Abstract:
A Reflective Field Emission Display system, components and methods for fabricating the components is disclosed. In the FED system disclosed, a plurality of reflective edge emission pixed elements (10) are arranged in a matrix of N rows and M columns, the pixel elements contain an edge emitter (140) that is operable to emit electrons and a reflector (110) that is operable to extract and laterally reflect emitted electrons. A collector layer (310), laterally disposed from said reflector layer (110) is operable to attract the reflected electrons. Deposited on the collector layer (310) is a phosphor layer (195) that emits a photon of a known wavelength when activated by an attracted electron. A transparent layer (185) that is oppositely positioned with respect to the pixel elements (100) is operable to attract reflected electrons and prevent reflected electrons from striking the phosphor layer (195). Color displays are further contemplated by incorporating individually controlled sub-pixel elements in each of the pixel elements (100). The phosphor layers (195) emit photons having wavelenghts in the red, green or blue color spectrum.
Abstract:
A method for enhancing the conductivity of transparent conductive electrodes on display substrates by providing patterned auxiliary metallic layers adjacent to the transparent conductive material. The method of the present invention eliminates the need for aligning the auxiliary metal layers (26) with transparent conductive electrodes (22) a) by using an inclined collimated beam of metallic material (28) for depositing a metal coating (26) on resist strips (24), or b) by providing resist residuals at the corner of the metal coating, or by forming a contignous metallic coating with a periodic array of holes therein which can be etched simultaneously with the underlying transparent conductive layer.
Abstract:
A method for enhancing the conductivity of transparent conductive electrodes on display substrates by providing patterned auxiliary metallic layers adjacent to the transparent conductive material. The method of the present invention eliminates the need for aligning the auxiliary metal layers (26) with transparent conductive electrodes (22) a) by using an inclined collimated beam of metallic material (28) for depositing a metal coating (26) or resist strips (24), or b) by providing resist residuals at the corner of the metal coating, or by forming a contiguous metallic coating with a periodic aarray of holes therin which can be etched simultaneously with the underlying transparent conductive layer.
Abstract:
The invention pertains to electron exposure equipment useful for exposing, treating and processing coatings and other materials by a cold cathode gas discharge electron source having a broad uniform emitting area. The apparatus has a vacuum chamber; a large surface area cathode in the vacuum chamber and means for applying a negative voltage to the cathode and causing the cathode to issue electrons toward a target in the vacuum chamber. An anode is positioned between the cathode and the target. The anode is formed of an electrically conductive grid having an array of apertures therethrough extending from a center of the grid to an edge of the grid. In one embodiment the apertures have a progressively increasing area from the center of the grid to the edge of the grid. In another embodiment the anode has a progressively decreasing thickness from the center of the grid to the edge of the grid. In yet another embodiment the anode has both progressively increasing area from the center of the grid to the edge of the grid. A voltage is applied to the anode which is positive relative to the voltage applied to the cathode.
Abstract:
A device useful as a display element has an electron emitter (40) and an anode (30) disposed to receive electrons emitted from the emitter. The anode has surface portions differing in resistivity, providing an electron sink portion (80) at the surface portion of lowest resistivity. A preferred embodiment has a lateral field-emission electron emitter (10) and has an anode formed by processes specially adapted to provide anode portions of differing resistivity, including the electron sink portion (80). The electron sink portion is preferably disposed at a position laterally spaced apart from the emitting tip of the device's electron emitter. In a particularly preferred fabrication process, the anode is formed by depositing a base layer, depositing and patterning an etch-stop layer (75) with an opening to define the electron-sink portion, forming an opening by etching overlying layers down to the etch-stop layer, and heating the base layer and etch-stop layer to form an anode surface that includes both an integral electron-sink portion and a cathodeluminescent phosphor (35) for emitting light. The fabrication process provides for fabricating a plurality of display element devices to make a flat panel display.