Electron-emitting devices, electron sources, and image-forming apparatus

Abstract

Provided are electron-emitting devices, electron sources, and image-forming apparatus improved in electron emission efficiency and in convergence of trajectories of emitted electrons. An electron-emitting device has a first electrode and a second electrode placed in opposition to each other with a gap between first and second electrodes on a surface of a substrate, and a plurality of fibers electrically connected to the first electrode and containing carbon as a main component, and the fibers are placed on a surface of the first electrode facing the second electrode.

1 .- 30 . (canceled)  
   
   
       31 . An electron-emitting device comprising: 
 (A) first and second electrodes disposed on an electrically-insulating substrate, wherein a gap is formed between said first and second electrodes, the first electrode contains Ti, Zr or Nb, and a surface containing an oxide of Ti, Zr or Nb of the first electrode is disposed on only a position facing the second electrode, and the first electrode is exposed at a surface thereof except for the position facing the second electrode; and    a fibrous carbon grown through a catalyst particle disposed on said surface facing said second electrode wherein there is a gap between the fibrous carbon and said second electrode.    
   
   
       32 . (canceled)  
   
   
       33 . The electron-emitting device according to  claim 31 , wherein an electron emission position from said fibrous carbon is more distant from a surface of said substrate than a position, being the most distant from said surface of said substrate, of a surface of said second electrode.  
   
   
       34 . The electron-emitting device according to  claim 31 , wherein said second electrode and said first electrode are formed into a substantially planar shape on a surface of said substrate, a thickness of said first electrode is larger than a thickness of said second electrode, and a voltage is applied between said first and second electrodes so that a potential of said second electrode is higher than that of said first electrode, thereby emitting an electron from said fibrous carbon.  
   
   
       35 . The electron-emitting device according to  claim 31 , wherein said substrate is thicker in a region where said first electrode is formed than in a region where said second electrode is formed, and a voltage is applied between said first and second electrodes so that a potential of said second electrode is higher than that of said first electrode, thereby emitting an electron from said fibrous carbon.  
   
   
       36 . (canceled)  
   
   
       37 . An image-forming apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of electron-emitting devices, each being an electron-emitting device according to  claim 31;  and    a fluorescent member.    
   
   
       38 . An image-forming apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of electron-emitting devices, each being an electron-emitting device according to  claim 33;  and    a fluorescent member.    
   
   
       39 .- 43 . (canceled)  
   
   
       44 . An image-forming apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of electron-emitting devices, each being an electron-emitting device according to claim  39 ; and    a fluorescent member.    
   
   
       45 . An image-forming apparatus comprising: 
 a plurality of electron-emitting devices, each being an electron-emitting device according to claim  40 ; and    a fluorescent member.    
   
   
       46 . (canceled)  
   
   
       47 . (canceled)