Display panel filter for connection to a display panel

Abstract

The present invention provides a device in the form of a filter which is useable in conjunction with a plasma display panel, which is applied to the front face of a display, and which functions to reduce reflection after assembly to acceptable levels, to increase contrast enhancement ratios, to reduce EMI emissions to levels which comply with consumer safety regulations and with military and aircraft standards and to reduce infrared transmission in the 800 nm-1000 nm range to a level which does not interfere with IR remote control operation. The present invention also relates to a method of making such a plasma display panel filter and device.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An optical display comprising: 
 a transparent first substrate having first and second sides; and    a multi-layer optical film applied to one of said first and second sides, said film comprising at least one electrically conductive layer, at least one dielectric layer and a protective layer positioned between said dielectric layer and said electrically conductive layer; and    a second substrate comprised of a thin plastic film with a thickness less than about 0.06 inches laminated to said first substrate with said optical film positioned therebetween.    
     
     
         2 . The display of  claim 1  wherein said plastic film is PET.  
     
     
         3 . The display of  claim 2  wherein said protective layer is comprised of first and second layers of protective material.  
     
     
         4 . The display of  claim 3  wherein said dielectric is comprised of niobium pentoxide.  
     
     
         5 . The display of  claim 4  wherein said first protective layer is oxidized titanium and said second layer comprises a material having a plasma energy level less than niobium pentoxide.  
     
     
         6 . The optical filter of  claim 5  wherein said second layer is tin oxide.  
     
     
         7 . The optical filter of  claim 6  wherein said oxidized titanium is adjacent to said electrically conductive layer and said tin oxide is adjacent to said dielectric layer.  
     
     
         8 . The optical filter of  claim 7  wherein said electrically conductive layer is silver.  
     
     
         9 . The optical filter of  claim 1  wherein said second substrate has a thickness of less than about 0.025 inches.  
     
     
         10 . The optical film of  claim 5  wherein said second protective material layer is one or more of tin oxide (SnO 2 ), zinc oxide (ZnO 2 ) and a silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ).  
     
     
         11 . The optical film of  claim 10  wherein said oxidized titanium is adjacent to said electrically conductive layer and said second protective material is adjacent to said dielectric layer.  
     
     
         12 . The optical film of  claim 11  wherein said conductive material layer is silver.  
     
     
         13 . The optical film of  claim 12  including a plurality of electrically conductive layers and a plurality of dielectric layers alternating with said electrically conductive layers.  
     
     
         14 . A method of making an optical filter comprising: 
 providing a transparent substrate having a first side and a second side;    applying a multi-layer optical film to one of said first and second sides of said transparent substrate, said film comprising at least one electrically conductive layer, at least one dielectric layer, and at least one protective layer between said electrically conductive layer and said dielectric layer; and    laminating a second substrate to said first substrate with said optical film positioned therebetween, said second substrate comprised of a thin plastic film with a thickness less than about 0.06 inches.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said plastic film is PET.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said protective layer comprises first and second layers.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the application step includes applying an electrically conductive layer to said one side of said first transparent substrate or to a dielectric layer applied to said first substrate, applying said first layer to said electrically conductive layer, applying said second layer to said first layer and applying said dielectric layer to said second layer.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said dielectric layer is niobium pentoxide, said first layer is titanium and said second layer is a material having a plasma energy level less than niobium pentoxide.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said electrically conductive layer is silver and wherein said second layer is one or more of tin oxide (SnO 2 ), zinc oxide (ZnO 2 ) and silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ).  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  including applying the optical filter to the front face of a display.