Abstract: There is provided a plasma display device that has a first, a second, and a third electrodes, phosphors emitting a light depending on discharges generated by applying voltages of the first to third electrodes, and a drive circuit for applying a pulse to the third electrode in every time discharge light emission is generated by applying an alternating pulse between the first and second electrodes, and the time at which the pulse of the third electrode reaches 50% of its amplitude in the trailing edge takes place before the time of the first peak of the light emission waveform.

Abstract: A plasma display panel, the light emission efficiency of which has been improved without increasing the discharge start voltage, is disclosed. In a three-electrode type PDP, a fourth (Z) electrode is provided at the portion between a first (X) electrode and a second (Y) electrode between which a main discharge (a sustain discharge) is caused to occur for a display and at least one of the distance between the first electrode and the fourth electrode and the distance between the second electrode and the fourth electrode changes gradually in a cell.