Observation of surface change by plasma in plasma display panel (PDP)

Summary form only given, as follows. Inside a working PDP, there exist highly reactive conditions in the gap between the two glass panels Accordingly, reactive species generated by the plasma collide with each other and the walls of the plates. Inside surfaces of the panel start to change after turning on the PDP and applying the plasma in each cell. In order to achieve a stable discharge condition, a period of time is necessary. This final step of manufacturing is called an aging process. For reducing the process time, it is important to understand the physical and chemical changes of the inner surface of the panel and the composition change of the inside gas during the aging process. We have designed an in-situ analysis system for 7-inch test panels prepared by each fabrication process. Test panels with various aging times (0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 24h) were also introduced into the UHV system. The panels were disassembled by wobble sticks and transferred to the analysis chambers to investigate the changes. We examined the surfaces mainly by using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM).