Surface-discharge characteristics of magnesium oxide thin films prepared by ion beam-assisted deposition

To improve the lifetime of AC plasma display panels (PDPs), the surface glow discharge characteristics of MgO films prepared by ion beam-assisted deposition have been investigated. With MgO films prepared by evaporation of MgO and simultaneous argon ion bombardment with energy of approximately 300 eV and oxygen introduction at a partial pressure of approximately 0.2 mTorr, the discharge voltage values are comparable with those of e-beam evaporated MgO films. Moreover, the sample prepared shows more sputter-resistant properties than samples prepared by the electron-beam method. It is believed that the ion beam-assisted method is appropriate to deposit MgO film for a protective layer for AC PDPs.