A study of binders for the thick-film cathodes of DC-type plasma display panels

This paper reports work done on developing binders for thick-film cathodes used in DC-type plasma display panels (PDP´s). Instead of the conventional lead glass binder, this paper proposes a new liquid binder consisting of a liquid that can be mixed with a fine powder to form a paste. This paste can be baked in an irreversible process to form a solid that is highly resistant to both heating and reduction. Of the possible candidates, the partially hydrolyzed condensate of tetraethoxysilane (having an average degree of polymerization of 6) was selected to be used as a post-sintering binder for SiO₂. By using this binder in the manufacture of thick-film Ca_0.2La _0.8CrO₃ cathodes, the deterioration of the electrical characteristics of the color PDP´s and the changing composition of the gas will slow, leading to longer product lifetime. MgO, ITO, and SnO₂ prepared using similar methods also produced potent binders. Thus some liquid binders are promising for application as the binder for thick-film cathodes used in DC-type PDP