Ion pumping of a flat microtip screen
AssigneePixtech S.A.
InventorsStephane Mougin, Lionel Riviere-Cazaux
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flat microtip display screen including a cathode provided with active areas of electron emission microtips; a cathodoluminescent anode provided, at least in front of the active microtip areas, with active areas of phosphor elements; a main grid of extraction of electrons emitted by the active microtips towards the phosphor elements; and on the cathode side, at least one sacrificial area of microtips adapted to being addressed, outside screen operation periods and independently from the active areas.
Claims12
A flat microtip display screen including:
- a cathode (1) provided with active areas of electron emission microtips (2);
- a cathodoluminescent anode (5) provided, at least in front of the active microtip areas, with active areas of phosphor elements (16);
- a main grid (3) for extraction of electrons emitted by the active microtips (2) towards the phosphor elements (16);
- and
- on the cathode (1) side, at least one sacrificial area of microtips (2') adapted for being addressed, outside screen operative periods and independently from the acitve area.
A method of improvement of a vacuum in a flat microtip screen including a cathode (1) provided with active areas of electron emission microtips (2);
- a cathodoluminescent anode (5) provided, at least in front of the active microtip areas, with active areas of phosphor elements (16);
- a main grid (3) for extraction of electrons emitted by the active microtips (2) towards the phosphor elements (16);
- and on the cathode (1) side, at least one sacrificial area of microtips (2') adapted for being addressed, outside screen operative periods and independently from the active areas, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a grid (3') associated with the sacrificial microtips;
- and applying a positive voltage between the grid (3') associated with the sacrificial microtips and the sacrificial microtip area (2') during an ion pumping phase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.