Display system utilizing electron emission by polarization reversal of ferroelectric material

An electrical light-emitting surface light source element comprising:

• a lower electrode;
• a ferroelectric thin film formed on said lower electrode, for emitting electrons serving as bound charges through utilization of a local high electric field caused by polarization reversal;
• an upper electrode having an opening therein, and said upper electrode being formed on said ferroelectric thin film;
• an electron-multiplying layer, formed on said upper electrode, and said electron-multiplying layer having a part which is in contact with said ferroelectric thin film through said opening of said upper electrode, for multiplying electrons supplied from said ferroelectric thin film using an electron avalanche phenomenon;
• and
• an electrical light-emitting layer, formed on said electron-multiplying layer, for emitting light by injection of the multiplied electrons.

An image display apparatus comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate;
• a plurality of ferroelectric electron beam generating elements arranged in a matrix form on said semiconductor substrate, said plurality of ferroelectric electron beam generating elements each having a lower electrode formed on said semiconductor substrate, a ferroelectric thin film formed on said lower electrode, and an upper electrode having an electron emission hole and formed on said ferroelectric thin film;
• a plurality of switching elements formed on said semiconductor substrate in correspondence with said plurality of ferroelectric electron beam generating elements;
• and
• a screen arranged such that a phosphor-coated surface of said screen is opposite to said upper electrodes of said plurality of ferroelectric electron beam generating elements arranged in a matrix form on said semiconductor substrate,
• wherein a voltage applied across said upper and lower electrodes of said ferroelectric capacitor portion of a corresponding one of said plurality of ferroelectric electron beam generating elements in accordance with a drive signal selectively supplied to said plurality of switching elements is inverted, so that an electron beam emitted from said electron emission hole of said upper electrode by polarization reversal generated in said ferroelectric thin film is radiated on the phosphor-coated surface of said screen, thereby guiding spontaneously emitted visible light to the surface of said screen.

An electron beam generating device comprising:

• a lower electrode;
• an upper electrode;
• a ferroelectric thin film sandwiched between and electrically connected with said lower electrode and said upper electrode for emitting electrons through utilization of a local high electric field caused by polarization reversal, the thickness of said ferroelectric thin film being within the range from 50 nm to 2 .mu.m;
• said upper electrode having an opening therein;
• and
• a semiconductor layer formed directly on the ferroelectric thin film, the semiconductor layer being located in the opening of said upper electrode.