Material Properties and Plasma Display Panel Discharging Characteristics Depending on MgO Evaporation Rate

MgO thin film is most widely used as a protecting layer in ac Plasma Display Panel. The film is deposited using electron beam evaporation. The effects of the evaporation rate of MgO film deposited using an electron beam on the MgO properties and the discharge characteristics of the plasma display panel (PDP) were investigated. The evaporation rate was changed from 3 to 15 Å/s at a substrate temperature of 300 °C. MgO properties such as crystal orientation, surface roughness, contact angle, and film structure were inspected using X-ray diffraction (XRD), analysis atomic force microscopy (AFM), drop shape analysis, and secondary electron microscopy (SEM). The MgO properties were shown to be strongly dependent on the evaporation rate. We also studied the relation between MgO properties and PDP discharging characteristics. The minimum firing voltage and maximum luminous efficiency were obtained at an evaporation rate of 5 Å/s. In the MgO film deposited at 5 Å/s, the (200) orientation was most intensive and surface roughness was minimum.