Gas-discharge display device and its manufacturing method

A method of producing a gas-discharge display apparatus including a transparent first substrate, a second substrate which is distant from the first substrate by a pre-determined distance and extends parallel to the first substrate, a plurality of discharge spaces which are provided in a gas-tight space which is located between the first and second substrates and is filled with a pre-selected gas, and a plurality of pairs of first and second discharge electrodes each pair of which cooperate with each other to produce a gas discharge in a corresponding one of the discharge spaces, so that a light produced by the gas discharge is observed through the first substrate, the method comprising superposing the first and second substrates on each other and gas-tightly sealing the superposed first and second substrates, the method being characterized by comprising

• a sheet-member fixing step of fixing, to an inner surface of one of the first and second substrates, a sheet member including
• a dielectric core layer comprising a dielectric thick film having a grid pattern and a pre-determined thickness,
• a first conductive thick-film layer comprising a plurality of first conductive thick films which are provided on one of opposite surfaces of the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer and extend parallel to each other in one direction of the grid pattern and which function as the first discharge electrodes, respectively, and
• a second conductive thick-film layer comprising a plurality of second conductive thick films which are provided on the other surface of the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer and extend parallel to each other in an other direction of the grid pattern and which function as the second discharge electrodes, respectively.

A gas-discharge display apparatus comprising a transparent first substrate, a second substrate which is distant from the first substrate by a pre-determined distance and extends parallel to the first substrate, a plurality of discharge spaces which are provided in a gas-tight space which is located between the first and second substrates and is filled with a pre-selected gas, and a plurality of pairs of discharge electrodes each pair of which cooperate with each other to produce a gas discharge in a corresponding one of the discharge spaces, so that a light produced by the gas discharge is observed through the first substrate, the apparatus being characterized by comprising a sheet member including

• a dielectric core layer comprising a dielectric thick film having a grid pattern and a pre-determined thickness, the dielectric thick film including a plurality of grid bars, a plurality of grid spaces, and a plurality of pairs of recesses which are formed in respective side surfaces of the grid bars, such that each pair of recesses oppose each other in a corresponding one of the grid spaces,
• a plurality of pairs of electrode-constituting conductive thick films which are provided in the plurality of pairs of recesses, respectively, and which constitute the plurality of pairs of discharge electrodes, respectively, and
• a plurality of wiring-constituting conductive thick films which are provided on at least one of opposite surfaces of the dielectric core layer and are connected to the electrode-constituting conductive thick films,
• the sheet member being provided between the first and second substrates, such that the sheet member extends parallel to each of the first and second substrates.

A method of producing a gas-discharge display apparatus including a transparent first substrate, a second substrate which is distant from the first substrate by a pre-determined distance and extends parallel to the first substrate, a plurality of discharge spaces which are provided in a gas-tight space which is located between the first and second substrates and is filled with a pre-selected gas, and a plurality of pairs of discharge electrodes each pair of which cooperate with each other to produce a gas discharge in a corresponding one of the discharge spaces, so that a light produced by the gas discharge is observed through the first substrate, the method comprising superposing the first and second substrates on each other and gas-tightly sealing the superposed first and second substrates, the method being characterized by comprising

• a sheet-member fixing step of fixing a sheet member to an inner surface of one of the first and second substrates, such that the sheet member extends parallel to each of the first and second substrates, the sheet member including a dielectric core layer comprising a dielectric thick film having a grid pattern and a pre-determined thickness, the dielectric thick film including a plurality of grid bars and a plurality of grid spaces;
• a plurality of pairs of electrode-constituting conductive thick films which are provided on respective side surfaces of the grid bars, such that each pair of electrode-constituting conductive thick films oppose each other in a corresponding one of the grid spaces;
• and a plurality of wiring-constituting conductive thick films which are provided on at least one of opposite surfaces of the dielectric core layer and are connected to the electrode-constituting conductive thick films, the sheet member being produced by a plurality of steps comprising the following steps
• a support-member preparing step of preparing a support member having a film formation surface which is defined by a high melting point particle layer in which particles having a melting point higher than a first pre-selected temperature are bound together by a resin,
• a dielectric paste film forming step of forming, in a grid pattern corresponding to the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer, a dielectric paste film in which particles as a dielectric thick-film material which are sintered at the first temperature are bound together by a resin,
• a wiring-constituting conductive paste film forming step of forming, in a pattern corresponding to the wiring-constituting conductive thick films, a plurality of wiring-constituting conductive paste films in each of which particles as a conductive thick-film material which are sintered at the first temperature are bound together by a resin,
• an electrode-constituting conductive paste film forming step of applying, to the dielectric paste film having the grid pattern, an electrode-constituting conductive paste in which a conductive thick-film material which are sintered at the first temperature and a resin are dispersed in a solvent, in an island-like pattern, and allowing the electrode-constituting conductive paste to flow down along respective side surfaces of grid bars of the dielectric paste film, thereby forming, on the respective side surfaces of the grid bars, a plurality of electrode-constituting conductive paste films having respective shapes corresponding to respective shapes of the electrode-constituting conductive thick films, such that the electrode-constituting conductive paste films are connected to the wiring-constituting conductive paste films, and
• a firing step of subjecting the support member to a heat treatment at the first temperature, so that the dielectric paste film, the wiring-constituting conductive paste films, and the electrodes-providing conductive paste films are sintered while the high melting point particle layer is not sintered, whereby the dielectric paste film, the wiring-constituting conductive paste films, and the electrode-constituting conductive paste films are processed into the dielectric core layer, the wiring-constituting conductive thick films, and the electrode-constituting conductive thick films, respectively, and thus the sheet member is produced.

An AC-type gas-discharge display apparatus comprising a transparent first substrate, a second substrate which is distant from the first substrate by a pre-determined distance and extends parallel to the first substrate, a plurality of discharge spaces which are provided in a gas-tight space which is located between the first and second substrates and is filled with a pre-selected gas, a plurality of pairs of sustaining electrodes which are covered with a dielectric element and each pair of which cooperate with each other to produce a gas discharge in a corresponding one of the discharge spaces, so that a light produced by the gas discharge is observed through the first substrate, and a plurality of writing electrodes which cooperate with the sustaining electrodes to produce respective gas discharges and thereby select respective light emission units and which are provided on the second substrate such that the writing electrodes extend parallel to each other in one direction, the apparatus being characterized by comprising a sheet member including

• a dielectric core layer comprising a dielectric thick-film having a grid pattern and a pre-determined thickness,
• a conductive thick-film layer comprising a plurality of conductive thick films which are provided on at least one of opposite surfaces of the dielectric core layer, such that the conductive thick films extend parallel to each other in an other direction perpendicular to said one direction, and which include respective portions that are located between respective intersection points of the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer and function as the sustaining electrodes, and
• a dielectric cover layer comprising a dielectric thick film which covers the conductive thick-film layer,
• the sheet member being provided between the first and second substrates, such that the sheet member extends parallel to each of the first and second substrates.

A method of producing an AC-type gas-discharge display apparatus including a transparent first substrate, a second substrate which is distant from the first substrate by a pre-determined distance and extends parallel to the first substrate, a plurality of discharge spaces which are provided in a gas-tight space which is located between the first and second substrates and is filled with a pre-selected gas, a plurality of pairs of sustaining electrodes which are covered with a dielectric element and each pair of which cooperate with each other to produce a gas discharge in a corresponding one of the discharge spaces, so that a light produced by the gas discharge is observed through the first substrate, and a plurality of writing electrodes which cooperate with the sustaining electrodes to produce respective gas discharges and thereby select respective light emission units and which are provided on the second substrate such that the writing electrodes extend parallel to each other in one direction, the method comprising superposing the first and second substrates on each other and gas-tightly sealing the superposed first and second substrates, the method being characterized by comprising

• a sheet-member fixing step of fixing a sheet member to an inner surface of one of the first and second substrates, the sheet member including
• a dielectric core layer comprising a dielectric thick film having a grid pattern and a pre-determined thickness,
• a conductive thick-film layer comprising a plurality of conductive thick films which are provided on at least one of opposite surfaces of the dielectric core layer, such that the conductive thick films extend parallel to each other in an other direction perpendicular to said one direction, and which includes respective portions that are located between respective intersection points of the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer and function as the sustaining electrodes, and
• a dielectric cover layer comprising a dielectric thick film which covers the conductive thick-film layer.

An AC-type gas-discharge display apparatus comprising a transparent first substrate, a second substrate which is distant from the first substrate by a pre-determined distance and extends parallel to the first substrate, a plurality of discharge spaces which are provided in a gas-tight space which is located between the first and second substrates and is filled with a pre-selected gas, a plurality of pairs of sustaining electrodes which are covered with a dielectric element and each pair of which cooperate with each other to produce a gas discharge in a corresponding one of the discharge spaces, so that a light produced by the gas discharge is observed through the first substrate, and a plurality of writing electrodes which cooperate with the sustaining electrodes to produce respective gas discharges and thereby select respective light emission units and which are provided on the second substrate such that the writing electrodes extend parallel to each other in one direction, the apparatus being characterized by comprising a sheet member including

• a dielectric core layer comprising a dielectric thick film having a grid pattern and a pre-determined thickness,
• a conductive thick-film layer comprising a plurality of conductive thick films which are provided on at least one of opposite surfaces of the dielectric core layer, such that the conductive thick films extend parallel to each other in an other direction perpendicular to said one direction, and which include respective portions that are located between respective intersection points of the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer and that comprise a plurality of pairs of portions each pair of which are adjacent each other and cooperate with each other to produce a discharge, the pairs of portions functioning as the pairs of sustaining electrodes, such that, in each of the light emission units, at least two pairs of the sustaining electrodes produce respective discharges at respective locations different from each other in said one direction, and
• a dielectric cover layer comprising a dielectric thick film which covers the conductive thick-film layer,
• the sheet member being provided between the first and second substrates, such that the sheet member extends parallel to each of the first and second substrates.

A method of producing an AC-type gas-discharge display apparatus including a transparent first substrate, a second substrate which is distant from the first substrate by a pre-determined distance and extends parallel to the first substrate, a plurality of discharge spaces which are provided in a gas-tight space which is located between the first and second substrates and is filled with a pre-selected gas, a plurality of pairs of sustaining electrodes which are covered with a dielectric element and each pair of which cooperate with each other to produce a gas discharge in a corresponding one of the discharge spaces, so that a light produced by the gas discharge is observed through the first substrate, and a plurality of writing electrodes which cooperate with the sustaining electrodes to produce respective gas discharges and thereby select respective light emission units and which are provided on the second substrate such that the writing electrodes extend parallel to each other in one direction, the method comprising superposing the first and second substrates on each other and gas-tightly sealing the superposed first and second substrates, the method being characterized by comprising

• a sheet-member fixing step of fixing a sheet member to an inner surface of one of the first and second substrates, the sheet member including
• a dielectric core layer comprising a dielectric thick film having a grid pattern and a pre-determined thickness,
• a conductive thick-film layer comprising a plurality of conductive thick films which are provided on at least one of opposite surfaces of the dielectric core layer, such that the conductive thick films extend parallel to each other in an other direction perpendicular to said one direction, and which include respective portions that are located between respective intersection points of the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer and that comprise a plurality of pairs of portions each pair of which are adjacent each other and cooperate with each other to produce a discharge, the pairs of portions functioning as the pairs of sustaining electrodes, such that, in each of the light emission units, at least two pairs of the sustaining electrodes produce respective discharges at respective locations different from each other in said one direction, and
• a dielectric cover layer comprising a dielectric thick film which covers the conductive thick-film layer.

An AC-type gas-discharge display apparatus comprising a transparent first substrate, a second substrate which is distant from the first substrate by a pre-determined distance and extends parallel to the first substrate, a plurality of discharge spaces which are provided in a gas-tight space which is located between the first and second substrates and is filled with a pre-selected gas, a plurality of pairs of sustaining electrodes which are covered with a dielectric element and each pair of which cooperate with each other to produce a gas discharge in a corresponding one of the discharge spaces, so that a light produced by the gas discharge is observed through the first substrate, and a plurality of writing electrodes which cooperate with the sustaining electrodes to produce respective gas discharges and thereby select respective light emission units, the apparatus being characterized by comprising a sheet member including

• a dielectric core layer comprising a dielectric thick film having a grid pattern and a pre-determined thickness,
• a first conductive thick-film layer comprising a plurality of first conductive thick films which are provided on one of opposite surfaces of the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer and extend parallel to each other in one direction of the grid pattern, and which include respective portions that are located between respective intersection points of the grid pattern and that function as the pairs of sustaining electrodes,
• a second conductive thick-film layer comprising a plurality of second conductive thick films which are provided on the other surface of the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer and extend parallel to each other in an other direction perpendicular to said one direction, and which include respective portions that are located between the respective intersection points of the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer and that function as the writing electrodes, and
• a dielectric cover layer comprising a dielectric thick film which covers the first conductive thick-film layer,
• the sheet member being provided between the first and second substrates, such that the sheet member extends parallel to each of the first and second substrates.

A method of producing an AC-type gas-discharge display apparatus including a transparent first substrate, a second substrate which is distant from the first substrate by a pre-determined distance and extends parallel to the first substrate, a plurality of discharge spaces which are provided in a gas-tight space which is located between the first and second substrates and is filled with a pre-selected gas, a plurality of pairs of sustaining electrodes which are covered with a dielectric element and each pair of which cooperate with each other to produce a gas discharge in a corresponding one of the discharge spaces, so that a light produced by the gas discharge is observed through the first substrate, and a plurality of writing electrodes which cooperate with the sustaining electrodes to produce respective gas discharges and thereby select respective light emission units, the method comprising superposing the first and second substrates on each other and gas-tightly sealing the superposed first and second substrates, the method being characterized by comprising

• a sheet-member fixing step of fixing a sheet member to an inner surface of one of the first and second substrates, the sheet member including
• a dielectric core layer comprising a dielectric thick film having a grid pattern and a pre-determined thickness,
• a first conductive thick-film layer comprising a plurality of first conductive thick films which are provided on one of opposite surfaces of the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer and extend parallel to each other in one direction of the grid pattern, and which include respective portions that are located between respective intersection points of the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer and that function as the pairs of sustaining electrodes,
• a second conductive thick-film layer comprising a plurality of second conductive thick films which are provided on the other surface of the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer and extend parallel to each other in an other direction perpendicular to said one direction, and which include respective portions that are located between the respective intersection points of the grid pattern of the dielectric core layer and that function as the writing electrodes, and
• a dielectric cover layer comprising a dielectric thick film which covers the first conductive thick-film layer.