Electron emitting apparatus

An electron emitting apparatus, comprising:

• (A) a substrate having a first primary surface which is substantially plane;
• (B) an electron emitting device disposed on said first primary surface, comprising a first electroconductive member and a second electroconductive member, wherein a gap is formed between said first electroconductive member and said second electroconductive member;
• (C) an anode electrode having a substantially plane surface opposite to said first primary surface;
• (D) voltage applying means for applying a potential higher than a potential applied to said first electroconductive member to said second electroconductive member in order to emit electrons from said electron emitting device;
• and
• (E) voltage applying means for applying a potential higher than the potential applied to said second electroconductive member in order to irradiate the electrons emitted from said electron emitting device onto said anode electrode;
• wherein a through-hole that penetrates said second electroconductive member is defined in a part of said second electroconductive member which exists within a range from the gap to a distance Xs represented by the following expression (1), an electroconductive member to which a potential lower than said second electroconductive member is applied is disposed under said through-hole;
• and
• Xs=H×Vf/(π×Va) (1)
• where H is a distance between a plane of said anode electrode and said first primary surface, Vf is a voltage applied between said first electroconductive member and said second electroconductive member, Va is a voltage applied between said anode electrode and said first electroconductive member, and π is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.