Basic study on the gas-discharge panel for luminescent color display

With the objective of realizing a luminescent gas-discharge panel for color picture display, we made a comprehensive study of the various gas-discharge cells, including a planar positive-column (PPC) cell of our own design, with emphasis on the geometry of the gas discharge. First, ultraviolet spectroscopic measurements were performed on the PPC cell and on a conventional longitudinal cell filled with rare-gas mixtures. Next, the luminance characteristics of both types of phosphor-coated cells having various dimensions were examined from many points of view. As a result, fundamental differences in the luminescence characteristics between the positive column and the negative glow were revealed, demonstrating the excellence of the PPC cell for a luminescent color display. Furthermore, detailed measurements of luminance, luminous efficiency, and chromaticity were made for PPC cells coated with phosphors for the three primaries, giving basic data for the design of an actual display panel.