Microgap flat panel display

Patent · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:872034

Wuest, Craig R ^[1]

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1. Danville, CA

A microgap flat panel display which includes a thin gas-filled display tube that utilizes switched X-Y "pixel" strips to trigger electron avalanches and activate a phosphor at a given location on a display screen. The panel utilizes the principal of electron multiplication in a gas subjected to a high electric field to provide sufficient electron current to activate standard luminescent phosphors located on an anode. The X-Y conductive strips of a few micron widths may for example, be deposited on opposite sides of a thin insulating substrate, or on one side of the adjacent substrates and function as a cathode. The X-Y strips are separated from the anode by a gap filled with a suitable gas. Electrical bias is selectively switched onto X and Y strips to activate a "pixel" in the region where these strips overlap. A small amount of a long-lived radioisotope is used to initiate an electron avalanche in the overlap region when bias is applied. The avalanche travels through the gas filled gap and activates a luminescent phosphor of a selected color. The bias is adjusted to give a proportional electron multiplication to control brightness for given pixel.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5847509
• OSTI ID: 872034
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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activate
activates
adjacent
adjusted
amount
anode
applied
avalanche
avalanches
bias
brightness
cathode
color
conductive
control
current
deposited
display
display screen
electric
electric field
electrical
electrical bias
electron
electron avalanche
electron avalanches
electron current
example
field
filled
flat
flat panel
function
gap
gas
gas fill
gas filled
gas-filled
initiate
insulating
insulating substrate
located
location
long-lived
long-lived radioisotope
luminescent
luminescent phosphor
microgap
microgap flat
micron
multiplication
opposite
overlap
panel
panel display
phosphor
phosphors
pixel
principal
proportional
provide
provide sufficient
radioisotope
region
screen
selected
selectively
selectively switched
separated
standard
strips
subjected
substrate
substrates
sufficient
suitable
suitable gas
switched
travels
trigger
tube
utilizes
widths
x-y