Multiple gaseous discharge display-memory panel having decreased operating voltages

Claim 2

AS AN ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE, A DIELECTRIC MATERIAL BODY FOR A GASEOUS DISCHARGE DISPLAY/MEMORY DEVICE, SAID DIELECTRIC BODY CONTAINING A SURFACE DEPOSIT OF AT LEAST ONE ELECTRON EMISSIVE SUBSTANCE HAVING A THICKNESS OF AT LEAST ABOUT 100 ANGSTROM UNITS TO PROVIDE SUBSTANTIALLY DECREASED GASEOUS DISCHARGE OPERATING VOLTAGES WITHOUT SUBSTANTIALLY AFFECTING THE MEMORY MARGIN OF SAID DEVICE, SAID ELECTRON EMISSIVE SUBSTANCE BEING SELECTED FROM GROUP IA ELEMENTS, GROUP IA OXIDES, BARIUM, GAAS, GAP, INAS, INSB, INP, NIO, CSF, CSI, AGOCS, AND AUOCS.

Claim 3

In the operation of a gaseous discharge display/memory device characterized by an ionizable gaseous medium in a gas chamber formed by a pair of dielectric material members having opposed charge storage surfaces, which dielectric material members are respectively backed by a series of parallel-like electrode members insulated from said ionizable gaseous medium by said dielectric material members, the electrode members behind each dielectric material member being transversely oriented with respect to the electrode members behind the opposing dielectric material member so as to define a plurality of discrete discharge volumes constituting discharge units in open photonic communication, and wherein the gas is selectively ionized within each discharge unit by operating voltages applied to the transversely oriented electrode members, the improvement which comprises substantially decreasing the operating voltages over a given period of operating time of the device and increasing the effective operating life of the device by coating each opposed dielectric material charge storage surface with a deposit of at least one electron emissive substance to a thickness of at least about 100 angstrom units without substantially affecting the memory margin of said device, said electron emissive substance being selected from Group IA elements, Group IA oxides, barium, GaAs, GaP, InAs, InSb, InP, NiO, CsF, CsI, AgOCs, and AuOCs, being insulated from said electrode members by said dielectric material members and being exposed to said gaseous medium.

Claim 4

In the operation of a gaseous discharge display/memory device characterized by an ionizable gaseous medium in a gas chamber formed by a pair of dielectric material members having opposed charge storage surfaces, which dielectric material members are respectively backed by a series of parallel-like electrode members insulated from said ionizable gaseous medium by said dielectric material members, the electrode members behind each dielectric material member being transversely oriented with respect to the electrode members behind the opposing dielectric material member so as to define a plurality of discrete discharge volumes constituting discharge units in open photonic communication, and wherein the gas is selectively ionized within each discharge unit by operating voltages applied to the transversely oriented electrode members, the improvement which comprises substantially decreasing the operating voltages over a given period of operating time of the device and increasing the effective operating life of the device by coating each opposed dielectric material charge storage surface with a deposit of at least one electron emissive substance to a thickness of at least about 100 angstrom units without substantially affecting the memory margin of said device, said electron emissive substance being selected from Group IA elements, Group IA oxides, barium, GaAs, GaP, InAs, InSb, InP, NiO, CsF, CsI, AgOCs, and AuOCs, being insulated from said electrode members by said dielectric material members and being exposed to said gaseous medium.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 2 wherein the electron emissive substance is deposited on the dielectric surfaces in an amount sufficient to decrease the operating voltage of said device by at least 50 percent.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 1 wherein the electron emissive substance is a combination of at least one member selected from the group consisting of GaAs, GaP, InAs, InSb and InP, and one member selected from the group consisting of Cs and Cs2O.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 2 wherein the electron emissive substance is a combination of at least one member selected from the group consisting of GaAs, GaP, InAs, InSb and InP, and one member selected from the group consisting of Cs and Cs2O.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 1 wherein the electron emissive substance is present on the surface of said dielectric body in an amount sufficient to decrease the operating voltage of said device by at least 50 percent.