Thin film ferroelectric flat panel display devices, and methods for operating and fabricating same
First Claim
1. A flat panel display comprising:
- first and second spaced apart electrodes, said first and second spaced apart electrodes producing an electric field therebetween upon application of a predetermined voltage therebetween;
a ferroelectric thin film between said first and second spaced apart electrodes, said ferroelectric thin film emitting electrons therefrom in an electron emission path upon application of said predetermined voltage between said first and second spaced apart electrodes; and
a luminescent layer in said electron emission path, said luminescent layer producing luminescence upon impingement of the emitted electrons thereon.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flat panel display includes a ferroelectric thin film between first and second spaced apart electrodes. The ferroelectric thin film emits electrons upon application of a predetermined voltage between the first and second spaced apart electrodes. The electrons are emitted in an electron emission path and impinge upon a luminescent layer such as a phosphor layer, which produces luminescence upon impingement upon the emitter electrodes. The ferroelectric thin film is preferably about 2 μm or less in thickness and is preferably a polycrystalline ferroelectric thin film. More preferably, the thin ferroelectric film is a highly oriented, polycrystalline thin ferroelectric film. Most preferably, highly oriented ferroelectric thin film has a preferred (001) crystal orientation and is about 2 μm or less in thickness. A flat panel display may be formed of arrays of such display elements. Top and bottom electrodes or side electrodes may be used. The display may be formed using conventional microelectronic fabrication steps.
83 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A flat panel display comprising:
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first and second spaced apart electrodes, said first and second spaced apart electrodes producing an electric field therebetween upon application of a predetermined voltage therebetween; a ferroelectric thin film between said first and second spaced apart electrodes, said ferroelectric thin film emitting electrons therefrom in an electron emission path upon application of said predetermined voltage between said first and second spaced apart electrodes; and a luminescent layer in said electron emission path, said luminescent layer producing luminescence upon impingement of the emitted electrons thereon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A flat panel display comprising:
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first and second spaced apart electrodes, said first and second spaced apart electrodes producing an electric field therebetween upon application of a predetermined voltage therebetween; a polycrystalline ferroelectric thin film having (001) crystal orientation and having thickness of about 2 microns or less, between said first and second spaced apart electrodes, said ferroelectric thin film emitting electrons therefrom in an electron emission path upon application of said predetermined voltage between said first and second spaced apart electrodes; and a luminescent layer in said electron emission path, said luminescent layer producing luminescence upon impingement of the emitted electrons thereon. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A flat panel display comprising:
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first and second electrode arrays, said first and second electrode arrays being spaced apart from one another to define an array of electrode pairs, said electrode pairs producing an electric field therebetween upon application of a predetermined voltage therebetween; a ferroelectric thin film between each of said electrode pairs, said ferroelectric thin film emitting electrons therefrom in an electron emission path for each electrode pair, upon application of said predetermined voltage between said electrode pair; and a luminescent layer in said electron emission path of each electrode pair, said luminescent layer producing luminescence upon impingement of the emitted electrons thereon. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A visible image displaying method comprising the steps of:
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applying a voltage of about fifty volts or less across a ferroelectric thin film of about two microns or less in thickness, to produce electron emission from said ferroelectric thin film; and impinging the emitted electrons onto a luminescent layer to produce luminescence. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34)
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35. A method of fabricating a flat panel display comprising the steps of:
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forming a first electrode array on a substrate; forming a polycrystalline ferroelectric thin film on said first electrode array; forming a second electrode array on said polycrystalline ferroelectric thin film to define an electron emission path from said polycrystalline ferroelectric thin film upon application of a predetermined voltage between said first and second electrode arrays; and forming a luminescent layer in said electron emission path such that said luminescent layer produces luminescence upon impingement of electrons thereon. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification