Characteristics of an electron source of a surface‐conduction electron‐emitter display

— The electron source is an essential part of a surface‐conduction electron‐emitter display (SED). An electron source for an SED was obtained after certain procedures were performed. By introducing a carbon atmosphere, the electron‐emission characteristics of a SED were studied experimentally. The electron‐emission characteristic curves were drawn after comparing the experimental data of the electron source obtained in a vacuum environment with the data obtained in a carbon atmosphere, from which it had proved that a carbon atmosphere could significantly improve the electron‐emission characteristics of a SED. As a result, both the device current and the emission current had become stronger and the efficiency of surface‐conduction electron emission had been improved significantly. The possible reasons were analyzed: more carbon, which could possibly form the electron‐emission region of a SED, was produced from the carbon atmosphere during the electrical activation process.