Light-emitting device and field emission display having such light-emitting devices

• US 20040066133A1
• Filed: 09/26/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Original Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Inventors: Takeuchi, Yukihisa
• Application Number:
  US10/673,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20040066133A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 313/495
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 1/316 having an electric field parallel to the surface, e.g. thin film cathodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 1/70 with protective, conductive, or reflective layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 31/127 using large area or array sources, i.e. essentially a source for each pixel group
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 63/06 Lamps with luminescent screen excited by the ray or stream

Abstract

When a pulsed voltage is applied to a drive electrode, an electric field is concentrated in the vicinity of a slit, producing a field emission phenomenon. The emitted electrons are applied through an electrically conductive coating layer and an electron passage layer to a fluorescent layer when a bias voltage is applied to a transparent electrode. The fluorescent layer is excited to emit light through the transparent electrode as indicated by the arrows. Light-emitting devices may be arranged in a two-dimensional array, providing a field emission display.

Claims

1. A light-emitting device comprising:

an electric field receiving member made of a dielectric material;

a first electrode disposed on one surface of said electric field receiving member;

a second electrode disposed on said one surface of said electric field receiving member, said second electrode and said first electrode jointly defining a slit;

an electron passage layer disposed on said first electrode, said second electrode, and said slit, said electron passage layer being resistant to a predetermined voltage when the predetermined voltage is applied thereto, said electron passage layer being made of a material having such characteristics as to pass electrons therethrough;

a fluorescent layer disposed on said electron passage layer; and

a transparent electrode disposed on said fluorescent layer or a third electrode disposed at a predetermined spaced interval from said fluorescent layer.

2. A light-emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electrically conductive coating layer interposed between said first electrode, said second electrode, and said slit, and said electron passage layer.

3. A light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first electrode and said second electrode has at least one of a convexity and a concavity.

4. A light-emitting device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of a pinhole defined in at least one of said first electrode and said second electrode, and a land disposed in said slit in electrically insulated relation to said first electrode and said second electrode and made of a material which is the same as the material of said first electrode and said second electrode.

5. A light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said electric field receiving member has a specific dielectric constant of 1000 or greater.

6. A light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 500 μ

m.

7. A light-emitting device according to claim 6, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 50 μ

m.

8. A light-emitting device according to claim 7, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 10 μ

m.

9. A light-emitting device according to claim 8, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 1 μ

m.

10. A light-emitting device according to claim 1, wherein said electric fielf receiving member is made of a pizoelectric material, an antiferroelectric material, or an electrostrictive material.

13. A light-emitting device according to claim 11 through 3, wherein at least one of said first electrode and said second electrode has at least one of a convexity and a concavity.

11. A light-emitting device comprising:

an electric field receiving member made of a dielectric material;

a first electrode disposed on one surface of said electric field receiving member;

a second electrode disposed on said one surface of said electric field receiving member, said second electrode and said first electrode jointly defining a slit;

a first electron passage layer disposed on said first electrode, said second electrode, and said slit, said first electron passage layer being resistant to a predetermined voltage when the predetermined voltage is applied thereto, said first electron passage layer being made of a material having such characteristics as to pass electrons therethrough;

a third electrode and a fourth electrode which are disposed on said first electron passage layer, for emitting electrons which are emitted from said first electron passage layer;

a second electron passage layer disposed on said first electron passage layer, said third electrode, and said fourth electrode, said second electron passage layer being resistant to a predetermined voltage when the predetermined voltage is applied thereto, said second electron passage layer being made of a material having such characteristics as to pass electrons therethrough;

a fluorescent layer disposed on said second electron passage layer; and

a transparent electrode disposed on said fluorescent layer or a,fifth electrode disposed at a predetermined spaced interval from said fluorescent layer.

12. A light-emitting device according to claim 11, further comprising:

an electrically conductive coating layer interposed between said first electrode, said second electrode, and said slit, and said electron passage layer.

14. A light-emitting device according to claim 11, further comprising at least one of a pinhole defined in at least one of said first electrode and said second electrode, and a land disposed in said slit in electrically insulated relation to said first electrode and said second electrode and made of a material which is the same as the material of said first electrode and said second electrode.

15. A light-emitting device according to claim 11, wherein said electric field receiving member has a specific dielectric constant of 1000 or greater.

16. A light-emitting device according to claim 11, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 500 μ

m.

17. A light-emitting device according to claim 16, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 50 μ

m.

18. A light-emitting device according to claim 17, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 10 μ

m.

19. A light-emitting device according to claim 18, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 1 μ

m.

20. A light-emitting device according to claim 11, wherein said electric fielf receiving member is made of a pizoelectric material, an antiferroelectric material, or an electrostrictive material.

24. A field emission display according to claim 21 through 15, further comprising at least one of a pinhole defined in at least one of said first electrode and said second electrode, and a land disposed in said slit in electrically insulated relation to said first electrode and said second electrode and made of a material which is the same as the material of said first electrode and said second electrode.

26. A field emission display according to claim 21 through 17, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 500 μ

m.

27. A field emission display according to claim 26, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 50 μ

m.

28. A field emission display according to claim 27, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 10 μ

m.

29. A field emission display according to claim 28, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 1 μ

m.

21. A field emission display comprising a two-dimensional array of light-emitting devices, each of said light-emitting devices comprising:

an electric field receiving member made of a dielectric material;

a first electrode disposed on one surface of said electric field receiving member;

a second electrode disposed on said one surface of said electric field receiving member, said second electrode and said first electrode jointly defining a slit;

an electron passage layer disposed on said first electrode, said second electrode, and said slit, said electron passage layer being resistant to a predetermined voltage when the predetermined voltage is applied thereto, said electron passage layer being made of a material having such characteristics as to pass electrons therethrough;

a fluorescent layer disposed on said electron passage layer; and

a transparent electrode disposed on said fluorescent layer or a third electrode disposed at a predetermined spaced interval from said fluorescent layer.

22. A field emission display according to claim 21, further comprising:

an electrically conductive coating layer interposed between said first electrode, said second electrode, and said slit, and said electron passage layer.

23. A field emission display according to claim 21, wherein at least one of said first electrode and said second electrode has at least one of a convexity and a concavity.

25. A field emission display according to claim 21, wherein said electric field receiving member has a specific dielectric constant of 1000 or greater.

30. A field emission display according to claim 21, further comprising:

a substrate, said two-dimensional array of light-emitting devices being integrally formed with said substrate.

31. A field emission display according to claim 21, wherein said electric fielf receiving member is made of a pizoelectric material, an antiferroelectric material, or an electrostrictive material.

32. A field emission display comprising a two-dimensional array of light-emitting devices, each of said light-emitting devices comprising:

an electric field receiving member made of a dielectric material;

a first electrode disposed on one surface of said electric field receiving member;

a second electrode disposed on said one surface of said electric field receiving member, said second electrode and said first electrode jointly defining a slit;

a first electron passage layer disposed on said first electrode, said second electrode, and said slit, said first electron passage layer being resistant to a predetermined voltage when the predetermined voltage is applied thereto, said first electron passage layer being made of a material having such characteristics as to pass electrons therethrough;

a third electrode and a fourth electrode which are disposed on said first electron passage layer, for emitting electrons which are emitted from said first electron passage layer;

a second electron passage layer disposed on said first electron passage layer, said third electrode, and said fourth electrode, said second electron passage layer being resistant to a predetermined voltage when the predetermined voltage is applied thereto, said second electron passage layer being made of a material having such characteristics as to pass electrons therethrough;

a fluorescent layer disposed on said second electron passage layer; and

a transparent electrode disposed on said fluorescent layer or a fifth electrode disposed at a predetermined spaced interval from said fluorescent layer.

33. A field emission display according to claim 32, further comprising:

an electrically conductive coating layer interposed between said first electrode, said second electrode, and said slit, and said electron passage layer.

34. A field emission display according to claim 32, wherein at least one of said first electrode and said second electrode has at least one of a convexity and a concavity.

35. A field emission display according to claim 32, further comprising at least one of a pinhole defined in at least one of said first electrode and said second electrode, and a land disposed in said slit in electrically insulated relation to said first electrode and said second electrode and made of a material which is the same as the material of said first electrode and said second electrode.

36. A field emission display according to claim 32, wherein said electric field receiving member has a specific dielectric constant of 1000 or greater.

37. A field emission display according to claim 32, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 500 μ

m.

38. A field emission display according to claim 37, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 50 μ

m.

39. A field emission display according to claim 38, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 10 μ

m.

40. A field emission display according to claim 39, wherein said slit has a width in a range between 0.1 μ

m and 1 μ

m.

41. A field emission display according to claim 32, further comprising:

a substrate, said two-dimensional array of light-emitting devices being integrally formed with said substrate.

42. A field emission display according to claim 32, wherein said electric fielf receiving member is made of a pizoelectric material, an antiferroelectric material, or an electrostrictive material.