Plasma display Panel with field emitters
AssigneeSmiths Industries Public Limited Company
InventorsPeter Seats, Neil Anthony Fox
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multi-color display has a matrix of cells containing an ionizable gas and fluorescent layers (18) that fluoresce with different colors. The display has rows of cathodes (21) and anodes (20) one of each of which is exposed within each cell so that individual cells can be energized. Each cathode (21) has at least one field-emitter (23) which may be either an uncoated cone, a cone coated with a material with a negative electron affinity, such as a diamond film (27), or formed with a negative electron affinity material, such as diamond. Cells may include an aluminum layer (17) and a dielectric layer (16) for reflecting UV and VUV radiation.
Claims17
A radiation-emitting display comprising:
- a sealed assembly;
- an ionizable gas in said assembly;
- a fluorescent layer on a part of said assembly that converts radiation emitted in the assembly to visible radiation;
- at least one first electrode arranged as an anode;
- and at least one second electrode arranged as a cathode, wherein said cathode has a field-emitting source that generates electrons, and wherein the pressure of said gas within the assembly is such as to enable said electrons to ionize said gas and produce radiation that causes fluorescence of said layer, and to prevent cathodoluminescence of said layer.
A radiation-emitting display comprising:
- a sealed assembly with an upper plate, a lower plate and a peripheral wall;
- an ionizable gas in said assembly;
- a plurality of internal walls, said internal walls being opaque to radiation;
- a plurality of barriers, said barriers being opaque to radiation and extending orthogonal to said internal walls so as to divide the assembly into a plurality of cells;
- a fluorescent layer on said internal walls and barriers to convert radiation emitted in said cells to visible radiation;
- at least one first electrode arranged as an anode in each said cell;
- and at least one second electrode arranged as a cathode in each said cell, wherein said cathode provides a field-emitting source in each cell that generates electrons, and wherein the pressure of said gas within each cell is such as to enable said electrons to ionize said gas and produce radiation that causes fluorescence of said layer, and to prevent cathodoluminescence of said layer such that by energizing appropriate ones of said first and second electrodes, visible radiation can be produced in any one of said cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.