Field emission display

• US 6,172,456 B1
• Filed: 04/05/1999
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Watkins, Charles, Cathey, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Nimeshkumar D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gerike, Matthew J.
• Application Number:
  US09/286,267
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 313/495, 313/496, 313/497, 313/422, 313/309, 313/336, 313/351, 313/17, 313/25, 313/477.R, 313/481, 313/482
• US Class Current: 313/495
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2329/8625 Spacing members
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2329/92 Means forming part of the display panel for the purpose of providing electrical connection to it
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 29/90 Leading-in arrangements; Seals therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 29/94 Selection of substances for gas fillings; Means for obtaining or maintaining the desired pressure within the tube, e.g. by gettering exhausting, degassing, gettering of electric discharge tubes in general H01J9/38
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 31/127 using large area or array sources, i.e. essentially a source for each pixel group

Abstract

A flat-panel field emission display comprises a luminescent faceplate, a rigid backplate, and an interposed or sandwiched emitter or cathode plate. A positioning spacer or connector ridge is formed on the rear surface of the faceplate to space the cathode plate a fixed distance behind the faceplate. A peripheral seal is formed between the faceplate and the backplate. The faceplate, backplate, and peripheral seal define an evacuated internal space which contains the cathode plate. The backplate is spaced behind the cathode plate to create a rearward vacuum space in which a getter is located.

Claims

1. A flat-panel field emission display, comprising:

a faceplate having a rear surface;

a cathode plate spaced from the faceplate rear surface and having a plurality of emitters facing the faceplate rear surface, the cathode plate having an outermost periphery;

a backplate having an internal surface spaced from the cathode plate and from the faceplate rear surface, the spaced backplate forming a rearward vacuum space behind the cathode plate;

a peripheral seal extending between the faceplate and the backplate and received externally of the cathode plate outermost periphery, at least a portion of the peripheral seal extending continuously between and against the faceplate and the backplate; and

at least one insulative spacer received between the cathode plate and the backplate laterally inward of the peripheral seal.

2. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 1 wherein the peripheral seal contacts the faceplate rear surface.

3. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 1 wherein the peripheral seal contacts the backplate internal surface.

4. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 1 further comprising at least one insulative spacer received between the cathode plate and the faceplate laterally inward of the peripheral seal.

5. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 1 wherein the at least one insulative spacer received between the cathode plate and the backplate is substantially centrally received relative to the cathode plate.

6. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 1 comprising a getter received within the rearward vacuum space.

7. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 1 comprising a getter received within the rearward vacuum space, the getter being received against the internal surface of the backplate.

8. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 1 wherein the cathode plate has a rear surface, and further comprising a getter received within the rearward vacuum space, the getter being received against the rear surface of the cathode plate.

9. A flat-panel field emission display, comprising:

a faceplate having a rear surface;

a cathode plate spaced from the faceplate rear surface and having a plurality of emitters facing the faceplate rear surface, the cathode plate having an outermost periphery;

a backplate having an internal surface spaced from the cathode plate and from the faceplate rear surface, the spaced backplate forming a rearward vacuum space behind the cathode plate;

a peripheral seal extending between the faceplate and the backplate and received externally of the cathode plate outermost periphery;

wherein the peripheral seal does not contact the cathode plate;

wherein the peripheral seal contacts the faceplate rear surface; and

wherein the peripheral seal contacts the backplate internal surface.

10. A flat-panel field emission display, comprising:

a faceplate having a rear surface;

a cathode plate spaced from the faceplate rear surface and having a plurality of emitters facing the faceplate rear surface, the cathode plate having an outermost periphery;

at least one insulative spacer received between the faceplate and the cathode plate;

a backplate behind the cathode plate;

a peripheral seal;

a conductor extending from externally of the peripheral seal to between the faceplate and the peripheral seal, and over the at least one insulative spacer to and in electrical connection with the cathode plate; and

wherein the peripheral seal extends from the faceplate to the backplate and is received externally of the cathode plate outermost periphery.

11. A flat-panel field emission display, comprising:

a faceplate having a rear surface;

a cathode plate spaced from the faceplate rear surface and having a plurality of emitters facing the faceplate rear surface, the cathode plate having an outermost periphery;

at least one insulative spacer received between the faceplate and the cathode plate;

a backplate behind the cathode plate;

a peripheral seal;

a conductor extending from externally of the peripheral seal to between the faceplate and the peripheral seal, and over the at least one insulative spacer to and in electrical connection with the cathode plate; and

wherein the spacer has a ramped surface over which the conductor extends.

12. A flat-panel field emission display, comprising:

a faceplate having a rear surface;

a cathode plate spaced from the faceplate rear surface and having a plurality of emitters facing the faceplate rear surface, the cathode plate having an outermost periphery;

a backplate having an internal surface spaced from the cathode plate and from the faceplate rear surface, the spaced backplate forming a rearward vacuum space behind the cathode plate;

a conductive getter received within the rearward vacuum space against the internal surface of the backplate;

a peripheral seal; and

a getter conductor extending from externally of the peripheral seal to between the faceplate and the peripheral seal to and in electrical connection with the conductive getter.

13. A flat-panel field emission display, comprising:

a faceplate having a rear surface;

a cathode plate spaced from the faceplate rear surface and having a plurality of emitters facing the faceplate rear surface, the cathode plate having an outermost periphery;

a backplate having an internal surface spaced from the cathode plate and from the faceplate rear surface, the spaced backplate forming a rearward vacuum space behind the cathode plate;

a conductive getter received within the rearward vacuum space,

a peripheral seal;

a getter conductor extending from externally of the peripheral seal to between the faceplate and the peripheral seal to and in electrical connection with the conductive getter; and

wherein the peripheral seal extends from the faceplate to the backplate and is received externally of the cathode plate outermost periphery.

14. A flat-panel field emission display, comprising:

a faceplate having a rear surface;

a cathode plate spaced from the faceplate rear surface and having a plurality of emitters facing the faceplate rear surface, the cathode plate having an outermost periphery;

a backplate having an internal surface spaced from the cathode plate and from the faceplate rear surface, the spaced backplate forming a rearward vacuum space behind the cathode plate;

at least one spacer received between the backplate and the cathode plate;

a getter received within the rearward vacuum space; and

a peripheral seal.

15. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 14 wherein the getter contacts the spacer.

16. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 14 wherein the spacer is insulative.

17. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 14 wherein the getter is conductive.

18. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 14 wherein the spacer is received on the backplate internal surface.

19. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 18 wherein the getter contacts the spacer.

20. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 14 wherein the getter surrounds the spacer.

21. A flat-panel field emission display, comprising:

a faceplate having a rear surface;

a cathode plate spaced from the faceplate rear surface and having a plurality of emitters facing the faceplate rear surface, the cathode plate having an outermost periphery;

a backplate having an internal surface spaced from the cathode plate and from the faceplate rear surface, the spaced backplate forming a rearward vacuum space behind the cathode plate;

a peripheral seal extending between the faceplate and the backplate and received externally of the cathode plate outermost periphery; and

wherein the peripheral seal does not contact the cathode plate.

22. A flat-panel field emission display, comprising:

a faceplate having a rear surface;

a cathode plate spaced from the faceplate rear surface and having a plurality of emitters facing the faceplate rear surface, the cathode plate having an outermost periphery;

a backplate having an internal surface spaced from the cathode plate and from the faceplate rear surface, the spaced backplate forming a rearward vacuum space behind the cathode plate;

at least one spacer received between the backplate and the cathode plate;

a getter received within the rearward vacuum space and contacting the spacer; and

a peripheral seal.

23. The flat-panel field emission display of claim 22 wherein the spacer is received on the backplate internal surface.

24. The flat-panel field emission display comprising

a faceplate having a rear surface;

a cathode plate rearwardly adjacent the faceplate rear surface, the cathode plate having a plurality of emitters facing the faceplate rear surface, the cathode plate comprising a plurality of cathode plate conductors in electrical connection with the emitters;

a plurality of faceplate terminal conductors formed over the rear surface of the faceplate;

the cathode plate conductors and the faceplate conductors being electrically interconnected; and

an elongated dielectric material interconnecting ridge formed over the faceplate rear surface, the faceplate terminal conductors being formed over the ridge and extending externally to conductive connector pads.

25. A flat-panel field emission display, comprising:

a luminescent faceplate having a rear surface;

a cathode plate having a front surface which is spaced rearwardly from the rear surface of the luminescent faceplate;

an emitter matrix formed on the front surface of the cathode plate facing the luminescent faceplate;

a backplate spaced from the cathode plate creating a rearward vacuum space behind the cathode plate;

a peripheral seal between the faceplate and the backplate;

the faceplate, backplate, and peripheral seal defining an evacuated space which contains the cathode plate;

a positioning spacer on the rear surface of the luminescent faceplate;

a connector ridge on the rear surface of the luminescent faceplate;

a plurality of conductive traces overlying the rear surface of the luminescent faceplate and extending over the elevated connector ridge to externally of the evacuated space; and

the cathode plate being positioned against the positioning spacer, the positioning spacer establishing a spacing between the faceplate and the cathode plate, the cathode plate being positioned over the connector ridge for electrical contact between the cathode plate and portions of the conductive traces extending over the connector ridge.

26. A flat-panel field emission display, comprising:

a faceplate having a rear surface;

a cathode plate spaced from the faceplate rear surface and having a plurality of emitters facing the faceplate rear surface, the cathode plate having an outermost periphery and a rear surface;

a backplate having an internal surface spaced from the cathode plate and from the faceplate rear surface, the spaced backplate forming a rearward vacuum space behind the cathode plate;

a conductive getter received within the rearward vacuum space against the rear surface of the cathode plate;

a peripheral seal; and

a getter conductor extending from externally of the peripheral seal to between the faceplate and the peripheral seal to and in electrical connection with the conductive getter.