Plasma display panel having a dielectric layer of a reduced thickness in a sealing portion

• US 6,514,111 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2002
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Horio, Kenji, Osaka, Yoshinori, Ebihara, Kazumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramsey, Kenneth J.
• Application Number:
  US10/123,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20020111102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 293 Days
• Field of Search: 445/24, 445/25, 313/586
• US Class Current: 445/25
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 9/261 the vessel being for a flat panel display for flat discharge lamps H01J9/268

Abstract

The present invention provides an AC memory type plasma display panel comprising a pair of substrates and stacked together via a sealing member so as to have a discharge space therebetween, and discharge electrodes and a dielectric layer covering the discharge space therebetween, and discharge electrodes and a dielectric layer covering the discharge electrodes formed on at least one of the substrates. The dielectric layer is formed on the surface of the substrate including a display region and a portion outside the display region in which the sealing member is located. The thickness of the portion for bonding of the sealing member outside the display region is smaller than the thickness of the portion corresponding to the display region.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a plasma display panel of first and second substrates having corresponding surfaces in opposing relationship and defining a discharge space therebetween, a display region emitting light in a center of the panel and a peripheral region emitting no light in a periphery of the panel, the method comprising:

forming an array of discharge electrodes on the opposing surface of the first substrate;

forming a first dielectric layer on the opposing surface of the first substrate having the array of discharge electrodes thereon, the first dielectric layer comprising a central portion covering the array of discharge electrodes and a peripheral portion extending about the central portion, the peripheral portion being thinner than the central portion and defining a corresponding sealing portion on the opposing surface of the second substrate;

forming a sealing member on, and adhering the sealing member to, the sealing portion on the opposing surface of the second substrate;

juxtaposing said substrates with the sealing member therebetween so as to position a free edge of the sealing member in contact with the peripheral portion of the first dielectric layer; and

heating the sealing member so as to melt and consequently adhere same to the peripheral portion of the first dielectric layer, sealing the discharge space therebetween.

2. The method of fabricating a plasma display panel according to claim 1, wherein the step of forming the first dielectric layer further comprises:

forming one dielectric layer on the opposing surface of the first substrate corresponding at least to the peripheral portion of the first dielectric layer; and

forming another dielectric layer on the opposing surface of the first substrate corresponding to the central portion of the first dielectric layer,

the sequence of forming the one and the another dielectric layers being interchangeable.

3. The method of fabricating a plasma display panel according to claim 2, wherein each of the one and the another dielectric layers is formed by printing a dielectric paste separately on the opposing surface of the first substrate.

4. The method of fabricating a plasma display panel according to claim 2, wherein the one and the another dielectric layers are formed by sealing respective dielectric sheets separately on the opposing surface of the first substrate.

5. The method of fabricating a plasma display panel according to claim 2, wherein the one and the another dielectric layers are made of soldering glass having a low softening temperature and a main component of which is lead oxide (PbO).

6. The method of fabricating a plasma display panel according to claim 1, further comprising:

forming an array of addressing electrodes on the surface of the second substrate opposing the surface of the first substrate having the array of discharge electrodes thereon; and

forming a second dielectric layer on the opposing surface of the second substrate having the array of addressing electrodes thereon, wherein the sealing member adheres to each of the first and second dielectric layers in respective peripheral portions thereof, to provide air-tight sealing between the first and second substrates.

7. A method for fabricating an AC memory type plasma display panel of a pair of substrates with respective arrays of electrodes formed on corresponding, opposing surfaces of the substrates, the opposing surfaces of the substrates defining a discharge space for generating a gas plasma between the substrates, the method comprising:

forming respective dielectric layers on the corresponding, opposing surfaces of the pair of substrates, a sealing portion at the periphery of one dielectric layer, surrounding a display region thereof, being thinner than a thickness of a portion of the one dielectric layer covering the display region and thinner than a thickness of a sealing portion of the other dielectric layer formed on the corresponding, opposing surface of the other substrate;

forming a sealing member on the relatively thicker sealing portion of the other dielectric layer;

juxtaposing the substrates with a free edge of the sealing member contacting the thinner sealing portion of the one dielectric layer; and

heating at least the sealing member so as to melt and consequently adhere same to the sealing portion of the one dielectric layer to afford an air-tight seal of the discharge space between the substrates.

8. The method for fabricating an AC memory type plasma display panel according to claim 7, wherein the electrodes formed on the other substrate comprise surface discharge electrodes which generate a gas plasma in the discharging space and the electrodes covered with the one dielectric layer are addressing electrodes which control an address at which a surface plasma discharge takes place.

9. A method of fabricating a plasma display panel of spaced substrates and having a display region for emitting light in a center of the panel and a peripheral region for emitting no light in a periphery of the panel, comprising:

forming respective arrays of electrodes on corresponding, opposing surfaces of the substrates;

forming respective dielectric layers on the corresponding, opposing surfaces, each having a central portion covering the respective array of electrodes formed on the corresponding, opposing surface and a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion;

sealing the spaced substrates to each other by a sealing member which extends between, and is sealed at opposite edges to, corresponding peripheral portions of the respective dielectric layers, so as to extend about and define a discharge space between the corresponding opposing surfaces of the pair of spaced substrates in which a gas plasma is generated, the sealing member being formed on one of said dielectric layers at the corresponding peripheral portion thereof and having a free edge extending to the corresponding peripheral portion of the other dielectric layer and adhered thereto by heat and pressure, thereby sealing the pair of opposing substrates to each other, the sealing portion of the one of the dielectric layers on which the sealing member is formed being relatively thicker and the sealing portion of the other of the dielectric layers to which the free end extends and is adhered being relatively thinner.

10. The method of fabricating a plasma display panel according to claim 9, further comprising forming the relatively thicker sealing portion of the one dielectric layer of a thickness in a range of up to 40 μ

m and forming the relatively thinner sealing portion of the other dielectric layer of a thickness in a range of from 5 μ

m to 35 μ

m.

11. The method of fabricating a plasma display panel according to claim 9, further comprising forming the one dielectric layer on the corresponding, opposing surface of the substrate on which the array of discharge electrodes is formed and forming the other dielectric layer on the corresponding surface of the opposing substrate on which an array of display electrodes is formed.

12. A method of fabricating a plasma display panel, of first and second substrates having corresponding, opposing surfaces defining a discharge space therebetween, having a display region in a center of the panel and a peripheral region, surrounding the display region, in which no light is emitted, comprising:

forming an array of discharge electrodes on one of the opposing surfaces;

forming first and second dielectric layers on the corresponding, opposing surfaces of the first and second substrates, respectively, each dielectric layer comprising a central portion corresponding to the display region and a peripheral portion surrounding the central portion thereof and corresponding to the peripheral region of the plasma display panel; and

forming a sealing member extending between the respective peripheral portions of the first and second dielectric layers, the sealing member being formed on the peripheral portion of one of the first and second dielectric layers and having a free edge adhered by heat and pressure to the peripheral portion of the other of the first and second dielectric layers, the peripheral portion to which the free edge is adhered being of a smaller thickness than the peripheral portion on which the sealing member is formed.

13. A method of fabricating a plasma display panel according to claim 12, wherein the peripheral portion of the larger thickness is in the range of up to 40 μ

m.

14. A method of fabricating a plasma display panel according to claim 13, wherein the peripheral portion of the smaller thickness is in the range of up to 20 μ

m.

15. A method of fabricating a plasma display panel of first and second substrates having corresponding, opposing surfaces defining discharge spaces therebetween and having a display region in a center of the panel, in which light is emitted, and a peripheral region in a periphery of the panel, in which no light is emitted, comprising:

forming an array of discharge electrodes on corresponding, opposing surface of one of the first and second substrates;

forming first and second dielectric layers on the corresponding, opposing surfaces of the first and second substrates, respectively, each dielectric layer comprising a central portion corresponding to the display region and a peripheral portion corresponding to the peripheral region of the plasma display panel;

forming a sealing member on the peripheral portion of one of the first and second dielectric layers and having a free edge; and

adhering the free edge of the sealing member, by heat and pressure, to a bonding portion of the peripheral portion of the other of the first and second dielectric layers, the bonding portion of the peripheral portion of the other dielectric layer to which the free edge is adhered by heat and pressure being of a smaller thickness than the respective thicknesses of the central portion of the one dielectric layer and of at least the peripheral portion of the other dielectric layer.

16. A method of fabricating a plasma display panel according to claim 15, further comprising forming the peripheral portion of the one of the first and second dielectric layers of a thickness in a range of up to 40 μ

m and forming the bonding portion of the peripheral portion of the other dielectric layer of a thickness in a range from 5 μ

m to 35 μ

m.

17. A method of fabricating a plasma display panel according to claim 15, further comprising forming the central portion of the one of the first and second dielectric layers from which light is emitted in a thickness of several tens of microns.