Electron-emitting device and image display apparatus using the same

A production apparatus for producing an electron-emitting device, the electron-emitting device including a substrate, a plurality of pairs of opposing electrodes disposed on the substrate, a conductive thin film disposed on the substrate, and an electron-emitting region formed in the conductive thin film and spaced apart from the opposing electrodes of each of the electrode pairs, said production apparatus comprising:

• a substrate holding unit holding the substrate;
• a discharge head disposed at a location facing the substrate, the discharge head having a discharge surface for discharging drops of a source material of the conductive thin film to the substrate;
• a signal transmission unit transmitting a signal indicative of dot pattern information;
• and
• a head control unit controlling the discharge head in accordance with the dot pattern information of the signal supplied by the signal transmission unit, so that a plurality of surface conduction electron-emitting elements are formed in the conductive thin film through a pattern of dots produced by discharging the drops to the substrate,
• wherein the substrate has sides in two orthogonal first directions, the substrate holding unit holding the substrate at a controlled position with respect to the discharge surface of the discharge head, the discharge head being disposed such that a distance between the discharge surface and the electron-emitting region is maintained at a constant value, and, in order for forming the electron-emitting elements, the discharge head and the substrate being moved relative to each other in one of two orthogonal second directions that are parallel to the first directions of the substrate.

A production apparatus for producing an electron-emitting device, the electron-emitting device including a substrate, a plurality of pairs of opposing electrodes disposed on the substrate, a conductive thin film disposed on the substrate, and an electron-emitting region formed in the conductive thin film and spaced apart from the opposing electrodes of each of the electrode pairs, said production apparatus comprising:

• a substrate holding unit holding the substrate;
• a discharge head disposed at a location facing the substrate, the discharge head having a discharge surface for discharging drops of a source material of the conductive thin film to the substrate;
• a head carriage transporting the discharge head in two orthogonal directions of the substrate;
• a signal transmission unit transmitting a signal indicative of dot pattern information;
• and
• a head control unit controlling the discharge head in accordance with the dot pattern information of the signal supplied by the signal transmission unit, so that a plurality of surface conduction electron-emitting elements are formed in the conductive thin film through a pattern of dots produced by discharging the drops to the substrate,
• wherein the substrate has a thickness in a range from 4 mm to 15 mm, the substrate holding unit holding the substrate at a controlled horizontal position under the discharge surface of the discharge head, and the discharge head being disposed such that a distance between the discharge surface and the electron-emitting region is maintained at a constant value.

An electron-emitting device comprising:

• a substrate having sides in two orthogonal first directions;
• a plurality of pairs of electrodes disposed on the substrate;
• a conductive thin film disposed between each of the plurality of the electrode pairs;
• and
• a plurality of surface conduction electron-emitting elements disposed in the conductive thin film by discharging drops of a source material of the conductive thin film thereto, each electron-emitting element spaced apart from the opposing electrodes of one of the plurality of the electrode pairs,
• wherein the surface conduction electron-emitting elements are arrayed in a matrix formation, the matrix of the electron-emitting elements having rows and columns in two orthogonal second directions, the electron-emitting elements being disposed such that the second directions of the matrix are parallel to the first directions of the substrate.

An image display apparatus comprising:

• an electron-emitting device;
• and
• a face plate provided to face the electro-emitting device and having a fluorescent medium that visualizes an image in response to electrons emitted by the electron-emitting device,
• said electron-emitting device comprising:
• a substrate having sides in two orthogonal first directions;
• a plurality of pairs of electrodes disposed on the substrate;
• a conductive thin film disposed between each of the plurality of the electrode pairs;
• and
• a plurality of surface conduction electron-emitting elements disposed in the conductive thin film by discharging drops of a source material of the conductive thin film thereto, each electron-emitting element spaced apart from the opposing electrodes of one of the plurality of the electrode pairs,
• wherein the surface conduction electron-emitting elements are arrayed in a matrix formation, the matrix of the electron-emitting elements having rows and columns in two orthogonal second directions, the electron-emitting elements being disposed such that the second directions of the rows and columns of the matrix are parallel to the first directions of the sides of the substrate.

An image display apparatus comprising:

• an electron-emitting device;
• and
• a face plate provided to face the electro-emitting device and having a fluorescent medium that visualizes an image in response to electrons emitted by the electron-emitting device,
• said electron-emitting device comprising:
• a substrate having sides in two orthogonal first directions;
• a plurality of pairs of electrodes disposed on the substrate;
• a conductive thin film disposed between each of the plurality of the electrode pairs;
• a plurality of surface conduction first electron-emitting elements disposed in the conductive thin film by discharging drops of a source material of the conductive thin film thereto, each electron-emitting element spaced apart from the opposing electrodes of one of the plurality of the electrode pairs;
• and
• a plurality of surface conduction second electron-emitting elements disposed outside a region of the first electron-emitting elements on the substrate by discharging drops of the source material of the conductive thin film to the substrate, the second electron-emitting elements forming a device identification pattern,
• wherein the image display apparatus is configured to visualize a device identification image in response to electrons emitted from the device identification pattern of the electron-emitting device.