APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF ADDRESSING DATA STORAGE ELEMENTS

없음 An apparatus for and a method of addressing data storage elements (16) employs an ionizable gas to address the storage elements for storing data in and reading data out of them. The storage elements are defined by the overlapping areas of multiple column electrodes (18) extending in a common direction on a first substrate (48) and multiple channels (20) extending in a common direction on a second substrate (54). A layer of dielectric material (46) separates the first and the second substrates, which are positioned face-to-face and spaced-apart with the direction of the channels transverse to that of the column electrodes. Each of the channels is filled with an ionizable gas and includes a reference potential electrode and a row electrode electrically isolated from each other. The column electrodes receive data drive signals, and the row electrodes and reference potential electrodes receive data strobe signals. The addressing apparatus is configured so that for each storage element the ionizable gas functions as an electrical switch that changes between a conducting or plasma state and a nonconducting or de-ionized state in response to an applied data strobe signal. The ionizable gas functions to either store data in or read data out of the storage element. If the storage element includes a layer (44) of material having electro-optic properties and receives incident image-carrying light, the ionizable gas functions to select and store image data across the layer and thereby provide a display system having gray scale luminance.