Image forming apparatus and method of manufacturing and adjusting the same

A method of manufacturing an image forming apparatus having:

• a multi-electron-beam source having a plurality of surface conduction electron-emitting devices arranged on a substrate;
• a light emission means for emitting light upon irradiation of an electron beam from said multi-electron-beam source;
• and
• a driving means for applying a driving voltage to said multi-electron-beam source on the basis of an input image signal so as to form an image corresponding to the input image signal, comprising the step of:
• applying a characteristic shift voltage larger than a maximum voltage of the driving voltage applied by said driving means to said surface conduction electron-emitting devices, in advance, in accordance with a light emission characteristic of said light emission means, so as to change the electron-emitting characteristics of said surface conduction electron-emitting devices.

A method of adjusting an image forming apparatus having:

• a multi-electron-beam source having a plurality of surface conduction electron-emitting devices arranged on a substrate;
• a light emission means for emitting light upon irradiation of an electron beam from said multi-electron-beam source;
• and
• a driving means for applying a driving voltage to said multi-electron-beam source on the basis of an input image signal so as to form an image corresponding to the input image signal, comprising the step of:
• applying a characteristic shift voltage larger than a maximum voltage of the driving voltage applied by said driving means to said surface conduction electron-emitting devices, in advance, in accordance with a light emission characteristic of said light emission means, so as to change the electron-emitting characteristics of said surface conduction electron-emitting devices.