And also it is divided into Partners Facing Discharge type, Surface Discharge type, Barrier Rib Discharge type, etc in accordance with the electrode structure of discharge cell. In case of using visible rays directly from discharge gas, it is mostly used for single color displaying PDP element. For a typical example, there is a PDP using orange color from Ne gas. If full color display is required, ultraviolet rays from discharge gas such as en or Xe excite red, green, and blue phosphors and generate visible light, which is available.

PDP has many advantages fit for making a full size among flat display areas such as LCD(Liquid Crystal Display), FED(Field Emission Display), ELD(Electroluminescence Display) which are currently under active research and development. What makes PDP possible to be a large size as flat lies in the plasma formation method. It uses two glass substrates with thickness 3mm in structure and electrode and phosphors are coated on each substrate. Then, 0.1~0.2mm gap is kept between the two substrates and the space between them plasma is formed. The reason that PDP is possibly manufactured as wall-hanging HDTV, large size flat display over 40 inch is due to its properties as follows.

Very strong nonlinear

Despite voltage supply between electrodes, gas discharge does not occur if voltage supplied is below the discharge starting voltage, which is a very strong nonlinear characteristic. Thus, in addressing a large size panel of over 1000 pixels per a line, line addressing method can have optional discharge and so in addressing a panel of 1000*1000 discharge cell it does not require 100 million lines but only 2000 addressing circuits. Using this characteristic, gray scale of digital method can be realized. Currently, Full Color PDP of 256 gray scale display capability is under development.

Memory Function

PDP determines the next state by the previous conditions, which is called Memory function of PDP. In case of AC type, by a wall electric charge formed on a dielectric, memory addressing is possible. In case of DC type, memory addressing is possible by pulse memory method. Memory function is imperative in addressing large size display. In such case of addressing by this kind of memory method, super large panel enable to express the image of best quality without decrease of brightness.

Long life span

AC type prolongs life span, using preventive layer such as MgO of preferable sputtering characteristic whereas DC type gets long life span by employing current control resistance, seals a little amount of Hg or increase gas pressure, which leads to ion shock, and, it reduces sputtering damage of electrode substance. In the perspective of life span, AC type lasts longer. Currently, products of AC type insures to last 20,000 hours. In principle, it is possible to last over 10,000 hours.

Optical Viewing Angle

PDP has a wide viewing angle as self emissive display. Both AC type and DC type has over 160° wide viewing angle in every direction, which is the same level of CRT.

Easier Full Colorizing

Color realization of PDP exploits the photoluminescence mechanism that ultraviolet rays generated from discharge stimulate phosphor layer and radiates visible rays. By doing so, it is possible to reproduce color to the level of CRT. Thus, very excellent full color realization can be possible through betterment of brightness and achievement of high contrast by advancement of technology afterward.

Heat-resistant, Cold-resistant Characteristics

Plasma generated at each pixel of PDP is hardly influenced by barrier rib or electrode at temperature range of -100°C~100°C. So, the temperature range of PDP addressing is determined by a semiconductor device used in addressing circuit.

Lightness

If we make CRT 40 inch size, TV set overweighs 100 Kg. Whereas, PDP with the same size weighs no more than 20 Kg and this can be reduced a lot more in estimates by making components lighter.