Identifying and disabling shorted electrodes in field emission display
US5721472A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 9, 1996 |
| Grant date | Feb 24, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 9, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N17/04
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for identifying and disabling shorted electrode pain (such as field emitter tip electrodes shorted to grid electrodes) in a field emission display by applying a test voltage across the two electrodes in each pair. The magnitude of the test voltage is set below the voltage required to initiate field emission from the emitter tip electrode. Because no field emission occurs at this voltage, the test voltage should produce no current flow through good (non-shorted) emitter tips. However, current will flow through emitter tips which are shorted to their respective grid electrodes. In one embodiment, the current flow vaporizes the bad emitter tips themselves. In another embodiment, the current flow thermally damages a removable link connected in series with either the shorted emitter tip or the shorted grid electrode. Alternatively, rather than disabling the shorted electrodes, the method of the invention can be used to merely identify shorted electrodes by sensing which electrodes conduct current in response to the test voltage. In one embodiment, the test voltage is applied, preferably simultaneously, to all the electrode pairs in the display, causing a current fl…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.