Methods for fabricating flat panel display systems and components

• US 5,614,353 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 03/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SI Diamond Technology, Inc. (Nano Magic, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SI Diamond Technology, Inc. (Nano Magic, Inc.)
• Inventors: Xie, Chenggang, Kumar, Nalin
• Primary Examiner(s): Duda, Kathleen
• Application Number:
  US08/485,954
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 430/311, 430/313, 430/314, 430/316, 430/318, 430/319, 156/643.1, 445/24, 445/46, 445/50, 427/58, 427/77
• US Class Current: 430/313
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2201/30457 Diamond
• 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 9/025 of field emission cathodes

Abstract

A method is provided for fabricating a display cathode which includes forming a conductive line adjacent a face of a substrate. A region of amorphic diamond is formed adjacent a selected portion of the conductive line.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a cathode plate for use in a diode display unit comprising the steps of:

forming a first layer of conductive material on a face of a substrate;

patterning and etching the first layer of conductive material to define a plurality of cathode stripes spaced by regions of the substrate;

forming a second layer of conductive material on the cathode stripes and the regions of the substrate therebetween;

forming a mask on the second layer of conductive material having a plurality of apertures defining locations for the formation of a plurality of spacers;

forming said plurality of spacers by introducing a selected material into the apertures;

selectively removing portions of the second layer of conductive material to expose portions of the cathode stripes; and

selectively forming a plurality of amorphic diamond emitter regions on selected portions of the cathode stripes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first layer of conductive material comprises a metal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said metal comprises chromium.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of forming a first layer of conductive material comprises a step of forming a first layer of conductive material by sputtering.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the second layer of conductive material comprises metal.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the second layer of conductive material includes titanium and copper.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of selectively removing portions of the second layer of conductive material comprises a step of performing a wet-etch using a non-HF solution.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of patterning and etching comprises a step of patterning and etching the first layer of conductive material such that the cathode stripes are substantially in parallel with each other.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the substrate comprises glass.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein said step of selectively forming amorphic diamond emitter regions comprises a step of forming amorphic diamond emitter regions by laser ablation.

11. The method of claim 2 and further comprising the step of ion beam milling the amorphic diamond emitter regions to increase the percentage of (111) phase diamond.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of amorphic diamond emitter regions are each substantially flat.