Overview of Flexible Plasma Display Technology Carol A
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C A Wedding Overview of Flexible Plasma Display Technology Carol A. Wedding, Oliver M. Strbik III, Edwin F. Peters, JeffW. Guy, Daniel K. Wedding Imaging Systems Technology PO Box 352380 Toledo, Ohio 43635 USA [email protected] Abstract: There has been increasing interest inflexible smart cards. Slightly larger emerging applications include displays and electronics. Flexibility is desirable because ebooks, electronic paper wearable electronics. And it promises low cost manufacture and offers new and finally, large applications include dynamic signage, emerging applications. A number of competing flexible conformable immersive displays for games and display technologies are being developed including entertainment, and simulation and training. Electrophoretic, Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), Flexible displays and electronics provide opportunity for and flexible LCDs. Plasma displays have also entered the low cost production. First, traditional semiconductor flexible display arena. Three independent and unique process are eliminated. Many of the fabrication approaches to flexible plasma displays are underway at techniques now being developed for flexible displays the University of Illinois, Fujitsu, and Imaging Systems make use of simple printing processes at room Technology. This paper will compare and contrast the temperatures instead of various photolithographic three approaches. techniques. Materials can be applied as an additive process instead of a subtractive process thereby lowering Keywords: Flexible plasma, Plasma-sphere, plasma waste. Second, as the production of flexible displays and tube, microdischarge, hollow cathode electronics matures, batch process, which is now used in the display and electronic industry will move to a roll-to- Introduction roll process. This is a complete paradigm shift from Definition of Flexible Displays and Electronics: traditional semi conductor industry to processes Traditionally the display and electronic industry use traditionally associated with printing industry and plastic substrates formed of rigid materials. The display industry production. traditionally uses glass substrates. Electronic components Design Challenges for Flexible Displays and are often formed on silicon. These substrates are rigid Electronics: The most significant design for flexible and produce rigid electronic systems. Flexible displays displays and electronics is to match the performance of and electronics differ from their rigid counter parts in the existing rigid display and electronic technology they are formed from non-rigid materials. They can bend, currently on the market. Many organic materials used for conform, or roll. This definition may also include display flexible displays and electronics are sensitive to moisture and electronics that are essentially flexed only during and oxygen. Exposure to oxygen and moisture shortens their manufacture. [1] the life of the material. Substrates formed from polymer Research and development is being conducted all over materials are permeable to oxygen and moisture. Thus the world to develop flexible substrates, barrier layers, they provide little protection. Additionally these conductors, semiconductors, optical coatings, optically materials tend to operate at slow speeds and higher transmissive materials, and optically reflective materials, voltages. They are also sensitive to temperature extremes. and optically emissive materials. There are a number of companies and consortiums Both organic and inorganic materials are under working to develop flexible displays and electronics. investigation. Non-rigid materials currently being Dozens of industrial giants are pursuing flexible displays, investigated for use as flexible substrates include various including Lucent, DuPont, 3M, Dow Chemical, Infineon polymers, metal foils, and ultra thin glass. Conductive Technologies AG, Matsushita Electric, Toppan, Sony, and semi-conducting materials used for electrodes, and Philips. [2]. Products are being introduced into the transistors and other elements includes electrically market. Alien Technology is one company successfully conducting polymers (PEDOT), nano materials (carbon producing and selling RFID tags on flexible rolls. Sony is nanotubes), polymers doped with conductive metals, and using eInk technology to produce the first electronic amorphous oxides (amorphous silicon). book, the LIBRIé. Approaches to Flexible Display Technology: There are a Electo-optical material includes small molecule and large number of flexible display technologies now under molecule organic light emitting diode, encapsulated development including organic light emitting diode electrophoretic, polymer dispersed liquid crystal, and (OLED), Electrophoretic (E-paper), and flexible LCD, chiral liquid crystal. and flexible plasma. OLED differs from LED because Rational for Developing Flexible Displays: Industry is OLED are not made from standard semiconductors motivated to develop flexible display and electronics for materials. They are made from carbon-based molecules. two basic reasons. Flexible displays and electronics will E-paper is a reflective technology. Tiny microcapsules lead to new and emerging applications. Flexible displays filled with electrically charged white particles suspended and electronics promise low cost production methods. in colored oil. Voltage controls whether the white New and emerging applications include small hand held particles are at the top of the capsule (so the viewer sees applications such as cell phones, ipods, RFID tags, and white) or at the bottom of the capsule (so the viewer sees 323 Proc. of ASID ’06, 8-12 Oct, New Delhi C A Wedding the color of the oil). Flexible LCDs are similar to the approaches is based on prior art plasma display rigid LCDs except that they are formed using new architectures developed many years earlier. However, materials that allow for low temperature processing. The these past attempts were not technically or economically challenge is to improve flexible transistors for the back feasible at the time. Over the years, various plane and develop technology to keep the flexible improvements in technology have made these three substrates evenly spaced while the display is bent or approaches feasible and attractive. curled. Flexible plasma displays are being developed using techniques to encapsulate the plasma gas when Micro Discharge Displays using a flexible substrate. Structure: The University of Illinois microdischarge device is an open cell structure. It is flexible because the Flexible Plasma Displays dimensions of the pixel are so small that they may be Flexible Plasma Display Design Challenges: As with all fabricated on polymer-metal foils. [3] The pixel flexible display technology, the primary challenge is to dimensions of the microdischarge are on the order of 1- mimic the performance of the conventional rigid display. 25 microns. Because of the inverse relationship of gas Figure 1 shows a conventional plasma display. In a pressure and distance between electrodes, (as illustrated conventional plasma display, two substrates (4a and 4b) in the Paschen curve) the tiny pixels can efficiently form a chamber for an ionizable gas (6) at selected operate at atmospheric pressure. Drive voltage of pressures of 0.3-0.6 atmospheres. The two substrates are approximately 100 volts has been reported. Additionally flat, rigid, and hermetically sealed. The crossover of each the hollow cathode construction provides additional top row address electrode (1) with a bottom column efficiency. Either direct current (DC) or alternating electrode (2) defines a gas discharge display pixel (7). current (AC) voltages may be applied to the electrodes. Dielectric layers (3a and 3b) are applied uniformly to Figure 2 shows the microdischarge structure. The each substrate to insulate the electrodes. Layers of other microdischarge device (100) includes a first electrode materials such as MgO and phosphor may also be (106), a second electrode (104) and a dielectric layer applied. Barrier ribs (5) may be formed by a number of (108) between the first electrode (106) and second processes. Although Figure 1 illustrates a two-electrode electrode (104). A cavity (102) is formed in the insulator conventional PDP structure, the display may also be a (108). To ignite the plasma, a potential difference across three-electrode surface discharge structure with one the insulator (108) is established by a voltage source bottom column electrode and a pair of top row (110) connected between the first electrode (106) and the electrodes. The keys to mimicking the features of a second electrode (104). The potential difference creates a conventional rigid plasma display are encapsulating the discharge in the cavity (102) when a gas is present. The gas at the requisite pressure; maintaining purity of the gas resulting light has emission spectra that are characteristic and at the cell site; and maintaining cell geometry and of the gas selected. spacing. Figure 2. Microdischarge Display Manufacturing Process: The concepts of hollow cathode have been known for over 30 years. Sperry Rand Corporation produced displays with a hollow cathode. [4] The University of Illinois's display is unique in that Figure 1. Conventional Plasma Display semiconductor and MEMs process are used to produce the features of the pixel. Plasma etching, ultrasonic Approaches to Flexible Plasma Displays: To address the machining, and UV laser ablation may be used to form challenges of making a flexible display,