Measurement and Modeling of Xe Vacuum Ultraviolet Emission and Radiative Transfer in a Plasma Display Panel Discharge

A detailed study of radiative transfer of vacuum ultraviolet emission in a plasma display panel is presented for the first time. Extensive experimental data obtained from a front panel in a test chamber are compared with a theoretical model. The model accounts for radiation trapping and opacity broadening of resonance lines, as well as the major collisional dynamics among ions, neutrals, and electrons in a xenon/neon discharge. The model was also used to predict the panel illumination efficiency, a parameter of prime importance for display designers. The results from the model yielded good agreement with experimental results over a wide range of pressures and cell geometries.