Candescent Technologies Corporation

Silicon Video, Inc.

David L Bergeron

John M Macaulay

Jeffrey D Morse

Roger W Barton

Christopher J Curtin

A method is provided for creating gated filament structures for a field emission display. A multi-layer structure is provided that includes a substrate, an insulating layer and a metal gate layer positioned on at least a portion of a top surface of the insulating layer. A plurality of patterned gates are also provided in order to define a plurality of gate apertures on the top surface of the insulating layer. A plurality of spacers are formed in the gate apertures at edges of the patterned gates on the top surface of the insulating layer. The spacers are used as masks for etching the insulating layer and forming a plurality of pores in the insulating layer. The pores are plated with a filament material that extends from the insulating pores, into the gate apertures, and creates a plurality of filaments. The spacers are then removed. The multi-layer structure can further include a conductivity layer on at least a portion of a top surface of the substrate.

Method for creating gated filament structures for field emission displays

The yield in manufacturing matrix-addressable devices, particularly flat-panel CRT displays, is increased by a technique in which a determination is first made that a defect exists in part of a first matrix-addressable plate structure (20) of a unitary first active area (32). This typically entails testing a group of the first plate structures to determine whether any of them are defective. The defective part or parts of each defective first plate structure are also identified. At least one non-defective first plate structure normally is subsequently converted into a first matrix-addressable device of the first active area. For a defective first plate structure identified in the testing, the defective part of the structure is removed in such a way that the remainder of the structure forms a second matrix-addressable plate structure (84) of a second active area (32A) smaller than the first active area. The second plate structure is normally tested and, if non-defective, is subsequently converted into a second matrix-addressable device.

Technique for increasing manufacturing yield of matrix-addressable device

A method is provided for creating gated filament structures for a field emission display. A multi-layer structure is provided that includes a substrate, an insulating layer, a metal gate layer positioned on a top surface of the insulating layer and a gate encapsulation layer positioned on a top surface of the metal gate layer. A plurality of gates are provided and define a plurality of apertures on the top of the insulating layer. A plurality of spacers are formed in the apertures at their edges on the top surface of the insulating layer. The spacers are used as masks for etching the insulating layer and form a plurality of pores in the insulating layer. The pores are plated with a filament material to create a plurality of filaments. The pores can be overplated to create the plurality of filaments. The filaments are vertically self-aligned in the pores.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

David L Bergeron