Abstract:
The present invention provides a spacer assembly which is tailored to provide a secondary electron emission coefficient of approximately 1 for the spacer assembly when the spacer assembly is subjected to flat panel display operating voltages. The present invention further provides a spacer assembly which accomplishes the above achievement and which does not degrade severely when subjected to electron bombardment. The present invention further provides a spacer assembly which accomplishes both of the above-listed achievements and which does not significantly contribute to contamination of the vacuum environment of the flat panel display or be susceptible to contamination that may evolve within the tube. Specifically, in one embodiment, the present invention is comprised of a spacer structure which has a specific secondary electron emission coefficient function associated therewith. The material comprising the spacer structure is tailored to provide a secondary electron emission coefficient of approximately 1 for the spacer assembly when the spacer assembly is subjected to flat panel display operating voltages.
Abstract:
A voltage ratio regulator circuit for a spacer electrode of a flat panel display screen. Within one implementation of a field emission display (FED) device, thin spacer walls are inserted between a high voltage (Vh) faceplate and a backplate to secure these structures as a vacuum is formed between. A phosphor layer on the faceplate receives electrons selectively emitted from discrete electron emitting areas along the backplate (cathode) thereby forming images on the faceplate. The faceplate warms relative to the backplate, as a result of energy released by the phosphor layer, thereby generating a temperature gradient along the spacer walls. The top portion of each spacer wall becomes more conductive with increased temperature and acts to attract electrons that are emitted toward the faceplate. To counter this attraction, a spacer electrode is placed along each spacer wall at a height, d, above the backplate and maintained at a voltage, Ve. Electrodes of all of the spacer walls are coupled together. The spacer electrode at Ve and the high voltage supply at Vh are both coupled to a voltage ratio regulator circuit which maintains the ratio (Ve/Vh) using voltage dividers, an operational amplifier and other circuitry. The voltage ratio regulator compensates for variations in voltage supply performance. The time constants of the voltage ratio regular circuit is tuned to be near or slightly faster than the time constant of the inherent resistance and capacitance of the spacer wall. The invention can also correct for other sources of the voltage error on the spacer walls. The invention improves the electron path accuracy for pixels located near spacer walls.
Abstract:
A voltage ratio regulator circuit for a spacer electrode of a flat panel display screen. Within one implementation of a field emission display (FED) device, thin spacer walls are inserted between a high voltage (Vh) faceplate and a backplate to secure these structures as a vacuum is formed between. A phosphor layer on the faceplate receives electrons selectively emitted from discrete electron emitting areas along the backplate (cathode) thereby forming images on the faceplate. The faceplate warms relative to the backplate, as a result of energy released by the phosphor layer, thereby generating a temperature gradient along the spacer walls. The top portion of each spacer wall becomes more conductive with increased temperature and acts to attract electrons that are emitted toward the faceplate. To counter this attraction, a spacer electrode is placed along each spacer wall at a height, d, above the backplate and maintained at a voltage, Ve. Electrodes of all of the spacer walls are coupled together. The spacer electrode at Ve and the high voltage supply at Vh are both coupled to a voltage ratio regulator circuit which maintains the ratio (Ve/Vh) using voltage dividers, an operational amplifier and other circuitry. The voltage ratio regulator compensates for variations in voltage supply performance. The time constants of the voltage ratio regular circuit is tuned to be near or slightly faster than the time constant of the inherent resistance and capacitance of the spacer wall. The invention can also correct for other sources of the voltage error on the spacer walls. The invention improves the electron path accuracy for pixels located near spacer walls.
Abstract:
The intensity at which electrons emitted by a first plate structure (10) in a flat-panel display strike a second plate structure (12) for causing it to emit light is controlled so as to reduce image degradation that could otherwise arise from undesired electron-trajectory changes caused by effects such as the presence of a spacer system (14) between the plate structures. An electron-emissive region (20) in the first plate structure typically contains multiple laterally separated electron-emissive portions (201 and 202) for selectively emitting electrons. An electron-focusing system in the first plate structure has corresponding focus openings (42P1 and 42P2) through which electrons emitted by the electron-emissive portions respectively pass. Upon being struck by the so-emitted electrons, a light-emissive region (22) in the second plate structure emits light to produce at least part of a dot of the display's image.
Abstract:
A releasing and post-releasing method for making a micromirror device and a micromirror array device are disclosed herein. The releasing method removes the sacrificial materials in the micromirror and micromirror array so as to enabling movements of the movable elements in the micromirror and micromirror array device. The post-releasing method is applied to improve the performance and quality of the released micromirrors and micromirror array devices.
Abstract:
The invention provides an apparatus for reducing speckle in a projection visual display (PVD) system, a method of reducing visible speckle in a PVD system and a PVD system incorporating the method or apparatus. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a diffuser interposable in an optical path of a PVD system and a diffuser actuator having a single drive axis configured to cause the diffuser to travel in a lissajous curve at least partially transverse to the optical path.
Abstract:
A light-emitting device contains getter material (58) typically distributed in a relatively uniform manner across the device's active light-emitting portion. An electron-emitting device similarly contains getter material (112, 110/112, 128, 132, and 142) typically distributed relatively uniformly across the active electron-emitting portion of the device.
Abstract:
In a flat-panel display structure having a spacer with laterally segmented face electrodes, one embodiment of the present invention defines the length of the laterally segmented face electrode sections to minimize zero current shift variation in electron trajectories. Advantageously, the present embodiment of the invention prevents image quality degradation. In one embodiment, values for variation in the uniformity of and dicing tolerance are combined to calculate a design optimum for the length of laterally segmented face electrodes. Zero current shift variation from fluctuations in wall resistance falls off with the length of laterally segmented face electrodes. Zero current shift due to first order angular alignment during dicing varies linearly with the dashed electrode length. In one embodiment of the present invention, an optimal value is calculated by combining these effects to minimize zero current shift. Advantageously, in one embodiment, the electrode segments are individually testable.
Abstract:
The present invention is directed to methods for making electronic devices with a thin anisotropic conducting layer interface layer formed between a substrate and an active device layer that is preferably patterned conductive layer. The interface layer preferably provides Ohmic and/or rectifying contact between the active device layer and the substrate and preferably provides good adhesion of the active device layer to the substrate. The active device layer is preferably fashioned from a nanoparticle ink solution that is patterned using embossing methods or other suitable printing and/or imaging methods. The active device layer is preferably patterned into an array of gate structures suitable for the fabrication of thin film transistors and the like.
Abstract:
A field emission display (FED) having a correction system with a correction coefficient derived from emission current is presented. Within one embodiment in accordance with the present invention, a field emission display has an anode at the faceplate and a focus structure. The anode potential is held at ground while the focus structure potential is held between, but is not limited to, 40 and 50 volts. The current flowing to the focus structure is measured and used as the basis for the correction coefficient for the field emission display.