Method of preventing junction leakage in field emission displays

A method for forming a field emission display having protected semiconductor junctions therein, comprising:

• providing a display screen having a phosphor coating;
• providing a baseplate having a plurality of semiconductor junctions;
• forming a plurality of emitter sites on the baseplate electrically connected to the plurality of semiconductor junctions and connected to an electrical source, said plurality of emitter sites aligned with the display screen having the phosphor coating;
• forming a conductive grid for the plurality of emitter sites, said conductive grid connected to the electrical source and separated from the baseplate by an insulating layer to establish a voltage differential to generate an electron emission from the plurality of emitter plurality of sites and photon emission from the display screen;
• and
• forming an opaque light blocking layer on the baseplate for blocking photons from contacting the plurality of semiconductor junctions to protect the plurality of semiconductor junctions from the photons from the electron emission from the emitter sites striking the display screen causing junction leakage from at least one semiconductor junction of the plurality of semiconductor junctions.

A method of forming a field emission display, comprising:

• forming a plurality of emitter sites having a plurality of emitter tips on a baseplate;
• forming a plurality of semiconductor junctions on the baseplate with the plurality of emitter tips electrically connected to the plurality of semiconductor junctions;
• forming a plurality of conductive gate elements for the plurality of emitter sites, the plurality of conductive gate elements electrically separated from the baseplate by an insulating layer, said plurality of conductive gate elements adapted establishing a voltage differential to generate an electron emission from selected emitter sites of the plurality of emitter sites when connected to an electrical source;
• forming an opaque light blocking layer on the baseplate for blocking photons directed at the plurality of semiconductor junctions during use of said field emission display, said opaque light blocking layer formed as a layer of material deposited on the baseplate;
• forming a display screen with a phosphor coating, said display screen spaced from the baseplate and aligned with at least one emitter site of the purality of emitter sites receiving electrons emitted by the plurality of emitter sites generating photons for lighting the display screen during use of said field emissions display;
• and
• preventing photons generated by electrons striking the phosphor coating on the display screen from contacting the plurality of semiconductor junctions to protect the plurality of semiconductor junctions from having junction leakage during use of said field emission display.