Field emission device with internal structure for aligning phosphor

Abstract

A field emission display device has a faceplate and a backplate. The faceplate includes a faceplate interior side with an active region made of a plurality of phosphor pixel elements; and the backplate has a backplate interior side with a plurality of field emitters. Sidewalls are positioned between the faceplate and the backplate, to form an enclosed sealed envelope between the sidewalls, backplate interior side and the faceplate interior side. At least one spacer wall in the envelope supports the backplate and the faceplate against forces acting in a direction toward the envelope. At least one internal structure fixes and constrains the faceplate and the backplate, and aligns a plurality of phosphor pixels with corresponding field emitters. Additionally, the faceplate can include at least one faceplate fiducial, and the backplate include a corresponding backplate fiducial. The faceplate fiducial is optically aligned with the backplate fiducial. First, the spacer wall is positioned in the wall gripper. The faceplate and backplate fiducials are then optically aligned, and the spacer wall then introduced into the locator. Phosphor pixels are aligned with their corresponding field emitters. There is no need for external fixturing devices in the high temperature bonding and sealing processes of the display.