Cold cathode field emission device and process for the production thereof, and cold cathode field emission display and process for the production thereof

A process for producing a cold cathode field emission device comprising the steps of;

• (A) forming a cathode electrode on a front surface of a support member that transmits exposure light, said cathode electrode having a hole in a bottom of which the support member is exposed, being composed of a material that does not transmit exposure light and extending in a first direction,
• (B) forming an insulating layer on an entire surface, said insulating layer being composed of a photosensitive material that transmits exposure light,
• (C) forming a gate electrode on the insulating layer, said gate electrode being composed of a photosensitive material and extending in a second direction different from the first direction,
• (D) irradiating the support member with exposure light from a back surface side of the support member through said hole using an exposure-light-shielding as a mask for exposure, to expose the insulating layer and the gate electrode in portions above the hole to the exposure light, developing the insulating layer and the gate electrode to remove the insulating layer and the gate electrode in the portions above the hole, whereby an opening portion is formed through the insulating layer and the gate electrode above the hole and part of the cathode electrode is exposed in a bottom portion of the opening portion, said opening portion having a larger diameter than said hole,
• (E) forming an electron-emitting-portion-forming-layer composed of a non-photosensitive material that transmits exposure light, at least inside the opening portion,
• (F) forming an etching mask layer composed of a resist material on said electron-emitting-portion-forming-layer,
• (G) irradiating the support member with exposure light from the back surface side of the support member through said hole using said exposure-light-shielding member as a mask for exposure, to expose the etching mask layer in a portion above the hole to the exposure light, and developing the etching mask layer to leave the etching mask layer on the electron-emitting-portion-forming-layer positioned in a bottom portion of the opening portion, and
• (H) etching the electron-emitting-portion-forming-layer with the etching mask layer, and then removing the etching mask layer, to form an electron emitting portion constituted of the electron-emitting-portion-forming-layer on the cathode electrode and inside the hole.

A process for producing a cold cathode field emission device comprising the steps of;

• (A) forming a cathode electrode on a front surface of a support member that transmits exposure light, said cathode electrode having a hole in a bottom of which the support member is exposed, being composed of a material that does not transmit exposure light and extending in a first direction,
• (B) forming an insulating layer composed of a non-photosensitive material that transmits exposure light on an entire surface,
• (C) forming a gate electrode on the insulating layer, said gate electrode being composed of a non-photosensitive material that transmits exposure light and extending in a second direction different from the first direction,
• (D) forming an etching mask layer composed of a resist material on the gate electrode and the insulating layer,
• (E) irradiating the support member with exposure light from a back surface side of the support member through said hole using an exposure-light-shielding member as a mask for exposure, to expose the etching mask layer to the exposure light, and then developing the etching mask layer to form a mask-layer-opening through the etching mask layer in a portion above the hole,
• (F) etching the gate electrode and the insulating layer below the mask-layer-opening with the etching mask layer, and then removing the etching mask layer, whereby an opening portion is formed through the insulating layer and the gate electrode above the hole and part of the cathode electrode is exposed in a bottom portion of the opening portion, said opening portion having a larger diameter than said hole,
• (G) forming an electron-emitting-portion-forming-layer composed of a photosensitive material at least inside the opening portion, and
• (H) irradiating the support member with exposure light from the back surface side of the support member through said hole using said exposure-light-shielding member as a mask for exposure, to expose the electron-emitting-portion-forming-layer above the hole to the exposure light, and developing the electron-emitting-portion-forming-layer to form an electron emitting portion constituted of the electron-emitting-portion-forming-layer on the cathode electrode and inside the hole.