free electrons and completing a circuit between said cathode and said anode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.