Planarizing process for field emitter displays and other electron source applications

A method for manufacture of a microlectronic field emitter device, comprising:

• applying a patterned layer of liftoff profile resist over a substrate to define an emitter conductor material and a current limiter material;
• depositing a pop-top metal layer over the current limiter material;
• removing the liftoff profile resist and portions of the emitter conductor material, current limiter material and pop-top metal layer thereover to define current limiter structure over emitter conductors, with pop-top metal on top;
• depositing a layer of insulator material;
• etching back the insulator material layer to expose the top surface of the pop-top metal layer;
• etching to remove the pop-top metal layer, leaving current limiter structures substantially coplanar with a surrounding insulator material layer;
• and
• forming emitter structures on the current limiter structures.

A method for manufacture of a microelectronic field emitter device, comprising:

• forming emitter conductor and current limiter structures on a substrate;
• applying a layer of emitter material over the current limiter structures and substrate;
• applying patterned caps for etch block on the layer of emitter material to define emitter locations;
• applying a layer of planarization material;
• and
• reactive ion-etching to define emitter structures.