Lateral plasma display panels suitable for fabrication on flexible substrates

Abstract

A pixel structure is proposed, for the first time, which is suitable for the fabrication of plasma display panels on flexible substrates such as stainless foils and PET. In this approach, the plasma is generated laterally between two electrodes. The positive and negative electrodes are realized on a single substrate and their spacing is adjusted by photolithography, so that exploiting a rigid substrate is no longer a necessity. The distance between the electrodes is not varied during substrate warping and hence fabrication of a flexible PDP is feasible. The conversion of ultra-violet light into visible color is feasible by using phosphorescent coatings. Also the structure used in this approach does not need transparent conductors like ITO. The isolation of the electrodes is possible by a silicon-oxide layer deposited using a liquid phase deposition (LPD). Also, the metallic electrodes can be realized using electroless plating suitable for large area fabrication.