A plasma display panel (PDP) is a gas discharge panel in which images are displayed according to phosphor that emits light by being excited by ultraviolet rays generated by gas discharge. The plasma display panel displays characters or images with plasma generated by gas discharge, on which hundreds of thousands or millions of pixels are arranged in a matrix format according to the size thereof. In a PDP, ultraviolet rays generated by gas discharge excite phosphors and cause them to emit light for color display. The PDP is structured so that display cells partitioned by ribs are provided on a substrate thereof, and a phosphor layer is formed on each of the display cells. A plasma display includes a front plate and a rear plate sealed together and having a space therebetween filled with a dischargeable gas. The front plate is formed of a glass plate, display electrodes, a dielectric layer and a protective layer. The protective layer made of magnesium oxide is usually provided on a dielectric film on a glass plate that is positioned to face phosphor layers, in view of protecting the dielectric film against damages. The display electrode, which is formed of a striped transparent electrode and a striped bus electrode, is disposed on one surface of the glass substrate. The dielectric layer covers the display electrodes and works as a capacitor. The protective layer covers the dielectric layer. The PDP is driven by dividing one frame into several sub-fields that have different light emission frequency, for realizing the gray level of a picture. Each sub-field can be divided again into a reset period for generating a uniform discharge, an address period for selecting discharge cells and a sustain period for realizing gray levels in accordance with a discharge frequency. A plasma display panel (PDP) is provided with a plurality of scan electrodes, and sustain electrodes extending in the horizontal direction, and a plurality of data electrodes extending in the vertical direction. Display cells are provided at individual intersections between the scan and sustain electrodes, and the data electrodes. Display cells are formed in areas where these electrodes cross each other. Each of these electrodes is covered with dielectric. Discharge at each cell is controlled in accordance with the amount of the wall charge formed on the dielectric. The driving method of the plasma display panel is classified into a DC (direct current) driving method and an AC (alternating current) driving method, according to whether or not the polarity of the voltage applied to sustain a discharge is changed with an elapse of time. AC types can be further classified into a memory operating type that uses a memory of the discharge cell as a drive method, and a refresh-type that does not use this memory.

In the plasma display device, the display electrodes and address electrodes of the plasma display panel and electrical circuits for driving and controlling the electrodes are connected, using flexible printed circuit boards (FPC). PDP utilizes an external voltage to cause gas discharge inside the panel to produce the ultraviolet rays. The luminescent principle of the plasma display panel is the same as that of fluorescent lamps. A vacuum glass trough is filled with inert gas. When a voltage is applied to the glass trough, plasma is generated and radiates ultraviolet (UV) rays. The fluorescent material coated on the wall of the glass trough adsorbs the ultraviolet rays, hence the fluorescent material radiates visible light including red, green and blue light. The ultraviolet rays excite R, G, and B phosphorus to generate the visible R, G, and B lights. The plasma display apparatus applies a voltage to a discharge cell in which a discharge gas such as an inert gas is sealed in a discharge space, excites a phosphor layer within the discharge cell with vacuum ultraviolet rays generated from glow discharge in the discharge gas, and thereby obtains light emission. Thus, each individual discharge cell is driven on principles similar to those of a phosphor light. A large number of discharge cells are brought together to form pixels, whereby one display screen is formed. In a typical plasma display, a gas or mixture of gases is enclosed between orthogonally crossed and spaced conductors. The crossed conductors define a matrix of cross over points, arranged as an array of miniature picture elements (pixels), which provide light. When a sufficiently large voltage is applied, the gas at the pixel breaks down creating free electrons that are drawn to the positive conductor and positively charged gas ions that are drawn to the negatively charged conductor. These free electrons and positively charged gas ions collide with other gas atoms causing an avalanche effect creating still more free electrons and positively charged ions, thereby creating plasma. The voltage level at which this ionization occurs is called the write voltage. PDPs can also be classified as opposite discharge PDPs or surface discharge PDPs according to the arrangement of electrodes. In opposite discharge PDPs, one of a pair of sustaining electrodes is formed on a front substrate and the other sustaining electrode is formed on a rear substrate, and discharge occurs in the vertical axial direction. In surface discharge PDPs, a pair of sustaining electrodes is formed on the same substrate, and discharge occurs on one plane of the substrate.

The AC drive type plasma display is generally composed of a front plate, a back plate, and a discharge space region that is formed between the front and back plates and that has a great number of cells partitioned by walls. The front plate has formed therein a plurality of pairs of display electrodes. The back plate has formed therein a plurality of address electrodes that are substantially perpendicular to these display electrodes. AC-driven plasma display panels are classified into two-electrode type plasma display panels which perform selective discharge (address discharge) and sustain discharge using two electrodes and three-electrode type plasma display panels which perform address discharge using a third electrode. The three-electrode types plasma display panels are further classified into a type with the third electrode formed on a substrate on which the first and second electrodes for performing sustain discharge are laid out and a type with the third electrode formed on another substrate opposite to the substrate of the first and second electrodes. AC type PDP utilizes a memory function of a dielectric layer that covers display electrodes. Addressing is performed for controlling charge quantity of a cell in accordance with display data before applying a sustaining voltage Vs having alternating polarity to a pair of display electrodes. The sustaining voltage Vs satisfies the following inequality. A surface discharge AC type PDP has a three-electrode structure in which first and second display electrodes to be anodes and cathodes in display discharge for determining light emission quantity in a cell are arranged in parallel on a front or a back substrate, and address electrodes are arranged so that one address electrode crosses a pair of display electrodes. Since the main electrodes extend in the same direction, third electrodes crossing the main electrodes are required for selecting cells. The third electrodes are placed on the other one of the pair of substrates to be opposed to the main electrodes with intervention of a discharge gas space in order that electrostatic capacity of the cells is reduced. When a picture is displayed, addressing is carried out for controlling wall charges according to the contents to be displayed, by generating address discharge across one of each main electrode pair and the third electrode. After addressing is performed line by line, for example, alternating voltage for sustaining lighting is applied to the main electrode pairs at a common timing to all rows to generate surface discharge along the surface of the substrate only in cells having wall charges.

DC plasma display panels include electrodes that are all exposed to a discharge space. In the DC PDPs, electrical charges directly move from one electrode to an opposite electrode. In the DC-type plasma display device, discharge occurs in all periods during which a voltage is being applied to an electrode. The most significant difference between the DC PDP and the AC PDP is that, in the DC PDP, the current directly flows in the discharge area while applying voltages, because electrodes are exposed to the discharge spaces. Since the DC PDPs have electrodes exposed in the discharge space, they allow the current to flow in the discharge space while the voltage is supplied. Therefore, a resistor that restricts the current must be used outside of the DC PDP. On the other hand, in the AC PDP, the current is restricted because capacitance is natually formed by the dielectric layer covering the electrodes. The AC PDP has a longer life than the DC PDP because the electrodes are protected against the ion shocks generated by the discharge. Since the AC PDPs have electrodes covered by a dielectric layer, capacitances are naturally formed to restrict the current, and the electrodes are protected from ion shocks in the case of discharging. Accordingly, they have a longer lifespan than the DC PDPs. In terms of high definition, large screen size and facilitation of production, the surface discharge AC type PDP has become mainstream under present conditions. The AC type plasma display device is suitable for high definition because barrier ribs for partitioning individual discharge cells from each other within the display screen are sufficient to be formed into, for example, stripe shapes, and is also advantageous in that since surfaces of electrodes for discharge are covered with a dielectric layer, the electrodes are less worn, to thereby prolong the service life.