Influence of the noble gas mixture composition on the performance of a plasma display panel

The influence of the noble gas mixture composition on the plasma display panel performance is investigated in test panels with a design which resembles the one used in commercial panels. Single gases and binary and ternary mixtures of He, Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe are applied, where the Xe concentration is varied from 0% to 100%. The performance is characterized in terms of the panel luminance, efficacy, and discharge voltages. It is found that while an increase in efficacy and luminance can be achieved in several multicomponent mixtures it is necessary to examine the associated increase in the firing voltage, V-f. If one considers the luminance versus V-f dependence, then binary NexXe1-x mixtures are optimal to achieve the highest efficacy values at the lowest V-f. The maximum efficacy gain factor in high Xe partial pressure mixtures is about a factor of 3 with respect to the mixture applied in default commercial panels. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.