Method for evacuating and sealing field emission displays
Patent 5997378 Issued on December 7, 1999. Estimated Expiration Date: July 29, 2018. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
A method for evacuating and sealing a field emission display package is provided. The method includes forming a cover plate, a backplate, and a peripheral seal therebetween. The backplate is formed as a sub-assembly which includes a seal ring and a getter material. The seal ring includes compressible protrusions for initially separating the cover plate from the seal ring to provide evacuation openings. During a sealing and evacuation process the packages are placed in the reaction chamber of a furnace. The pressure in the reaction chamber is then reduced and the temperature is increased in a staged sequence. During the evacuating and sealing process the evacuation openings formed by the compressible protrusions provide a flow path for evacuation. As the sealing and evacuation process continues, the compressible protrusions and seal ring flow and commingle to form the peripheral seal. At the same time the getter material is activated and pumps contaminants from the sealed spaced formed within the package.
Other References
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July 29, 2018. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
