Influence of getter activation and aging in a frit-sealed field emission display panel

A field emission display (FED) panel system was successfully built through integration of a 0.7 in diagonal Si-based Mo-tip field emitter array with 2 5x25 pixels, a Y2O3:Eu or ZnO:Zn phosphor screen, and vacuum sealing throug h an exhausting glass tube, including a getter. The panel system was driven by an external driver circuit that has a pulse width modulation driving sc heme. We have tried to evaluate quantitatively the activation effect of a g etter. The getter activated at a relatively low temperature was shown to ac t as a good in situ minipump during the lift: of the FED. Before character imaging, it was stabilized through tip aging by slowly increasing a pulse-m ode emission current and phosphor aging by a Coulombic charging process. Af ter aging, luminescent characteristics such as emission uniformity, chargin g and arcing phenomena were shown to be improved significantly. (C) 2000 Am erican Vacuum Society. [S0734-211X(00)09903-0].