Display device with electron-emitting device with electron-emitting region insulated from electrodes

Abstract

A display device consists of an electron-emitting device which is a laminate of an insulating layer and a pair of opposing electrodes formed on a planar substrate. A portion of the insulating layer is between the electrodes and a portion containing an electron emitting region in between one electrode and the substrate. Electrons are emitted from the electron emission region by a voltage to the electrodes, thereby stimulating a phosphorous to emitting light.

1. A method of preparing an electron-emitting device comprising (a) electrodes disposed on a substrate, and (b) an electron emitting portion disposed between said electrodes, wherein electrons are emitted by said electron emitting portion by applying a voltage between said electrodes, comprising the steps of:
 (i) forming said electrodes on said substrate;  
 (ii) coating a mixture of fine particles and an insulating material in a solvent between said electrodes to form said electron emitting portion; and  
 (iii) baking the coated substrate so as to form an insulating layer containing said fine particles.  
 
     
     
       2. A method of preparing an electron-emitting device comprising (a) electrodes disposed on a substrate. , and (b) an electron emitting portion disposed between said electrodes, wherein electrons are emitted by said electron emitting portion by applying a voltage between said electrodes, comprising the steps of:
 (i) coating an insulating layer containing fine particles on said substrate to form said electron emitting portion;  
 (ii) thereafter baking said coating; and  
 (iii) forming said electrodes on said insulating layer.  
 
     
     
       3. A method of preparing an electron-emitting device comprising (a) electrodes disposed on a substrate, and (b) an electron emitting portion disposed between said electrodes, wherein electrons are emitted by said electron emitting portion by applying a voltage between said electrodes, comprising the steps of:
 (i) forming said electrodes on said substrate;  
 (ii) coating a dispersion containing fine particles and an organic binder between said electrodes to form said electron emitting portion; and  
 (iii) thereafter baking said substrate.  
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein said organic binder is selected frfom  from the group consisting of a butyryl resins, acrylic resins, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, phenol resins, nylons, polyesters and urethanes. 
     
     
       5. A method for fabricating a display device, comprising the steps of:
   providing  ( a )  an electron source plate having a plurality of electron - emitting devices arranged in a matrix of rows and columns on a surface of a substrate, and  ( b )  a matrix wiring configuration of row wirings and column wirings on the surface of the substrate respectively corresponding to the rows and columns of the electron - emitting devices arranged in the matrix, each electron - emitting device comprising a pair of electrodes and an electron - emitting layer arranged along a direction that is lateral to the surface of the substrate, at least one of the electrodes being connected to a corresponding row wiring or column wiring;        providing a fluorescent device plate comprising a face plate  ( FP ) , a transparent electrode layer of indium tin oxide  ( TE ),  a fluorescent layer  ( FL ) , and a metal - back layer, which are laminated in that order, wherein the transparent electrode layer and the metal - back layer form an acceleration electrode;        arranging the electron source plate and the fluorescent device plate on opposite sides of a space; and        providing a housing which causes the space between the electron source plate and the fluorescent device plate to be maintained in a vacuumized condition, row wiring leads connected to respective ones of the row wirings to apply a scan signal to the row wirings, column wiring leads connected to respective ones of the column wirings to apply a modulation signal to the column wirings, and an acceleration voltage lead connected to the acceleration electrode to apply an acceleration voltage to the acceleration electrode to accelerate electrons emitted from the electron - emitting devices toward the fluorescent layer, wherein the row wiring leads, the column wiring leads, and the acceleration voltage lead extend from inside of the housing to outside of the housing.     
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the modulation signal is a signal corresponding to an information signal. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the electron- emitting layer has a non - homogenous area for emitting at least one electron upon an application of a voltage between the pair of electrodes, and wherein the non - homogenous area includes a conductive region and an insulating region.   
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the non- homogeneous area contains carbon.   
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the acceleration voltage is in the range of  0 . 8  kV to  1 . 5  kV. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the modulation signal is applied simultaneously to scanned ones of the electron- emitting devices in synchronization with the scan signal.   
     
     
       11. A method for fabricating a display device, comprising the steps of:
   providing  ( a )  an electron source plate having a substrate and a plurality of electron - emitting devices arranged in a matrix of rows and columns on a surface of the substrate, each electron - emitting device comprising a pair of electrodes and an electron - emitting layer arranged along a direction that is lateral to the surface of the substrate, the electron - emitting layer including a non - homogeneous area for emitting electrons upon an application of a voltage between the electrodes, and  ( b )  a matrix wiring configuration of row wirings and column wirings respectively corresponding to the rows and columns of the electron - emitting devices arranged in the matrix, at least one of the electrodes being connected to a corresponding row wiring or column wiring;        providing a fluorescent device plate comprising a face plate  ( FP ),  a transparent electrode layer of indium tin oxide  ( TE ),  a fluorescent layer  ( FL ),  and a metal - back layer, which are laminated in that order, the transparent electrode layer and the metal - back layer forming an acceleration electrode;        arranging the electron source plate and the fluorescent device plate on opposite sides of a space; and        providing a housing which causes the space between the electron source plate and the fluorescent device plate to be maintained in a vacuumized condition, row wiring leads connected to respective ones of the row wirings to apply a scan signal to the row wirings, column wiring leads connected to respective ones of the column wirings to apply a modulation signal to the column wirings, to generate an electric field traversing a surface of the non - homogenous area, and an acceleration voltage lead connected to the acceleration electrode to apply an acceleration voltage to the acceleration electrode to accelerate electrons emitted from the electron - emitting devices toward the fluorescent layer, wherein the row wiring leads, the column wiring leads, and the acceleration voltage lead extend from inside of the housing to outside of the housing.     
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the modulation signal is applied simultaneously to scanned ones of the electron- emitting devices in synchronization with the scan signal.   
     
     
       13. A method for fabricating a display device, comprising the steps of:
   providing  ( a )  an electron source plate having a plurality of electron - emitting devices arranged in a matrix of rows and columns on a surface of a substrate, each electron - emitting device comprising a pair of electrodes and an electron - emitting layer arranged along a direction that is lateral to the surface of the substrate, the electron - emitting layer containing an electrical discontinuity, and  ( b )  a matrix wiring configuration of row wirings and column wirings on the surface of the substrate respectively corresponding to the rows and columns of the electron - emitting devices arranged in the matrix, at least one of the electrodes being connected to a corresponding row wiring or column wiring;        providing a fluorescent device plate comprising a face plate  ( FP ) , a transparent electrode layer of indium tin oxide  ( TE ),  a fluorescent layer  ( FL ) , and a metal - back layer, which are laminated in that order, the transparent electrode layer and the metal - back layer forming an acceleration electrode;        arranging the electron source plate and the fluorescent device plate on opposite sides of a space; and        providing a housing which causes the space between the electron source plate and the fluorescent device plate to be maintained in a vacuumized condition, row wiring leads connected to respective ones of the row wirings to apply a scan signal to the row wirings, column wiring leads connected to respective ones of the column wirings to apply a modulation signal to the column wirings, and an acceleration voltage lead connected to the acceleration electrode to apply an acceleration voltage to the acceleration electrode to accelerate electrons emitted from the electron - emitting devices toward the fluorescent layer, wherein the row wiring leads, the column wiring leads, and the acceleration voltage lead extend from inside of the housing to outside of the housing.     
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the modulation signal is a signal corresponding to an information signal. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the electron- emitting layer includes a conductive region and an insulating region.   
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the electron- emitting layer contains carbon.   
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the acceleration voltage is in the range of  0 . 8  kV to  1 . 5  kV. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the modulation signal is applied simultaneously to scanned ones of the electron- emitting devices in synchronization with the scan signal.   
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 13 , wherein said electron- emitting layer comprises a conductive region and an insulating region so that the electrical discontinuity takes place between the conductive region and the insulating region.   
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 11 , wherein said voltage between the electrodes is less than or equal to  32  volts.