Address pulses during sustain period for increasing luminous efficiency

A new driving method using a short pulse applied to the address electrode (i.e., address pulse) during a sustain period is proposed to improve the luminous efficiency. In this method, short pulses are additionally applied to the address electrode during the rising or falling edge of the sustain pulses. In the case of a small sustain gap, address pulses synchronized with a rising edge of the sustain pulse can help the expansion of the discharge volume toward the address electrode, whereas address pulses synchronized with a falling edge of the sustain pulse produce a self-erasing discharge, which improves the luminous efficiency. In the case of a large sustain gap, the application of the address pulse can produce a stable sustain discharge at a low sustain voltage level, generating an efficient discharge even in the case of the long discharge path.