Plasma display device

1. A plasma display device including a plasma display panel having a plurality of row electrode pairs and a plurality of column electrodes arranged to intersect with the row electrode pairs so as to form a display cell at each intersection thereof, the plasma display device displaying an image by configuring a plurality of subfields within a unit display period of an input video signal, each of the subfields including an address period and a sustain period, the plasma display device comprising:

a magnesium oxide layer formed in each of the display cells;

addressing means for selectively generating address discharge in each of the display cells in accordance with pixel data based on the video signal in the address period; and

sustaining means for repeatedly applying sustain pulses between row electrodes configuring the row electrode pairs in the sustain period,

wherein a rear edge part of the sustain pulse applied at the end of the sustain period of each of the subfields is formed by a first section in which a voltage value slowly changes from a peak voltage value of the sustain pulse to a predetermined first voltage value, a second section in which the first voltage value is maintained for a predetermined period, and a third section in which the voltage value slowly changes from the first voltage value to a second voltage value having a polarity different from that of the first voltage value.

2. The plasma display device according to claim 1 , wherein the sustaining means sets the row electrode to a high impedance state for the predetermined period in the second section to maintain the row electrode in the first voltage value.

3. The plasma display device according to claim 1 , wherein the first voltage value is smaller than the peak voltage value and greater than ground potential.

4. The plasma display device according to claim 1 , wherein the second voltage becomes smaller as the predetermined period becomes greater.

5. The plasma display device according to claim 1 further comprising reset means for forming a wall charge in all the display cells right before the address period of a first subfield of the unit display period,

wherein the addressing means erases the wall charge in the address period in any one of the subfields in the unit display period in accordance with the input video signal at each of the display cells, and

the sustaining means causes light emission by sustain discharge only in the display cell in which the wall charge is formed by the application of the sustain pulse.

6. The plasma display device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnesium oxide layer contains a magnesium oxide monocrystal which is generated by vapor phase oxidization of magnesium vapor generated when magnesium is heated.

7. The plasma display device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnesium oxide layer contains a magnesium oxide monocrystal having a particle size of at least 2000 angstrom.

8. The plasma display device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnesium oxide layer contains a magnesium oxide monocrystal excited by electron beam irradiation for cathode luminescence light emission and creating a cathode luminescence light emission having a peak in a wavelength ranging from about 200 to about 300 nm.

9. The plasma display device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnesium oxide layer contains a magnesium oxide monocrystal excited by electron beam irradiation for cathode luminescence light emission and creating a cathode luminescence light emission having a peak in a wavelength ranging from about 230 to about 250 nm.

10. The plasma display device according to claim 1 , wherein each row electrode forming each of the row electrode pairs includes a bus electrode and a T-shaped transparent electrode connected to the bus electrode.

11. A plasma display device including a plasma display panel having a plurality of row electrode pairs and a plurality of column electrodes arranged to intersect with the row electrode pairs so as to form a display cell at each intersection thereof, the plasma display device displaying an image by configuring a plurality of subfields within a unit display period of an input video signal, each of the subfields including an address period and a sustain period, the plasma display device comprising:

a magnesium oxide layer formed in each of the display cells;

an addressing driver for selectively generating address discharge in each of the display cells in accordance with pixel data based on the video signal in the address period; and

a sustain driver for repeatedly applying sustain pulses between row electrodes configuring the row electrode pairs in the sustain period,

wherein a rear edge part of the sustain pulse applied at the end of the sustain period of each of the subfields is formed by a first section in which a voltage value slowly changes from a peak voltage value of the sustain pulse to a predetermined first voltage value, a second section in which the first voltage value is maintained for a predetermined period, and a third section in which the voltage value slowly changes from the first voltage value to a second voltage value having a polarity different from that of the first voltage value.

12. A method for driving a plasma display device including a plurality of row electrode pairs and a plurality of column electrodes arranged to intersect with the row electrode pairs so as to form a display cell at each intersection thereof, the plasma display device displaying an image by configuring a plurality of subfields within a unit display period of an input video signal, each of the subfields including an address period and a sustain period, the method comprising the steps of:

slowly changing a voltage value of a rear edge part of the sustain pulse applied at the end of the sustain period of each of the subfields from a peak voltage value of the sustain pulse to a predetermined first voltage value;

maintaining the first voltage value for a predetermined period; and

slowly changing the voltage value from the first voltage value to a second voltage value having polarity different from that of the first voltage value.