Editing Field electron emission (section)

==== Applications ====
The development of large-area field emission sources was originally driven by the wish to create new, more efficient, forms of [[flat panel display|electronic information display]]. These are known as "[[field-emission display]]s" or "nano-emissive displays". Although several prototypes have been demonstrated,<ref name=Milne/> the development of such displays into reliable commercial products has been hindered by a variety of industrial production problems not directly related to the source characteristics [En08].

Other proposed applications of large-area field emission sources<ref name=Milne>{{cite journal |author=Milne WI |title=E nano newsletter |date=Sep 2008 |issue=13 |url=http://www.phantomsnet.net/Foundation/Enano_newsletter13.php|display-authors=etal}}</ref> include [[microwave]] generation, space-vehicle neutralization, [[X-ray generation]], and (for array sources) multiple [[electron beam lithography|e-beam lithography]]. There are also recent attempts to develop large-area emitters on flexible substrates, in line with wider trends towards "[[plastic electronics]]".

The development of such applications is the mission of vacuum nanoelectronics. However, field emitters work best in conditions of good ultrahigh vacuum. Their most successful applications to date (FEM, FES and EM guns) have occurred in these conditions. The sad fact remains that field emitters and industrial vacuum conditions do not go well together, and the related problems of reliably ensuring good "vacuum robustness" of field emission sources used in such conditions still await better solutions (probably cleverer materials solutions) than we currently have.