Sunlight viewable thin film electroluminescent display

Claim 2

A sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel, comprising: a glass substrate; a plurality of parallel transparent electrodes deposited on said glass substrate, each of said transparent electrodes having a metal assist structure formed on, and in electrical contact over, a portion of said transparent electrodes wherein each of said metal assist structures comprises a first refractory metal layer, a primary conductor layer formed on said first refractory layer, and a second refractory metal layer formed on said primary conductor layer; a layer of phosphor material deposited on said first dielectric layer; a second dielectric layer deposited on said layer of phosphor material; a layer of light absorbing dark material, deposited on said second dielectric layer, for reducing reflected light; and a plurality of metal electrodes each deposited in parallel over said layer of light absorbing dark material.

Claim 3

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 1 wherein said metal assist structure covers about 10% or less of said transparent electrode.

Claim 4

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 2 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material is PrMnO 3 .

Claim 5

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 1 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material has a resistivity of least 10 8 ohms.cm.

Claim 6

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 1 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material has a dielectric constant of at least seven.

Claim 7

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 1 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material has an absorption coefficient of about 10 5 /cm.

Claim 8

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 1 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material is GeN.

Claim 9

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 1 wherein the edges of said metal assist structure are chamfered.

Claim 10

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 1, wherein said metal assist structure further comprises an adhesion layer formed between said first refractory metal layer and said transparent electrode, wherein said adhesion layer is capable of adhering to said transparent electrode and said first refractory metal layer.

Claim 11

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 1 wherein said metal assist structure covers about 10% or less of said transparent electrode.

Claim 12

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 10 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material is PrMnO 3 .

Claim 13

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 11 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material has a resistivity of least 10 8 ohms.cm.

Claim 14

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 12 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material has a dielectric constant of at least seven.

Claim 15

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 13 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material has an absorption coefficient of about 10 5 /cm.

Claim 16

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 9 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material is GeN.

Claim 17

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 15 wherein the edges of said metal assist structure are chamfered.

Claim 18

An inverse viewable sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel, comprising: a glass substrate; a plurality of metal electrodes each deposited in parallel over said glass substrate; a layer of light absorbing dark material formed over each of said plurality of metal electrodes and exposed portions of said glass substrate; a first dielectric layer deposited on said layer of light absorbing dark material; a layer of phosphor material deposited on said first dielectric layer; a second dielectric layer deposited on said layer of phosphor material; and a plurality of parallel transparent electrodes deposited on said second dielectric layer, each of said transparent electrodes having a metal assist structure formed on, and in electrical contact over a portion of said transparent electrodes wherein each of said metal assist structures comprises a first refractory metal layer, a primary conductor layer formed on said first refractory layer, and a second refractory metal layer formed on said primary conductor layer.

Claim 19

An inverse viewable sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel, comprising: a glass substrate; a plurality of metal electrodes each deposited in parallel over said glass substrate; a layer of light absorbing dark material formed over each of said plurality of metal electrodes and exposed portions of said glass substrate; a first dielectric layer deposited on said layer of light absorbing dark material; a layer of phosphor material deposited on said first dielectric layer; a second dielectric layer deposited on said layer of phosphor material; and a plurality of parallel transparent electrodes deposited on said second dielectric layer, each of said transparent electrodes having a metal assist structure formed on, and in electrical contact over a portion of said transparent electrodes wherein each of said metal assist structures comprises a first refractory metal layer, a primary conductor layer formed on said first refractory layer, and a second refractory metal layer formed on said primary conductor layer.

Claim 20

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 17 further comprising a planarization layer deposited on each of said plurality of parallel transparent electrodes and exposed portions of said second dielectric material to create a planar surface; and a color filter on said planar surface.

Claim 21

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 17 wherein said metal assist structure covers about 10% or less of said transparent electrode.

Claim 22

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 19 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material is PrMnO 3 .

Claim 23

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 17 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material has a resistivity of least 10 8 ohms.cm.

Claim 24

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 17 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material has a dielectric constant of at least about seven.

Claim 25

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 17 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material has an absorption coefficient of about 10 5 /cm.

Claim 26

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 17 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material is GeN.

Claim 27

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 17 wherein the edges of said metal assist structure are chamfered.

Claim 28

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 17, wherein said metal assist structure further comprises an adhesion layer formed between said first refractory metal layer and said transparent electrode, and said adhesion layer is capable of adhering to said transparent electrode and said first refractory metal layer.

Claim 29

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 18 wherein said planarization layer comprises a spun-on-glass material.

Claim 30

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 18 wherein said planarization layer comprises a transparent polymer.

Claim 31

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 18 wherein said planarization layer comprises liquid glass.

Claim 32

A sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel, comprising: a glass substrate; a series of parallel transparent electrodes deposited on said glass substrate, each of said transparent electrodes having a metal assist structure formed on, and in electrical contact over, a portion of said transparent electrodes wherein each of said metal assist structures comprises a first refractory metal layer, a primary conductor layer formed on said first refractory layer, and a second refractory metal layer formed on said primary conductor layer such that said first and second refractory metal layers are capable of protecting said primary conductor layer from oxidation when the electroluminescent display is annealed to active said phosphor layer; a layer of phosphor material deposited on said first dielectric layer; a second dielectric layer deposited on said layer of phosphor material; a layer of light absorbing dark material, deposited on said second dielectric layer, for reducing reflected light; and a series of metal electrodes each deposited in parallel over said layer of light absorbing dark material.

Claim 33

A sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel, comprising: a glass substrate; a series of parallel transparent electrodes deposited on said glass substrate, each of said transparent electrodes having a metal assist structure formed on, and in electrical contact over, a portion of said transparent electrodes wherein each of said metal assist structures comprises a first refractory metal layer, a primary conductor layer formed on said first refractory layer, and a second refractory metal layer formed on said primary conductor layer such that said first and second refractory metal layers are capable of protecting said primary conductor layer from oxidation when the electroluminescent display is annealed to active said phosphor layer; a layer of phosphor material deposited on said first dielectric layer; a second dielectric layer deposited on said layer of phosphor material; a layer of light absorbing dark material, deposited on said second dielectric layer, for reducing reflected light; and a series of metal electrodes each deposited in parallel over said layer of light absorbing dark material.

Claim 34

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 1 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material is selected from the group comprising Ge, CdTe, CdSe, Sb 2 S 3 , GeN and PrMnO 3 .

Claim 35

The sunlight viewable electroluminescent display panel of claim 3 wherein said layer of light absorbing dark material is selected from the group comprising Ge, CdTe, CdSe, Sb 2 S 3 , GeN and PrMnO 3 .