Planar Systems, Inc.

Richard E Coovert

Christopher N King

William A Barrow

Richard T Tuenge

Ronald O Petersen

An electrode configuration for reducing contact density in matrix-addressed display panels includes a first set of electrodes having termination points for connection to external driving electronics situated near the edge of a supporting substrate, and a second set of electrodes alternately interleaved among said first set having termination points spaced inwardly from the substrate's edge. An insulating film covers the termination points of the second plurality of electrodes and bond pads placed atop the insulating film are connected to the electrodes by leads. This insulates the second plurality of electrodes from a possible short circuit caused by random or one-on-one interconnects that bridge areas in the gaps between the electrodes.

Electrode configuration for reducing contact density in matrix-addressed

A TFEL device having improved contrast includes a laminate having a phosphor layer sandwiched between front and rear insulating layers placed upon a substrate supporting a set of front transparent electrodes. The rear set of electrodes are transparent or semitransparent so as not to reflect ambient light toward the viewer. The TFEL laminate is contained within a cavity created by an enclosure secured to the substrate by an adhesive. Darkly dyed filler material is injected into the cavity whose rear inside wall may have a dark coating. The semitransparent electrodes may be made of gold or may be made of transparent indium tin oxide having narrow aluminum bus bars for improved conductivity.

Thin film electroluminescent display with improved contrast

A process for fabrication and annealing of TFEL panels includes the steps of depositing a laminar stack of thin films on a glass substrate containing a first set of electrodes, the laminar stack comprising at least one insulating layer and an EL phosphor layer and annealing the laminar stack under an array of high intensity flash lamps at a temperature exceeding 450.degree. C. for a period of between 15 and 240 seconds. The flash lamps bring the temperature of the laminar stack to the required high temperature very quickly and the stack is cooled very quickly at the end of the annealing period. This process conditions the EL phosphor layer but does not warp the glass substrate or damage the thin films.

Rapid thermal annealing of TFEL panels

A highly efficient, AC-excited, blue light-emitting phosphor for solid-state thin-film electro-luminescent (TFEL) devices is comprised of strontium sulphide (SrS) host material doped with cerium fluoride (CeF.sub.3) acting as an emitter providing a source of photons. The blue SrS:CeF.sub.3 phosphor is about one hundred times brighter than the brightest zinc sulphide/thulium fluoride (ZnS:TmF.sub.3) blue phosphor heretofore known. To increase brightness level, at some loss of energy efficiency, electron-injection layers of zinc sulfide (ZnS) are placed on either side of the SrS:CeF.sub.3 layer in the TFEL device.

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Portland, OR, United States of America

Richard E Coovert