The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 30, 1999
Filed:
Apr. 29, 1997
John Beeteson, Ayrshire, GB;
Andrew Ramsay Knox, Kilbirnie, GB;
Christopher Carlo Pietrzak, Renfrewshire, GB;
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A display device having a screen is provided in which a back-plate is sealed to the screen to form an evacuated chamber. An area cathode is disposed between the back-plate and the screen. A permanent magnet is disposed between the cathode and the screen. A two dimensional array of rows and columns of channels extends between opposite poles of the magnet for receiving electrons from the cathode. An anode phosphor layer is disposed between the screen and the magnet for receiving electrons from the channels. A grid electrode between the area cathode and the magnet controls flow of electrons from the cathode into the channels, whereas an anode between the magnet and the anode phosphor layer controls flow of electrons from the channels towards the screen. In a preferred embodiment, the cathode means comprises the backplate and a silica glass substrate peripherally sealed to the back-plate to produce a chamber in which a gas is contained. A layer of photo-sensitive material is disposed on the surface of the substrate external to the chamber. A cathode phosphor layer is disposed between the back-plate and the substrate. A pair of electrodes facing each other from opposite sides of the chamber energizes the gas to generate a plasma for exciting the phosphor to generate light energy to produce electron emissions from the photo-cathode.