Patent ID: 7518131

Claim:
An electron beam irradiating apparatus comprising: a chamber being kept under vacuum; an electron emitting element provided inside the chamber and generating and emitting an electron beam to be applied to an object to be irradiated, electron emitting element being a planar electron emitting element that has a planar electron emitting surface and may planarly apply the electron beam to the object to be irradiated, the planar electron emitting element comprising an emitter portion composed of a dielectric material, and first and second electrodes that are applied with a driving voltage for emitting electrons, wherein the first electrode is formed on a first surface of the emitter portion, the second electrode is formed on a second surface of the emitter portion, at least the first electrode has a plurality of through-holes where the emitter portion is exposed, a surface of the first electrode facing to the emitter portion around the through-holes is separated from the emitter portion, and the electron beam is emitted from at least the first surface of the emitter portion through the through-holes; and positioning means for positioning the object to be irradiated in the chamber, wherein the object to be irradiated is placed inside the chamber and directly irradiated with the electron beam emitted from the electron emitting element in a vacuum atmosphere of the chamber.