Patent ID: 7826594

Claim:
A field emitter array system comprising: an emitter array comprising a plurality of emitter elements arranged in a non-rectangular layout and configured to generate at least one electron beam, wherein the plurality of emitter elements is divided into a plurality of emitter groups, each emitter group comprising a respective portion of the plurality of emitter elements therein; a plurality of extraction grids positioned adjacent to the emitter array, wherein each of the plurality of extraction grids is associated with an emitter group from the plurality of emitter groups to extract the at least one electron beam from at least one of the plurality of emitter elements associated therewith; and a plurality of voltage control channels connected to the plurality of emitter elements and the plurality of extraction grids such that each of the emitter elements and each of the extraction grids is individually addressable; wherein the number of voltage control channels is equal to a sum of a pair of integers closest in value whose product equals the number of emitter elements.