Parametric studies of AC plasma display panel cells in complex geometries

Summary form only given. We have developed a two-dimensional fluid model of AC plasma panel cells. This model was used by Boeuf and Pitchford (1996) to study the operation of a plasma panel cell in a barrier rib geometry in single pulse operation. In this communication we report results from calculations in several different geometries and for a series of applied voltage pulses. The purpose of this work is to study the effect of geometry on the electrical characteristics of AC plasma display panel cells. The calculations reported here are representative of actual device operation. The baseline conditions used in this study are the same as Boeuf and Pitchford. The gas mixture is neon (500 torr) and xenon (50 torr), and the gas gap is bounded by dielectric walls. One of the internal dielectric faces is flat and the other has a periodic array of "barrier ribs" separating the individual cells. Electrodes are deposited in parallel arrays on the outer surfaces of the dielectrics. A thin layer of MgO (with a large secondary electron emission coefficient for neon ions) is deposited on the inner surfaces of both dielectric faces. The internal surfaces of the dielectric barriers are coated with phosphors to convert the UV radiation produced in the discharge to the pixel color (blue, green or red). The distance between the MgO coated surfaces is between 100 and 150 microns, and the distance between cells is typically 300 microns.