High gamma coatings for plasma display panels: a comparison

Summary form only given. This contribution describes the basic operation principles of plasma display panels and the role of ion-induced secondary electron emission in igniting and sustaining plasmas in PDP cells. A reliable and reproducible method to measure gamma coefficients under panel-like conditions is explained. Gamma measurements for polycrystalline MgO films, MgO single crystals, NEA and PEA diamond, ta-C and AlN are compared and discussed in the framework of a simple ion-induced electron emission model based on band-gap and electron affinity of the participating surfaces and on the ionization energies of the rare gases Ne, Ar, and Xe used in our experiments. The potential of diamond, AIN, and ta-C as PDP cell coating alternatives to MgO is discussed.