ELECTRON EMISSION ELEMENT AND IMAGE FORMING DEVICE

PURPOSE:To enable the electrical resistance value of a thin film for forming an electron emitting portion to be controlled without depending on the method and process of fabrication by allowing a metal oxide to contain a metal ion whose valence differs from that of the constituent metal ion of the metal oxide by 1. CONSTITUTION:In a surface conduction electron emission element comprising an insulating substrate 1, element electrodes 5, 6, and a thin film 4 including an electron emitting portion 3,the portion 3 of the film 4 is made from a number of conductive particles with particle diameters of several Angstrom , preferably 5 to 500Angstrom , and the portion of the film 4 other than the portion 3 is made of a particle film 4. A metal oxide containing a transition metal as its constituent element is sandwiched between the pair of electrodes 5, 6, and a metal ion whose valence differs from that of the constituent metal ion of the metal oxide by 1 is added to the metal oxide. The electrical resistance value of the thin film for forming the electron emitting portion can then be controlled, so that forming can be facilitated without depending on the method and process of fabrication.