Plasma addressed liquid crystal display with etched plasma channels

A channel plate for a flat display comprising elongated channels in a dielectric member, characterized in that:

• a) the dielectric member comprises a dielectric substrate with channels, and
• b) a thin dielectric sheet,
• c) the channels being closed off by the thin dielectric sheet,
• d) the thin dielectric sheet comprising for each channel an etched cavity having a thin top wall with a substantially flat inner surface flanked by side walls substantially transverse to said top wall.

A plasma-addressed display device comprising a layer of electro-optical material between a first substrate comprising data electrodes and a channel plate comprising elongated plasma channels in a dielectric member, said plasma channels each comprising spaced elongated cathode and anode plasma electrodes and an ionizable gas filling, characterized in that:

• a) the dielectric member comprises a dielectric substrate with channels, and
• b) a thin dielectric sheet,
• c) the channels being closed off by the thin dielectric sheet,
• d) the thin dielectric sheet comprising for each channel an etched cavity having a thin top wall with a substantially flat inner surface flanked by side walls substantially transverse to said top wall.

In a method for making the plasma channel plate of a plasma-addressed electro-optic display device comprising a layer of electro-optic material, data electrodes coupled to the electro-optic layer and adapted to receive data voltages for activating portions of the electro-optic layer, a plurality of elongated plasma channels extending generally transverse to the data electrodes for selectively switching on said electro-optic portions, and a dielectric sheet closing off the plasma channels on the side facing the data electrodes, said plasma channels each comprising spaced elongated cathode and anode plasma electrodes and an ionizable gas filling, said method being characterized in that:

• (a) providing a first glass bottom plate,
• (b) providing a second glass top plate,
• (c) subjecting the second glass top plate to a plasma etching process to etch therein spaced elongated cavities each forming a thin top wall flanked by substantially vertical side walls with the thin top wall having a substantially flat inner surface,
• (d) providing spaced electrodes on the first glass plate or on the flanking side walls,
• (e) disposing the etched second glass plate over the first glass plate with the cavities facing the first glass plate to form plasma channels with spaced electrodes inside each of the plasma channels.