Self-aligned field extraction grid and method of forming

A field emission display comprising:

• a substrate assembly including a plurality of vertically extending emitter tip structures;
• a face plate located vertically above the emitter tip structures;
• and
• an extraction grid located vertically above apexes of the emitter tip structures, the extraction grid comprises a conductive material having plurality of openings aligned with the emitter tip structures to vertically expose the emitter tip structures to the face plate, wherein the plurality of openings are formed by an ion milling operation responsive to topographical variations of the conductive material.

A field emission display comprising:

• a substrate assembly including a plurality of vertically extending emitter tip structures;
• a face plate located vertically above the emitter tip structures;
• and
• an extraction grid located above the substrate assembly and vertically below apexes of the emitter tip structures, the extraction grid comprises a conductive material having plurality of openings aligned with the emitter tip structures to vertically expose the emitter tip structures to the face plate, wherein the plurality of openings are formed by an ion milling operation responsive to topographical variations of the conductive material.

A field emission display comprising:

• a substrate assembly including a plurality of vertically extending emitter tip structures;
• a face plate located vertically above the emitter tip structures;
• and
• an extraction grid located above the substrate assembly and coplanar with apexes of the emitter tip structures, the extraction grid comprises a conductive material having plurality of openings aligned with the emitter tip structures to vertically expose the emitter tip structures to the face plate, wherein the plurality of openings are formed by an ion milling operation responsive to topographical variations of the conductive material.

An extraction grid fabrication process comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly including a plurality of emitter tip structures;
• forming an insulator layer above and adjacent to the emitter tip structures;
• forming a conductive layer above and adjacent to the insulator layer, the conductive layer having a generally flat planar surface with topographical variations substantially corresponding to locations of apexes of the emitter tip structures;
• and
• ion milling the conductive layer at varying rates at least partially responsive to angles of incidence of ions to the conductive layer to create openings in the conductive layer to expose portions of the insulator layer in near proximity to apexes of the emitter tip structures.

An extraction grid fabrication process comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly including an emitter tip structure;
• forming an insulator structure of one or more dielectric layers above the emitter tip structure;
• forming a conductive structure of one or more electrically conductive layers above the insulator structure, the conductive structure having a substantially planar top surface exhibiting topographical peaks corresponding to a location of the underlying emitter tip structure;
• and
• bombarding the top surface of the conductive structure with ions to selectively remove material from the conductive structure at least in part by momentum transfer at least partially responsive to the topographical peaks for removing a portion of the conductive structure in near proximity to the emitter tip structure more rapidly than other portions of the conductive structure more remote from the emitter tip structure.

An extraction grid fabrication process comprising:

• providing a substrate assembly including an emitter tip structure;
• vapor depositing an insulator structure of one or more dielectric layers above the emitter tip structure;
• vapor depositing a conductive structure of one or more electrically conductive layers above the insulator structure, the conductive structure having a substantially planar top surface exhibiting topographical peaks corresponding to a location of the underlying emitter tip structure;
• and
• ion milling the conductive structure to selectively remove material from the conductive structure at least in part by momentum transfer at least partially responsive to the topographical peaks for removing a portion of the conductive structure in near proximity to the emitter tip structure more rapidly than other portions of the conductive structure more remote from the emitter tip structure.