How Plasma Televisions Are Made
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Plasma
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Natural physics turns gas into plasma by adding sufficient heat or electrical energy to ionize (cause to release electrons) individual gas atoms. Plasma generates ultraviolet light. The kinds of atoms, the state of ionization (ratio of ionized to neutral particles) and the energy of the particles combine to create a wide spectrum of plasma types, characteristics and behaviors.
The wide spectrum of plasma behaviors and the fact that phosphors, when excited by UV radiation, emit visible light, combine to make plasma-based television displays possible.
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Creating Plasma Screens
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The heart of a plasma TV screen consists of a million individual and minute glass cells, each filled with a mixture of neon and xenon gas and alternately coated with red, green or blue phosphors. Three cells combine to create a single pixel on the screen.
The tiny glass cells are sandwiched between two screen-sized sheets of glass. Hundreds of electrodes crisscross one another on the inside of each sheet. The electrodes carry the charges that turn the gasses into plasma.
In operation, UV light from the plasma strikes the phosphors to produce the multicolored pictures displayed on the screen. Later in the manufacturing process, technicians insert a third glass sheet to increase the picture's naturally low contrast ratio.
Thousands of Circuits
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At the same time, in another part of the plant, the manufacturer uses high-pressure injection molding machines to create the television's frame and back. Technicians then attach circuit boards, containing the thousands of individual circuits required to make a television work, and additional necessary components (inputs, electrical connections, speakers and such). Assembly-line workers assemble the televisions, which, after some further testing, other workers box and ship.
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