JPH05232901

PURPOSE:To more surely induce writing discharge and to execute more stable writing operation by lower scanning voltage or data voltage by impressing writing voltage also to a maintenance electrode in addition to a scanning electrode at the time of writing data. CONSTITUTION:The 1st insulating base 1 having a surface discharge electrode 3 consisting of scanning electrode and maintenance electrode is stucked to the 2nd insulating base 2 having a data electrode 4 through an insulating partition 6 and discharge gas is sealed into a space 5 formed between both the bases 1, 2. At the time of writing data, a writing pulse superposed to a data pulse voltage applied to the data electrode 4 and allowing the whole discharge electrode to become a cathode part is impressed to the electrode 3. Namely a scanning pulse synchronizing with the scanning electrodes is impressed also to the maintenance electrodes to which only a maintenance voltage pulse is impressed at the time of writing data. Since the whole surface discharge electrode can be used as a cathode at the time of writing data, the area of the cathode can be expanded.