SBIR Phase II: Fabrication of Luminescent Phosphor Plasma-sphere Arrays for Display Applications

This Small Business Innovation Research II project will develop hermetic hollow gas encapsulating spheres (Plasma-spheres) with shells fabricated from phosphor compositions processed with modified processing methods. The outcome will be blue emitting Plasma-spheres and improve red and green Plasma-spheres for use in a full color flexible plasma display. Plasma-spheres are placed on flexible electrically addressable arrays with the ionized gas glowing when a voltage is applied across the Plasma-spheres. This is due to the conversion of UV into visible light. If successful this process will allow carpet size displays to be produced at a fraction of the cost of rigid glass displays. Unlike traditional one-piece rigid plasma display technology, the Plasma-sphere pixels are produced separately and applied to large flexible electrically addressable substrates using low cost wide-web processes. The separation of pixel production from substrate fabrication provides several advantages; 1) shortened cycle time (by eliminating a 19 hour gas processing step), 2) higher yields, 3) lower capital equipment investment, 4) lower production costs, 5) longer life, 6) smaller form factor, and 7) a greater percentage of biodegradable material. The entire Plasma-sphere array production process is environmentally benign.