Independent sustain and address plasma display panel

摘要

An AC gas discharge display panel is described which employs the phenomenon of plasma spreading. In the panel, plasma spreading or "coupling" is employed to couple the plasma to an addressed cell to one of a plurality of pixels to be illuminated. The spreading is controlled by assuring that the cell wall voltages are properly related so that the plasma's electrons migrate to a region where the voltages are approximately equal to or more positive than the wall voltages where the plasma originated. Paired sustain electrodes are selectively energized to enable diversion of the coupled plasma to the desired pixel, so that upon subsequent applications of a sustain voltage, the desired pixel is illuminated (or erased) as the case may be.