MgO erosion in plasma displays measured with microbeam RBS

Summary form only given. Spatially resolved Rutherford backscattering (RBS) measurements have been made on interior thin film surfaces of plasma driven flat panel displays. Panels, provided by Photonics Imaging, were manufactured with films of MgO, typically 100 nm thick, on interior surfaces adjacent to the discharge working gas. MgO has good secondary electron emission properties and its presence enhances the pixel discharge intensity per volt applied. In these experiments, pixels were operated at excessively high voltages for long periods of time in order to accelerate the pixel aging processes. The nuclear microprobe at Sandia National Labs was then used to measure the erosion of the MgO that had occurred.