High current density field emission from arrays of carbon nanotubes and diamond-clad Si tipsEmitter life and emission stability of field emission vacuum microelectronic devices are strongly influenced by the morphology and surface chemistry of the emission surfaces. Vacuum microelectronic devices like field emission displays ͑FEDs͒ are vacuum devices, which have continuous interaction between the emission surfaces and the residual gases in the vacuum envelope. Any significant variation in the shape, morphology, or chemical composition of the emitter surface will result in emission current changes. In this article, we report measurements of the surface chemical modifications of active FED cathodes due to their interaction with the residual gas environment within the vacuum envelope. The changes in emitter tip height is measured using high resolution scanning electron microscopy ͑SEM͒. Surface chemical changes are determined by micro-Auger electron spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy ͑XPS͒. Observations with SEM did not show any measurable changes in the tip height and shape. The micro-Auger and XPS measurements indicate the accumulation of surface oxides on tips that have undergone aging.

A 5.1-inch, high voltage, full-color, quarter VGA field emission display (FED) has been developed for use in applications requiring high brightness, wide viewing angle, and thin package space. The display is an engineering platform used to further develop the FED and associated technologies. The Spindt tip array, with a pixelated anode, produces a uniform, crisp image. Thin, modular, low power electronics drive the display. A NTSC controller is included in the display and simplifies user operation using standard interfaces.

Setting viewing‐angle requirements and specifications for displays depends on how viewing‐angle is defined. There is significant confusion in the industry regarding the definition and use of horizontal and vertical viewing‐angle. Moreover, the relations between viewing‐angle defined in Cartesian coordinates and common representations in spherical and goniometer‐specific coordinates are often confused. This paper will show how incorrect definitions of viewing‐angle and failures to apply appropriate transformations between coordinate systems lead to errors in setting specifications and reporting results.

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A psychophysical experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of field emission display (FED) fill factor on display image quality. A two‐alternative, forced‐choice psychophysical task was employed to obtain judgments of image coarseness and overall image quality as a function of three fill factors, 30 percent, 40 percent and 69 percent of VGA resolution FEDs. The results revealed that FED imaging performance is not improved by increasing the fill factor of 325 micron pixel pitch FEDs, provided that space‐average luminance is maintained constant.