Field emission display panel having diode structure and method for fabricating

• US 6,448,709 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1999
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Chuang, Feng-Yu, Wang, Wen-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ashok
• Application Number:
  US09/396,536
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 313/496-497, 313/495, 313/309, 313/336, 313/351, 313/311
• US Class Current: 313/497
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 31/123 Flat display tubes

Abstract

The field emission display panel is constructed by a first glass plate that has a plurality of emitter stacks formed on a top surface, each of the emitter stacks is formed parallel to a transverse direction of the glass plate and includes a layer of electrically conductive material and a layer of nanotube emitter on top, the first glass plate further has a plurality of rib sections formed of an insulating material inbetween the plurality of emitter stacks to provide electrical insulation, a second glass plate that is positioned over and spaced-apart from the first glass plate wherein an inside surface of the second glass plate has coated thereon a layer of an electrically conductive material such as indium-tin-oxide on the inside surface, and a multiplicity of fluorescent powder coating strips formed on the ITO layer each for emitting a red, green or blue light when activated by electrons emitted from the plurality of emitter stacks. The field emission display panel is assembled together by a number of side panels that joins the peripheries of the first and the second glass plate together to form a vacuum-tight cavity therein. The nanotube emitters can be formed of nanometer dimensioned hollow tubes or fibers of carbon, diamond or diamond-like carbon material mixed with a binder.

Claims

1. A field emission display panel comprising:

a first electrically insulating plate,

a plurality of emitter stacks formed on said first electrically insulating plate, each of said emitter stacks being positioned parallel to a transverse direction of said first insulating plate and comprises a layer of a first electrically conductive material and a layer of nanotube emitter on top,

a plurality of rib sections formed of an insulating material inbetween said plurality of emitter stacks providing electrical insulation thereinbetween,

a second electrically insulating plate positioned over and spaced-apart from sad first electrically insulating plate having an inside surface facing said first plate,

a layer of a second electrically conductive material on said inside surface of said second insulating plate,

a multiplicity of strips of fluorescent powder coating on said second electrically conductive material each for emitting a red, green or blue light upon activation by electrons emitted from said plurality of emitter stacks, and

a plurality of side panels joining peripheries of said first and second electrically insulating plates together forming a vacuum-tight cavity therein.

2. A field emission display panel according to claim 1, wherein said second electrically insulating plate further comprises a black matrix layer inbetween said multiplicity of strips of fluorescent powder coating.

3. A field emission display panel according to claim 2, wherein said black matrix layer being formed of an electrically conductive material.

4. A field emission display panel according to claim 1, wherein said first and second electrically insulating plates are formed of a ceramic material that is substantially transparent.

5. A field emission display panel according to claim 1, wherein said layer of a first electrically conductive material is a cathode for said field emission display panel.

6. A field emission display panel according to claim 1, wherein sad layer of a first electrically conductive material is a silver paste.

7. A field emission display panel according to claim 1, wherein said layer of second electrically conductive material is an anode for said field emission display panel.

8. A field emission display panel according to claim 1, wherein said layer of second electrically conductive material is for med of indium-tin-oxide (ITO).

9. A field emission display panel according to claim 1, wherein said layer of nanotube emitter being formed of a mixture of nanometer dimensioned hollow tubes and a binder material.

10. A field emission display panel according to claim 1, wherein said layer of nanotube emitter being formed of a mixture of nanometer dimensioned hollow tubes of a carbon, diamond or diamond-like carbon and a polymeric-based binder.

11. A field emission display panel according to claim 1, wherein each of said multiplicity of strips of fluorescent powder coating emits a light of red, green or blue that is different than the light emitted by its immediate adjacent strips when activated by electrons from said plurality of emitter stacks.

12. A field emission display panel according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of rib sections further comprises a base portion that overlays an end portion of an emitter stack for reducing edge emissions and a top portion extends from said base portion for confining electrons emitted from said emitter stack.