Driving Techniques for Long Sustain Gap AC PDP Using LaB6 Cathode

A replacement of an expensive MgO protective layer with relatively inexpensive Lanthanum Hexa Boride (LaB6) has already been proposed. Since LaB6 is not transparent, unlike MgO, the LaB6 panel employs a long sustain gap structure. Since the sustain gap is 2.6 times larger than the distance between sustain and address electrodes, different driving methods from those of the conventional PDPs have to be adopted. For the driving technique of the sustain period, an application of delayed auxiliary pulses on A electrode and the overlap sustain pulse drive are proposed. Luminance degradation with higher sustain frequency driving can be compensated by use of a 2step sustain pulse driving. Low reset luminance and low address voltage are achieved with a square-ramp technique for the reset period. TV operation is successfully realized on AC PDP which incorporated the LaB6 cathodes.