Stability of weak discharge at Y-reset period in plasma display panel discharge

We studied the stability condition of weak discharge during the Y-reset period in the AC-PDP system using two-dimensional PDP cell discharge simulator. It is found that the secondary electron emission from back plate plays a significant role in getting a stable weak discharge during the ramping up of Y electrode voltage. This is because grounded address electrode acts as a cathode during the setting up of surface charge, and the secondary electron emission from phosphor in the back plate must be large enough to accumulate surface charges on the dielectric layers without strong plasma discharge. We have concluded that the secondary electron emission coefficient (gamma) of phosphor, besides MgO, must be known to understand the characteristics of the PDP system. A few suggestions for improvement of the system is also made and tested. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.