Abstract: In an electron beam device employing an electron-emitting device in which a gate and a cathode are provided to sandwich a recess portion formed on an insulating member, electrons are scattered after the collision against the gate and then extracted, it is made possible to easily obtain stable electron emission characteristics and also to prevent the electron-emitting device from being deteriorated or being fractured due to overheating even when an excessive heat has been generated. The electron-emitting device includes the cathode having a protrusion 30 positioned astride the outer surface of the insulating member and the inner surface of the recess portion formed in the insulating member, and the gate including a layered structure of at least two electroconductive layers. A thermal expansion coefficient of the electroconductive layer which is arranged at a part facing to the protrusion is larger than that of the other electroconductive layer.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a cathode; a gate; an anode; an electron emitting element arranged on the cathode; an image forming member that is arranged opposite to the electron emitting element; a deflection electrode that deflects the orbit of the electron emitted from the electron emitting element and headed toward the anode; and a driver, wherein assuming that an electric field required to start electron emission from the electron emitting element is Ee, that an electric field applied to the electron emitting element by applying voltage to the anode is Ea and that an electric field applied to the electron emitting element by applying voltage to the gate is Eg, the driver applies voltages to the cathode, the gate, and the anode in such a way that (i) Ea>Ee or (ii) Ea+Eg>Ee and Ea>Eg is satisfied.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus comprising: a cathode; a gate; an anode; an electron emitting element arranged on the cathode; an image forming member that is arranged opposite to the electron emitting element; a deflection electrode that deflects the orbit of the electron emitted from the electron emitting element and headed toward the anode; and a driver, wherein assuming that an electric field required to start electron emission from the electron emitting element is Ee, that an electric field applied to the electron emitting element by applying voltage to the anode is Ea and that an electric field applied to the electron emitting element by applying voltage to the gate is Eg, the driver applies voltages to the cathode, the gate, and the anode in such a way that (i) Ea>Ee or (ii) Ea+Eg>Ee and Ea>Eg is satisfied.

Abstract: In a process of reducing a resistivity of a polymer film for carbonization in a surface conduction electron-emitting device, by irradiating an energy beam onto the polymer film, when an energy intensity of the beam given in a unit area in a unit time is assumed to be W W/m2, W satisfies a formula W?2×T×(?sub·Csub·?sub/?)1/2, where T is defined as a temperature ° C. at which the polymer film is heated for one hour in a vacuum degree of 1×10?4 Pa to reduce a resistivity of the polymer film to 0.1 ?·cm, Csub is a specific heat J/kg·K of the substrate, ?sub is a specific gravity kg/m3 of the substrate, ?sub is a heat conductivity W/m·K of the substrate, and ? is an irradiation time in the range of 10?9 sec to 10 sec.

Abstract: In an electron source manufacturing method and apparatus, a plurality of electron-emitting devices are commonly connected to a first wiring and to a plurality of second wirings, respectively. A voltage V1 is applied to the plurality of devices connected to the first wiring by the difference between potentials applied to the first wiring and the plurality of second wirings.

Abstract: An electron is source formed by a plurality of electron-emitting devices provided on a substrate and connected by a wiring. Use of an electron ray manufacturing apparatus having electrical connecting means connected to the wiring at three or more points can uniformize characteristics of a plurality of the electron-emitting devices.

Abstract: In a process of reducing a resistivity of a polymer film for carbonization in a surface conduction electron-emitting device, by irradiating an energy beam onto the polymer film, when an energy intensity of the beam given in a unit area in a unit time is assumed to be W W/m2, W satisfies a formula W≧2×T×(&rgr;sub·Csub·&lgr;sub/T)1/2, where T is defined as a temperature ° C. at which the polymer film is heated for one hour in a vacuum degree of 1×10−4 Pa to reduce a resistivity of the polymer film to 0.1 &OHgr;·cm, Csub is a specific heat J/kg·K of the substrate, &rgr;sub is a specific gravity kg/m3 of the substrate, &lgr;sub is a heat conductivity W/m·K of the substrate, and T is an irradiation time in the range of 10−9 sec to 10 sec.

Abstract: An electron-beam generating device, in which a number of cold cathode elements are matrix-wired, as well as a method of driving the device, is applied to an image forming apparatus. Statistical calculations are performed in advance with regard to a required electron-beam output, and loss produced in the matrix wiring is analyzed. Drive signals are corrected by deciding optimum correction values based upon the analytical results. As a result, when rows of the matrix are driven successively row by row, the intensity of the outputted electron beams can made accurate for any driving pattern.

Abstract: When manufacturing an electron-beam source, an activation is performed. To generate activation material at a plurality of electron-emitting devices; by dividing the plurality of electron-emitting devices into plural groups and sequentially applying voltage to each group.

Abstract: This invention discloses an electron source manufacturing method including the step of applying a voltage to a plurality of conductive members by applying a potential to first portions of the plurality of conductive members serving as at least part of electron-emitting devices via a wiring commonly connected to the plurality of conductive members, and applying a potential to second portions of the plurality of conductive members, wherein the potential applied to the second portions of the plurality of conductive members is set to relax the difference in voltage applied to the plurality of conductive members owing to the difference between potentials at portions respectively connected to the first portions of the plurality of conductive members in the wiring commonly connected to the plurality of conductive members.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for driving an electron source in which a high-quality image display is presented by correcting a non-uniform effective current distribution caused in cold cathode elements by leakage current. A digital video signal enters a shift register where a serial-to-parallel conversion is made for each line of an image based upon a shift clock signal. One line of the image data that has been subjected to the serial-to-parallel conversion is latched in a latch circuit and then applied to a voltage modulating circuit. The latter voltage-modulates the input data and sends the modulated signal to a voltage/current converting circuit. The latter converts the voltage quantity to a current quantity, which is applied to each of the cold cathode elements of a display panel through respective column terminals. A voltage V1 is applied to the selected row wire, and a voltage V2 (V2≠V1) is applied to all other row wires, for controlling the leakage current.

Abstract: When manufacturing an electron-beam source, an activation is performed to generate activation material at a plurality of electron-emitting devices. The activation is generated by dividing the plurality of electron-emitting devices into plural groups and sequentially applying voltage to each group.

Abstract: An emission current (Ie1) emitted by the electron-emitting device and/or a device current (If1) flowing through the electron-emitting device are measured when a voltage (V1) is applied to the electron-emitting device and an emission current (Ie2) emitted by the electron-emitting device and/or a device current (If2) flowing through the electron-emitting device are measured when the voltage (V1) is applied to the electron-emitting device after the measurement step. A voltage (V2) higher than the voltage (V1) is applied to the electron-emitting device when the emission current (Ie2) is larger than the emission current (Ie1) and/or the device current (If2) is larger than the device current (If1).

Abstract: This invention relates to an electron source and an image forming apparatus each of which particularly comprises a surface conduction type electron emitting element as an electron emitting element, a method of manufacturing an electron source and an image forming apparatus, in which the energization forming treatment step of the surface conduction type electron emitting element is performed by applying a voltage to an electron emitting portion formation thin film via a nonlinear element connected in series with the thin film and having nonlinear voltage/current characteristics, an electron source and an image forming apparatus in each of which the nonlinear element is connected in series with the surface conduction type electron emitting element, and a method of driving the same.

Abstract: In an image display apparatus including a multi-electron beam source having a plurality of electron-emitting devices (51) wired in a matrix using a plurality of column wiring layers and a plurality of row wiring layers, and a plurality of phosphors which are excited to emit light upon irradiation of electron beams, a delta arrangement of phosphors is realized with the simple arrangement of the multi-electron beam source. The column and row wiring layers are straight layers, the plurality of phosphors (R, G, and B) are arranged in a delta arrangement, and the multi-electron beam source is adjusted such that a plurality of electron beams emitted therefrom reach the phosphors. For this reason, the directions of electrons emitted from the devices on an odd ((2p-1)th) row and an even (2pth) row along orbits are reversed.

Abstract: When manufacturing an electron-beam source, an activation is performed to generate activation material at a plurality of electron-emitting devices. The activation is generated by dividing the plurality of electron-emitting devices into plural groups and sequentially applying voltage to each group.

Abstract: This invention relates to an electron source and an image forming apparatus each of which particularly comprises a surface conduction type electron emitting element as an electron emitting element, a method of manufacturing an electron source and an image forming apparatus, in which the energization forming treatment step of the surface conduction type electron emitting element is performed by applying a voltage to an electron emitting portion formation thin film via a nonlinear element connected in series with the thin film and having nonlinear voltage/current characteristics, an electron source and an image forming apparatus in each of which the nonlinear element is connected in series with the surface conduction type electron emitting element, and a method of driving the same.

Abstract: An electron-beam generating device and a method of driving same, in which a number of cold cathode elements are matrix-wired, is applied to an image forming apparatus. Statistical calculations are performed in advance with regard to a required electron-beam output, and loss produced in the matrix wiring is analyzed. Drive signals are corrected by deciding optimum correction values based upon the analytical results. As a result, when rows of the matrix are driven successively row by row, the intensity of the outputted electron beams can made accurate for any driving pattern.

Abstract: An electron source emits electrons as a function of input signals. The electron source includes a substrate, a matrix of wires having m row wires and n column wires laid on the substrate with an insulator layer interposed therebetween, and a plurality of surface-conduction electron-emitting devices each having a pair of electrodes and a thin film including an electron emitting region and arranged between the electrodes. The electron-emitting devices are so arranged as to form a matrix with the electrodes connected to the respective row and column wires. The electron source further includes a selector for selecting a row of the plurality of surface-conduction electron-emitting devices, and a modulator for generating modulation signals according to input signals and applying them to the surface-conduction electron-emitting devices selected by the selector.

Abstract: A color display device has an evacuated vessel accommodating at least an electron-beam generating source in which a plurality of surface-conduction electron emitting devices are arrayed on a substrate, and phosphors for the three primary colors red, green and blue for emitting light in response to being irradiated with electron beams from the electron-beam generating source. A modulator is provided to modulate the electron beams, which irradiate the phosphors, based upon an image signal, the modulator having .gamma.-corrector for subjecting the image signal to a gamma correction. The modulator modulates the electron beams based upon the image signal corrected in advance by the .gamma.-corrector.