Abstract: A novel structure is provided to improve the operating stability of thioaluminate based phosphors used in ac thick film dielectric electroluminescent displays. The novel structure comprises a rare earth activated alkaline earth thioaluminate phosphor thin film layer and a silicon oxynitride layer provided directly adjacent the top and/or bottom of the phosphor thin film layer, wherein said silicon oxynitride layer comprises a composition of Si3NxOyHz where 2?x?4, 0<y?2 and 0?z?1. The invention is particularly applicable to phosphors used in electroluminescent displays that employ thick dielectric layers subject to high processing temperatures to form and activate the phosphor films.

Abstract: An electroluminescent display and driving method is provided wherein the rows of pixels are divided into sub-pixel sets and several different sets of sub-pixels are then addressed from within a larger superset of adjacent sub-pixels. The image data for the addressed sub-pixels is averaged with that for adjacent sub-pixels and is applied to the reduced number of larger sub-pixels in sequence. Consequently, for a given sequence of input frame data sets the time average over one frame for a portion of the sub-pixels at any location of the panel is substantially the same as that for a conventionally addressed sub-pixel in a prior art panel.

Abstract: The invention relates to improving the stability of the lower electrodes in an electroluminescent display employing a thick film dielectric. The invention is an encapsulated electrode comprising an electrode of an electrically conductive metallic film. A layer of encapsulating material is provided on an upper and/or lower surface of the electrode layer. The encapsulating material reduces the risk of the electrode from becoming discontinuous and losing its electrical conductivity.

Abstract: The present invention is a low firing temperature, composite thick film dielectric layer for an electroluminescent display. The composite thick film dielectric layer comprises; (a) a lower zone layer of a thick film composition comprising; one or more of lead magnesium niobate (PMN), lead magnesium niobate-titanate (PMN-PT), lead titanate, barium titanate and lead oxide; and a glass frit composition comprising lead oxide, boron oxide and silicon dioxide; (b) an upper zone comprising at least one layer of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and/or barium titanate; and (c) an intermediate composite zone comprising a composite of (a) and (b).

Abstract: The invention relates to a laser ablation method for patterning thin film layers for thick dielectric electroluminescent displays without substantial ablation of or damage to any other layers. Typically, the thin film layers are phosphor layers.

Abstract: The invention is a novel sputter deposition process for thin film phosphors that provide high luminance and colors required for TV applications.

Abstract: A patterned phosphor structure and EL laminate containing same, forming red, green and blue sub-pixel phosphor elements for an AC electroluminescent display. The patterned phosphor structure includes at least a first and a second phosphor emitting light in different ranges of the visible spectrum, but with combined emission spectra contains red, green and blue light, the first and second phosphors being in a layer, arranged in adjacent, repeating relationship to each other to provide a plurality of repeating first and second phosphor deposits.

Abstract: A thin film phosphor for an electroluminescent device, in which the phosphor is selected from the group consisting of thioaluminates, thiogallates and thioindates having at least one cation selected from elements of Groups IIA and IIB of the Periodic Table of Elements. The phosphor is activated by a rare earth metal and co-activated with gadolinium. The phosphor provides improved luminance. An electroluminescent device comprising the thin film phosphor on a substrate is also described. Further aspects provide an electroluminescent device in which the thin film phosphor is adjacent to a thin film of zinc sulphide, preferably sandwiched between thin films of zinc sulphide.

Abstract: A high resolution flat panel for radiation imaging includes an array of pixels arranged in rows and columns. Gate lines interconnect the pixels of the rows while source lines interconnect the pixels of the columns. Gate driver circuits provide gate pulses to the gate lines in succession in response to input from a control circuit to select the pixels on a row-by-row basis. The source lines lead to charge amplifiers for sensing the signal charges stored by the pixels when the pixels are selected. At least one pair of adjacent pixels in each row of the array shares a source line. Gating of the pairs of pixels in the rows that share a source line is controlled by control logic to ensure that signal charges stored by only one of those pixels is applied to a shared source line at a time. This allows the number of charge amplifiers in the flat panel to be reduced while maintaining high resolution.

Abstract: A flat panel detector for radiation imaging includes an array of pixels arranged in rows and columns. Gate lines interconnect the pixels of each row while source lines interconnect the pixels of each column. A radiation transducer is disposed over the pixel array. Each pixel includes a TFT switch having its gate electrode connected to a gate line and its source electrode connected to a terminal that is connectable to ground. The drain electrode of each TFT switch is connected to the pixel electrode of the pixel. The pixel electrode and a bottom electrode connected to a source line constitute a storage capacitor. When the TFT switch is biased and the pixel electrode is positively charged, the pixel electrode discharges through the TFT switch and onto the grounded terminal. This results in the release of negative charge held by the bottom electrode onto the source line, which is sensed by a charge amplifier connected to the source line.

Abstract: A flat panel detector for radiation imaging includes an array of transistor switches each of which is associated with a pixel electrode. A radiation transducer including a top electrode and a radiation conversion layer is disposed over the array. Inhibiting mechanisms are positioned over dead zones between adjacent pixel electrodes to inhibit the accumulation of charge in the radiation conversion layer at the dead zones when the top electrode is biased and the flat panel detector is exposed to radiation. In one embodiment, the inhibiting mechanism is constituted by islands formed of semiconductor material between the array and the radiation transducer. Each island is positioned over a dead zone between adjacent pixel electrodes and contacts a pixel electrode to allow charges accumulated on the islands to drift to the pixel electrodes.