Filamentary electron-emission device having self-aligned gate or/and lower conductive/resistive region

A structure comprising:

• a lower electrically conductive region which comprises a highly conductive portion and a highly resistive portion situated over the highly conductive portion, the highly conductive portion comprising a group of generally parallel highly conductive lines;
• an electrically insulating porous layer situated over the highly resistive portion;
• and
• a multiplicity of electron-emissive filaments respectively situated in corresponding pores extending through the porous layer down to the lower conductive region, the lower end of each filament contacting the highly resistive portion, the pores situated at locations substantially random relative to one another.

A structure comprising:

• a substrate for providing structural support;
• a lower electrically conductive region situated over electrically insulating material of the substrate;
• a porous electrically insulating layer situated over the lower conductive region;
• a multiplicity of electron-emissive filaments respectively situated in corresponding pores extending through the porous layer down to the lower conductive region, the lower end of each filament contacting the lower conductive region, the pores being situated at locations substantially random relative to one another;
• and
• a patterned electrically conductive gate layer situated over the porous layer, openings which respectively correspond to the filaments being provided through the gate layer at locations generally centered on the filaments such that the filaments are separated from the gate layer.

A structure comprising:

• a lower electrically conductive region which comprises a highly conductive portion and a highly resistive portion situated over the highly conductive portion;
• an electrically insulating porous layer situated over the highly resistive portion;
• and
• a multiplicity of electron-emissive filaments respectively situated in corresponding pores extending through the porous layer down to the lower conductive region, the lower end of each filament contacting the highly resistive portion, the pores being situated at locations substantially random relative to one another.