What is Plasma Display?

Grundig Plasma Display

• Plasma display uses two parallel glass panels on which electrodes covered with a dielectric glass layer have been etched.
• The front panel first goes through the patterning of transparent electrodes, followed by sputtering a film of chromium/copper/chromium (CrCuCr).
• The BUS electrodes (CrCuCr) are then patterned, a dielectric layer screen-printed and a final protective layer of Magnesium Oxide evaporated on.
• There are currently two manufacturing methods for plasma displays. One is the AC-power method favored by Fujitsu which developed the color technology, and the other is the DC-power method, used by several major competitors.

[Fujisu Plasma Display FAQ]
[U-Toledo Plasma Display Research Group]
[Grundig Plasma Product Info]

Why is Plasma Display The Technology of The Future?

• Plasma display panels combine the image quality and screen size flexibility of CRTs with the portability of LCDs. Ultra-slim, super-fast, lightweight PDPs from Fujitsu have now overcome the critical restrictions of CRTs and LCDs for the large screen display of both data and full motion graphical images.
• In terms of image quality and viewing angle, color plasma displays offer the biggest challenge to the traditional CRT, and Fujitsu strongly believes that they will eventually replace the CRT for larger size applications, that is 20-25 inch and larger, up to about 100 inches.
• CRTs are now at their limit in the 30-40 inch range. Fujitsu, on the other hand, is already making the leap to the next generation of plasma display panels, with 42 inch panels already in mass production and plans in place for a second production line capable of processing glass panels in excess of 70 inches.

[Illustrated Features of Plasma Display]
[Illustrated Application of Plasma Display]

Plasma Display by Fujitsu

The Technology

• The structure uses a pair of transparent display electrodes placed parallel to each other on the front glass plate.
• The cavity is filled with a neon/xenon gas mixture.
• When current is applied between the electrodes, a surface discharge is generated on the MgO layer, and ultraviolet radiation occurs.
• Phosphor dots are activated by the ultraviolet radiation and visible light is emitted.
• The color display is achieved by controlling the luminance from the individual three prime color phosphors.

• Fujitsu’s proprietary AC-power technology is better performing in terms of results and costs than the competing DC-power alternative.
• The longer life span of AC-power PDPs over DC-power PDPs will be another major advantage for Fujitsu as the competition moves to large color displays.