Field emission lamp

• US 7,750,549 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2005
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Tsinghua University
• Inventors: Sheng, Lei-Mei, Fan, Shou-Shan, Liu, Peng, Liu, Liang, Wei, Yang, Chen, Pi-Jin, Guo, Cai-Lin, Hu, Zhao-Fu
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Joseph L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Farokhrooz; Fatima N
• Application Number:
  US11/169,137
• Publication Number:
  US 20060017370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 313308-311, 313/336, 313/351, 313495-497, 313/422, 313/306, 313/355, 445 49- 51
• US Class Current: 313/496
• 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 63/06 Lamps with luminescent screen excited by the ray or stream

Abstract

A field emission lamp (30) includes a tube (31) having a closed end and an open end, an encapsulation board (38) mated with the open end, an anode layer (32) formed on an inner surface, a fluorescence layer (33) formed on the anode layer, a cathode down-lead pole (342) located at the encapsulation board, a cathode fixing pole (341) located at the closed end, a cathode filament (34) having a carbon nanotube layer formed on a surface thereof fixed between the cathode down-lead pole and the cathode fixing pole, an anode down-lead ring (321) located at the anode layer near the open end, and an anode down-lead pole (322) located at the encapsulation board and electrically connected with the anode down-lead ring. The field emission lamp has a simple structure, thereby having an enhanced production rate and a reduced cost.

Claims

1. A field emission lamp comprising:

a tube having a closed end and an open end;

an anode layer substantially covering an entire inner surface of the tube;

a fluorescence layer located on the anode layer including at least part of the anode layer corresponding to the closed end;

an encapsulation board mated with the open end of the tube;

a cathode down-lead pole located at the encapsulation board;

a cathode fixing pole fixed at the closed end of the tube, and the cathode fixing pole is insulated by the surrounding anode layer;

a cathode filament fixed between the cathode down-lead pole and the cathode fixing pole, the cathode filament having a carbon nanotube layer located on a surface thereof;

an anode down-lead ring located at the anode layer adjacent or near the open end of the tube; and

an anode down-lead pole located at the encapsulation board and electrically connected with the anode down-lead ring.

2. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tube is made of glass.

3. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein a diameter of the tube is in the range from 2 to 40 millimeters.

4. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cathode filament is made of a wire.

5. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein a diameter of the cathode filament is greater than 0.3 millimeters.

6. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anode layer comprises an Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) film.

7. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluorescence layer is white or colored.

8. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube layer is located on the surface of the cathode filament by means of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) or electrophoretic deposition.

9. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cathode fixing pole is fixed in the closed end via an electrically and thermally insulative medium.

10. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a spring fixed between the cathode filament and the cathode down-lead pole.

11. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a vent-pipe associated with the encapsulation board.

12. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of getters provided on the encapsulation board and the anode down-lead ring, and the plurality of getters encircles the cathode filament.

13. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the encapsulation board is mated with the open end of the tube via an electrical and thermally insulative glass layer.

14. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cathode fixing pole is fixed in a middle of the closed end.

15. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 12, wherein the getters comprise conductive films.

16. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 12, wherein the getters are formed by means of high frequency evaporation.

17. The field emission lamp as clamed in claim 12, wherein the getters are positioned to not cover the fluorescence layer, and to not cause a short circuit between the cathode down-lead pole and the anode down-lead pole.

18. A field emission lamp comprising:

an enclosure of said field emission lamp having one open end and one close end;

an anode part substantially covering an entire inner surface of said enclosure and installable into said enclosure exclusively through said one open end, said anode part being electrifiable to be able to emit light substantially from the entire surface of said enclosure;

a cathode part extending in said enclosure and spaced from said anode part, said cathode part being installable into said enclosure by a cathode fixing pole, the cathode fixing pole fixed at the closed end of the enclosure, the cathode fixing pole is insulated by the surrounding anode part, and said cathode part electrifiable to urge light emission of said anode part, a carbon nanotube layer being located on said cathode part to emit electrons toward said anode part after electrification of said anode and cathode parts so as to urge said light emission of said anode part when said electrons reach said anode part; and

an encapsulation part used to seal said one open end of said enclosure after installation of said anode and cathode parts into said enclosure.

19. The field emission lamp as claimed in claim 18, wherein a fluorescence layer is located on said anode part to provide capacity of said anode part for said light emission thereof.

20. A method to manufacture a field emission lamp, comprising the steps of:

providing an enclosure of said field emission lamp having one open end and one closed end;

installing an anode part capable of light emission from substantially entire surface of said enclosure into said enclosure through said one open end;

providing a cathode part, and forming a carbon nanotube layer on said cathode part;

installing said cathode part used to urge said light emission of said anode part into said enclosure through said one open end using a cathode fixing pole, the cathode fixing pole fixed at the closed end of the enclosure, and the cathode fixing pole is insulated by the surrounding anode part;

spacing said cathode part away from said anode part so that said cathode and anode parts are electrifiable for said light emission without physical contact; and

sealing said one open end of said enclosure to complete said field emission lamp.