Patent ID: 8278815

Claim:
A field emission light emitting device comprising: a substantially transparent substrate; a plurality of spacers, wherein each of the plurality of spacers, connects the substantially transparent substrate to a backing substrate; and a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels separated by one or more spacers, wherein each of the pixels of the plurality of pixels comprises: one or more first electrodes disposed over the substantially transparent substrate, wherein each of the one or more first electrodes comprises a substantially transparent conductive material; a light emitting layer disposed over each of the one or more first electrodes; one or more second electrodes disposed over the backing substrate; and one or more nanocylinder electron emitter arrays disposed over each of the one or more second electrodes, the nanocylinder electron emitter array comprising a plurality of nanocylinder electron emitters disposed in a dielectric matrix, and spaced apart from adjacent emitters of the pixel by the dielectric matrix, the dielectric matrix comprising an upper surface and a plurality of openings therein, and a third electrode disposed on the dielectric matrix and comprising a plurality of openings therein, wherein each of the plurality of nanocylinder electron emitters is within one of the plurality of openings in the dielectric matrix, physically contacts the dielectric matrix, and comprises a first end connected to the second electrode and a second end positioned to emit electrons, and the second end of each nanocylinder electron emitter is recessed below the upper surface of the dielectric matrix and exposed by one of the plurality of openings in the dielectric matrix and by one of the plurality of openings in the third electrode.