FIELD ELECTRON EMISSION ELEMENT AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME, ELECTRON EMISSION METHOD USING THIS ELEMENT, LUMINESCENT/DISPLAY DEVICE USING FIELD ELECTRON EMISSION ELEMENT AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

摘要

This invention provides a field electron emission element, which has a low electron emission threshold value, high output, and a prolonged service life and can be stably operated even in the air, and a process for producing the same and a field electron emission method using this element, and a luminescent/display device using a cold cathode electron source comprising this element. Ultraviolet light is applied with an excimer ultraviolet laser device or the like to an electron emission element substrate kept at room temperature to 1300ºC in such an atmosphere that a boron source and a nitrogen source starting material gas is introduced, at a pressure of 0.001 to 760 Torr through a gas introduction port, in an amount of 0.0001 to 100% by volume based on a dilute gas comprising a rare gas such as argon or helium or hydrogen, either alone or as a mixed dilute gas composed of the rare gas and hydrogen, while generating plasma using a plasma torch or the like or without generating plasma to allow the starting material gas to react and thus to self-form a boron nitride material containing a crystal represented by BN having a sharp shaped tip on the element substrate, whereby a field electron emission element, which can stably emit electrons in the air upon the application of voltage, is produced.