Method for forming partitions of plasma display panel by using sandblasting process

Abstract

A partition is formed by the process including a step for providing a sheet-like partition material that covers a display area and outside thereof on the surface of the substrate, a step for providing a mask for patterning that covers the display area and the outside thereof, so that a pattern of the portion arranged outside of the display area of the mask is a grid-like pattern, a step for patterning the partition material covered partially with the mask by a sandblasting process, and a step for baking the partition material after the patterning.

1. A method for forming partitions of a plasma display panel, the partitions dividing a discharge space of a plasma display panel, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a sheet-like partition material on a substrate that is a panel material, the partition material covering a display area and outside thereof on a surface of the substrate;   providing a mask for patterning on the partition material, the mask covering the display area and the outside thereof, so that a pattern of the portion arranged in the display area of the mask corresponds to the partitions, and a pattern of the portion arranged outside of the display area of the mask is a pattern for dividing a band-like portion along a rim of the display area as a grid;   patterning the partition material covered partially with the mask by a sandblasting process; and   baking the partition material after the patterning.   
     
     
       2. The method for forming partitions of a plasma display panel according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 providing the mask so as to cover the display area and both sides thereof in a first direction; and   moving a nozzle for ejecting a cutting material relatively to the partition material in the first direction in a reciprocating manner while patterning the partition material by the sandblasting process.   
     
     
       3. The method for forming partitions of a plasma display panel according to  claim 2 , further comprising the step of forming an auxiliary mask outside the mask in the first direction with a distance from the mask at the same time when forming the mask. 
     
     
       4. The method for forming partitions of a plasma display panel according to  claim 3 , wherein both ends of the auxiliary mask in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction protrudes from the mask. 
     
     
       5. The method for forming partitions of a plasma display panel according to  claim 4 , wherein the pattern of the auxiliary mask is a stripe pattern in which a plurality of long bands is arranged in parallel in the second direction. 
     
     
       6. The method for forming partitions of a plasma display panel according to  claim 4 , wherein the pattern of the auxiliary mask is a stripe pattern in which a plurality of long thin bands is arranged in parallel in the second direction and at least both ends of the band that is closest to the mask are not protruded from the mask. 
     
     
       7. The method for forming partitions of a plasma display panel according to  claim 4 , wherein the pattern of the auxiliary mask is a ring pattern that is oblong in the second direction. 
     
     
       8. The method for forming partitions of a plasma display panel according to  claim 1 , wherein a corner portion of the mask has an arcuate shape. 
     
     
       9. The method for forming partitions of a plasma display panel according to  claim 4 , wherein the pattern of the auxiliary mask is a pattern in which a plurality of bands that is shorter than the entire length of the display area in the second direction is arranged in parallel to each other as a plurality of discontinuous lines along the second direction. 
     
     
       10. The method for forming partitions of a plasma display panel according to  claim 9 , wherein discontinuous points are shifted from each other among the plural discontinuous lines in the pattern of the auxiliary mask. 
     
     
       11. The method for forming partitions of a plasma display panel according to  claim 9 , wherein the length of the band in the pattern of the auxiliary mask has a value within the range of 0.05-200 mm. 
     
     
       12. The method for forming partitions of a plasma display panel according to  claim 9 , wherein both the width and the length of the band in the pattern of the auxiliary mask have a value less than 240 μm. 
     
     
       13. The method for forming partitions of a plasma display panel according to  claim 1 , wherein at least the width of the band located at the most outside portion among the bands constituting a grid-like pattern of the portion arranged outside of the display area of the mask has a value within the range of 160-320 μm. 
     
     
       14. A method for forming partitions that divide a discharge space in each of plural plasma display panels simultaneously, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a sheet-like partition material on a substrate that is a panel material on which display areas corresponding to the plurality plasma display panels respectively are arranged linearly, the partition material covering the plural display areas and outside thereof on a surface of the substrate;   providing a mask for patterning on the partition material, the mask covering the inside and the outside of the display area for each display area, so that a pattern of the portion arranged in the display area of the mask corresponds to the partitions, and a pattern of the portion arranged outside of the display area of the mask is a pattern for dividing a band-like portion along a rim of the display area as a grid;   forming an auxiliary mask at least between neighboring masks with a distance from the mask at the same time when forming the mask;   patterning the partition material covered partially with the mask and the auxiliary mask by a sandblasting process; and   baking the partition material after the patterning.   
     
     
       15. A plasma display panel, comprising:
 a substrate;   a first partition area arranged in a display area on the substrate; and   second partition area arranged outside of the display area on the substrate;   wherein the first partition area includes a plurality of partitions extending at least in a first direction;   wherein the second partition area includes at least three first partitions extending in the first direction and at least three second partitions extending in a second direction, the first partitions extending in the first direction and the second partitions extending in the second direction extending transversely to one another; and   wherein a corner portion of the second partition area is arcuate.    
     
     
       16. A plasma display panel according to claim 15, wherein the second partition area further includes a third partition, and wherein the third partition forms the corner portion of the second partition area and has an arcuate shape.  
     
     
       17. A plasma display panel according to claim 16, wherein an edge portion of the third partition is connected to an edge portion of the outermost first partition and another edge portion of the third partition is connected to an edge portion of the outermost second partition.  
     
     
       18. A plasma display panel according to claim 16, wherein the third partition has an entirely curved shape extending from an edge portion connected to an edge portion of the outermost first partition to another edge portion connected to an edge portion of the outermost second partition.  
     
     
       19. A plasma display panel according to claim 15, wherein the first partition area corresponds to a rectangular display area, and wherein the second partition area extends along at least one edge of the rectangular display area.  
     
     
       20. A plasma display panel according to claim 19, wherein the second partition area extends along a longer edge of the rectangular display area.  
     
     
       21. A plasma display panel according to claim 15, wherein a projection formed at the corner portion of the second partition area has a height which is not greater than 16 μm.  
     
     
       22. A plasma display panel according to claim 21, wherein the projection has a height which is not greater than 12 μm.  
     
     
       23. A plasma display panel according to claim 21, wherein the first partition area corresponds to a rectangular display area, and wherein the second partition area extends along at least one edge of the rectangular display area.  
     
     
       24. A plasma display panel according to claim 15, wherein the first and second partitions are formed by a sandblasting method.  
     
     
       25. A plasma display panel, comprising:
 a substrate;   a first partition area arranged in a display area on the substrate; and   a second partition area arranged outside of the display area on the substrate;   wherein the first partition area includes a plurality of horizontal partitions and vertical partitions;   wherein the second partition area includes a plurality of horizontal partitions and a plurality of vertical partitions, the horizontal partitions and the vertical partitions intersect one another, forming a plurality of first cells arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns; and   wherein a second cell is formed in a corner portion of the second partition area and has an arcuate partition.    
     
     
       26. A plasma display panel according to claim 25, wherein the second cell is formed by the outermost horizontal partition, the outermost vertical partition and a third partition which is the arcuate partition, and wherein the third partition connects an edge portion of the horizontal partition and an edge portion of the vertical partition.  
     
     
       27. A plasma display panel according to claim 25, wherein the second partition area extends along a longer edge of the rectangular display area.  
     
     
       28. A plasma display panel according to claim 25, wherein a projection formed at the corner portion of the second partition area has a height which is not greater than 16 μm.  
     
     
       29. A plasma display panel according to claim 28, wherein the projection has a height which is not greater than 12 μm.  
     
     
       30. A plasma display panel according to claim 25, wherein the horizontal and vertical partitions are formed by a sandblasting method.  
     
     
       31. A plasma display panel, comprising:
 a substrate;   a first partition area arranged in a display area on the substrate; and   a second partition area arranged outside of the display area on the substrate;   wherein the first partition area includes a plurality of partitions;   wherein the second partition area includes a plurality of first partitions and a plurality of second partitions which extend transversely to one another and form first cells;   wherein the second partition area further includes third partitions forming second cells; and   wherein at least one of the second cells has a size greater than at least one of the first cells.    
     
     
       32. A plasma display panel according to claim 31, wherein in a horizontal direction, a length of the second cell is greater than a length of an adjacent first cell.  
     
     
       33. A plasma display panel according to claim 31, wherein in a vertical direction, a length of the second cell is greater than a length of an adjacent first cell.  
     
     
       34. A plasma display panel according to claim 31, wherein in the horizontal direction, a length of the second cell corresponds to a length of a plurality of adjacent first cells.  
     
     
       35. A plasma display panel according to claim 31, wherein in the vertical direction, a length of the second cell corresponds to a length of a plurality of adjacent first cells.  
     
     
       36. A plasma display panel according to claim 31, wherein the second cell is arranged in a corner portion of the second partition area.  
     
     
       37. A plasma display panel according to claim 36, wherein the third partition of the second cell has an arcate shape.  
     
     
       38. A plasma display panel according to claim 31, wherein the first partition area corresponds to a rectangular display area, and wherein the second partition area extends along at least one edge of the rectangular display area.  
     
     
       39. A plasma display panel according to claim 31, wherein the second partition area extends along a longer edge of the rectangular display area.  
     
     
       40. A plasma display panel according to claim 31, wherein a projection formed at a corner portion of the second partition area has a height which is not greater than 16 μm.  
     
     
       41. A plasma display panel according to claim 40, wherein the projection has a height which is not greater than 12 μm.  
     
     
       42. A plasma display panel according to claim 31, wherein all of the partitions are formed by a sandblasting method.  
     
     
       43. A plasma display panel, comprising:
 a substrate;   a first partition area arranged in a display area on the substrate; and   a second partition area arranged outside of the display area on the substrate;   wherein the first partition area includes a plurality of partitions extending at least in a first direction;   wherein the second partition area includes a plurality of first partitions and a plurality of second partitions, the first partitions and the second partitions extending transversely to one another; and   wherein an outermost partition of the second partition area has a thickness greater than a thickness of inner partitions in the second partition area.    
     
     
       44. A plasma display panel according to claim 43, wherein the outermost partition in the second partition area has a thickness greater than a thickness of inner partitions in the first partition area.  
     
     
       45. A plasma display panel according to claim 44, wherein a projection formed at a corner portion of the second partition area has a height which is not greater than 16 μm.  
     
     
       46. A plasma display panel according to claim 45, wherein the projection has a height which is not greater than 12 μm.  
     
     
       47. A plasma display panel according to claim 44, wherein all of the partitions are formed by a sandblasting method.