United States Patent (19) 11) 4,114,064 Ernsthausen 45) Sep
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United States Patent (19) 11) 4,114,064 Ernsthausen 45) Sep. 12, 1978 54 MULTIPLEGASEOUS DISCHARGE Walter H. Kohl, Reinhold Publishing Corp., New DISPLAYAMEMORY PANEL HAVING York, N.Y. 1962, pp. 24, 53, 54, 72-75. IMPROVED VOLTAGE CHARACTERISTICS Primary Examiner-Palmer C. Demeo 75 Inventor: Roger E. Ernsthausen, Luckey, Ohio Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Donald K. Wedding; Myron 73) Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc., Toledo, Ohio E. Click; David H. Wilson (21) Appl. No.: 293,817 (57) ABSTRACT 22 Filed: Oct. 2, 1972 There is disclosed a multiple gaseous discharge dis play/memory panel having an electrical memory and Related U.S. Application Data capable of producing a visual display, the panel being (63) Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 60,376, Aug. 3, 1970, characterized by an ionizable gaseous medium in a gas abandoned. chamber formed by a pair of opposed dielectric material 51 Int. C.’........................ H01J 61/30; H01J 61/35 charge storage members which are respectively backed 52 U.S. C. .................................... 313/188; 313/201; by an array of electrode (conductor) members such that 313/220; 313/221 each array of electrode members is insulated from the 58) Field of Search ................ 313/188,221, 220, 201 gaseous medium by a dielectric member, the electrode members behind each dielectric material member being 56) References Cited oriented with respect to the electrode members behind U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS the opposing dielectric material member so as to define 2,020,727 11/1935 Gaidies et al. ....................... 313/213 a plurality of discrete discharge volumes, each dis 3,189,781 6/1965 Lempert ........... ... 313/68 RX charge volume constituting a discharge unit, the dielec 3,499,167 3/1970 Baker et al. ... ... 313/188X tric material being selectively enriched with at least one 3,559,190 1/1971 Bitzer et al. ..................... 313/201 X Group IA or IIA element in an amount sufficient to 3,846,171 11/1974 Byrum, Jr. et al. ............. 313/188 X provide operating voltages which are substantially uni 3,863,089 1/1975 Ernsthausen et al. ........... 313/188 X form and which do not significantly change with time. OTHER PUBLICATIONS "Materials and Techniques for Electron Tubes, " by 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures /3.5 /32 /3-4 A. Vy N S NNA.NYCze SNuga NY N N 2. RArror-444444Re-earrarE 4444AA ZZ"2222222227a. Kr-greSMVYY Vs ity U.S. Patent Sept. 12, 1978 Sheet 1 of 3 4,114,064 .377.747-Z- U.S. Patent sept. 12, 1978 Sheet 2 of 3 4,114,064 /32 state S-aden-steel2. Casavaara Avalava Yam YSSY YNN /1/722a264 s a226437/6 c/é20/7 U.S. Patent Sept. 12, 1978 Sheet 3 of 3 4,114,064 3 AZ AE7-z- 2 45/ 7 4- 3 / 33 3/ NZZZZY \TZNY AirNZZZZRN 2NEN3'S,;:S32555;sy size: 4d V () (29 y 22 a.a. 5:33, E2:...: '3'...il 29 (2. IW ZAZZZYKXZ31.YNNNNN NNKKK W "YNNR /// / 2A. 2 4,114,064 2 Proceeding of the Fall Joint Computer Conference, MULTIPLE GASEOUS DESCHARGE IEEE, San Francisco, California, Nov. 1966, pages DISPLAY/MEMORY PANEL HAVING 541-547. Also reference is made to U.S. Letters Pat, No. 3,559,190. : . IMPROVED volTAGE CHARACTERISTICs In the construction of the panel, a continuous volume RELATED APPLICATION of ionizable gas is confined between a pair of dielectric This is a continuation in part of copending U.S. pa surfaces backed by conductor arrays typically forming tent application Ser. No. 60,376, filed Aug. 3, 1970, and matrix elements. The cross conductor arrays may be now abandoned. orthogonally related (but any other configuration of O conductor arrays may be used) to define a plurality of THE INVENTION opposed pairs of charge storage areas on the surfaces of This invention relates to novel multiple gas discharge the dielectric bounding or confining the gas. Thus, for a display/memory panels which have an electrical mem conductor matrix having H rows and C columns the ory and which are capable of producing a visual display number of elemental discharge cells will be the product or representation of data such as numerals, letters, tele 15 H X C and the number of elemental or discrete areas vision display, radar displays, binary words, etc. More will be twice the number of such elemental discharge particularly, this invention relates to novel gas dis cells. charge display/memory panels having substantially In addition, the panel may comprise a so-called uniform operating voltages; that is, essentially stable as monolithic structure in which the conductor arrays are a function of operating time. As used herein, voltage is 20 created on a single substrate and wherein two or more defined as any voltage required for operation of the arrays are separated from each other and from the gase panel including firing and sustaining voltages as well as ous medium by at least one insulating member. In such any other voltages for manipulation of the discharge. a device the gas discharge takes place not between two Multiple gas discharge display and/or memory panels opposing electrodes, but between two contiguous or of one particular type with which the present invention 25 adjacent electrodes on the same substrate; the gas being is concerned are characterized by an ionizable gaseous confined between the substrate and an outer retaining medium, usually a mixture of at least two gases at an wall. appropriate gas pressure, in a thin gas chamber or space It is also feasible to have a gas discharge device between a pair of opposed dielectric charge storage wherein some of the conductive or electrode members members which are backed by conductor (electrode) 30 are in direct contact with the gaseous medium and the members, the conductor members backing each dielec remaining electrode members are appropriately insu tric member typically being appropriately oriented so as lated from such gas, i.e., at least one insulated electrode. to define a plurality of discrete gas discharge units or In addition to the matrix configuration, the conductor cells. arrays may be shaped otherwise. Accordingly, while In some prior art panels the discharge cells are addi 35 the preferred conductor arrangement is of the crossed tionally defined by surrounding or confining physical grid type as discussed herein, it is likewise apparent that structure such as apertures in perforated glass plates and where a maximal variety of two dimensional display the like so as to be physically isolated relative to other patterns is not necessary, as where specific standardized cells. In either case, with or without the confining phys visual shapes (e.g., numerals, letters, words, etc.) are to ical structure, charges (electrons, ions) produced upon be formed and image resolution is not critical, the con ionization of the elemental gas volume of a selected ductors may be shaped accordingly, i.e., a segmented discharge cell, when proper alternating operating po display. tentials are applied to selected conductors thereof, are The gas is one which produces visible light or invisi collected upon the surfaces of the dielectric at specifi ble radiation which stimulates a phosphor (if visual cally defined locations and constitute an electrical field 45 display is an objective) and a copious supply of charges opposing the electrical field which created them so as to (ions and electrons) during discharge. terminate the discharge for the remainder of the half In prior art, a wide variety of gases and gas mixtures cycle and aid in the initiation of a discharge on a suc have been utilized as the gaseous medium in a gas dis ceeding opposite half cycle of applied voltage, such charge device. Typical of such gases include CO; CO; charges as are stored constituting an electrical memory. 50 halogens; nitrogen; NH; oxygen, water vapor; hydro Thus, the dielectric layers prevent the passage of gen; hydrocarbons; PO; boron fluoride, acid fumes; substantial conductive current from the conductor TiCl; Group VIII gases; air; H.O.; vapors of sodium, members to the gaseous medium and also serve as col mercury, thallium, cadmium, rubidium, and cesium; lecting surfaces for ionized gaseous medium charges carbon disulfide, laughing gas; HS; deoxygenated air; (electrons, ions) during the alternate half cycles of the 55 phosphorus vapors; ;CH, CH; naphthalene vapor; A.C. operating potentials, such charges collecting first anthracene; freon; ethyl alcohol; methylene bromide; on one elemental or discrete dielectric surface area and heavy hydrogen; electron attaching gases; sulfur hexa then on an opposing elemental or discrete dielectric fluoride; tritium; radioactive gases; and the rare or inert surface area on alternate half cycles to constitute an gases. electrical memory. In one preferred embodiment hereof the medium An example of a panel structure containing non comprises at least one rare gas, more preferably at least physically isolated or open discharge cells is disclosed two, selected from helium, neon, argon, krypton, or in U.S. Letters Pat. No. 3,499,167 issued to Theodore C. XCO. Baker, et al. In an open cell Baker, et al. type panel, the gas pres An example of a panel containing physically isolated 65 sure and the electrical field are sufficient to laterally cells is disclosed in the article by D. L. Bitzer and H. G. confine charges generated on discharge within elemen Slottow entitled "The Plasma Display Panel - A Digi tal or discrete dielectric areas within the perimeter of tally Addressable Display With Inherent Memory", such areas, especially in a panel containing non-isolated 4,114,064 3. 4. discharge cells. As described in the Baker, et al. patent, internal cell wall voltage in combination with externally the space between the dielectric surfaces occupied by originated voltages. the gas is such as to permit photons generated on dis An "addressing voltage" is a voltage produced on the charge in a selected discrete or elemental volume of gas panel X-Y electrode coordinates such that at the se to pass freely through the gas space and strike surface 5 lected cell or cells, the total voltage applied across the areas of dielectric remote from the selected discrete cell is equal to or greater than the firing voltage volumes, such remote, photon struck dielectric surface whereby the cell is discharged.