Abstract: A method for reducing charge accumulation in a field emission display (100) includes the steps of causing a plurality of electron emitters (114) to emit electrons (132) to reduce the potential at an anode (124) of the field emission display (100). Upon the reduction of the potential at the anode (124), the electrons (132) neutralize a positively electrostatically charged surface (129) of a spacer (130). The anode potential is dropped by providing a resistor (127) in series with a voltage source (126) connected to the anode (124). The anode potential is reduced by causing the electron emitters (114) to emit simultaneously to provide a pull-down current (128) at the anode (124). The voltage at the anode (124) is reduced to a value that causes a sufficient flux of electrons (132) to be attracted to the charged surfaces (129) for neutralizing them.

Abstract: A method for driving a field emission display (100) includes the steps of applying a drive signal (146) to an emission electrode (113) and manipulating the drive signal (146) using a feedback controller to control an electrode voltage signal (158) at the emission electrode (113). A field emission display (100) includes a field emission display device (110), a feedback controller (123), and a current source (120). The current source (120) is connected to an input (144) of the field emission display device (110). An output (131) of the feedback controller (123) is connected to an input (127) of the current source (120), and the input (144) of the field emission display device (110) is connected to the input (129) of the feedback controller (123).

Abstract: A field emission display (100) includes a cathode plate (102) having a plurality of electron emitters (124), an anode plate (104) opposing the cathode plate (102), and a bulk-resistive spacer (108) extending between the anode plate (104) and the cathode plate (102). The bulk-resistive spacer (108) is made from an electrically conductive material. The resistivity of the electrically conductive material is selected to remove impinging charges while preventing excessive power loss due to electrical current through the bulk-resistive spacer (108) from the anode plate (104) to the cathode plate (102).

Abstract: A method for fabricating a field emission display (200) includes the steps of affixing a first tab (122) of an alignment member (120) to a protruding portion (118) of an anode plate (113), affixing a second tab (122) of the alignment member (120) to a protruding portion (121) of a cathode plate (112), aligning the anode plate (113) with the cathode plate (112), affixing the anode plate (113) to the cathode plate (112), and, thereafter, removing the alignment member (120) by removing both the protruding portion (118) of the anode plate (113) and the protruding portion (121) of the cathode plate (112). The tabs (122) are connected to a spacer (124). The thermal expansion coefficients of the cathode plate (112), the anode plate (113), and the alignment member (120) are substantially equal to one another.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a display spacer assembly (100, 400, 500) useful in the fabrication of large-area field emission displays (200, 600). The method includes the steps of: forming slots (12, 22, 32, 33) in a substrate (10, 23, 30) thereby providing a jig; providing spacers (14, 24, 34) having lower rounded edges and upper edges; placing the lower rounded edges into the slots (12, 22, 32, 33) so that the spacers (14, 24, 34) are positioned in a predetermined layout pattern over the slotted jig surface; and placing the upper edges of the spacers (14, 24, 34) in abutting engagement with a display plate (18, 10) of a field emission display.

Abstract: An apparatus (110) for driving a capacitive display device (120) includes a pull-up transistor (180) having a source connected to a high voltage input node (184), a push-down transistor (182) having a source connected to a low voltage input node (186) and a drain connected to the drain of the pull-up transistor (180), a pull-up voltage level shifter (132) connected to the gate of the pull-up transistor (180), and a push-down voltage level shifter (134) connected to the gate of the push-down transistor (182), the drain of the pull-up transistor (180) connected to the drain of the push-down transistor (182) at a driver output node (170). A method for driving a capacitive display device (120) includes driving the capacitive display device (120) with a drive voltage signal (172) having a bandwidth substantially within the bandwidth of the capacitive display device (120).

Abstract: A method for protecting extraction electrodes (140) during processing of Spindt-tip field emitters (150, 155) includes the steps of: (i) depositing a parting layer (170) on the extraction electrodes (140) and in an interspace region (145) defined by the extraction electrodes (140), (ii) sharpening the Spindt-tip field emitters (150), (iii) depositing a layer (180) of emission-enhancing material on the sharpened field emitters (155) and on the parting layer (170), and (iv) removing the parting layer (170), thereby lifting off the emission-enhancing material from the extraction electrodes (140) and from the interspace region (145), but not from the sharpened field emitters (155).

Abstract: A method for fabricating an array of conical electron emitters (410) includes the steps of: (i) positioning a collimator (160), including a plurality of collimation cells (162) having hexagonal cross-sections, between a substrate (155) having emitter wells (130) and a target (170) made from the emitter material, (ii) sputtering the target (170) so that it is partially collimated by the collimator (160), (iii) moving the substrate (155) within a plane defined by the substrate (155) so that the emitter wells (130) follow an emitter well path (220) which forms a 15.degree. path angle (235) with respect to a reference line (240) of the collimator (160).