Field Emission Display

A field emission display (FED) is a display technology that incorporates flat panel display technology that uses large-area field electron emission sources to provide electrons that strike colored phosphor to produce a color image as a electronic visual display. In a general sense, a FED consists of a matrix of cathode ray tubes, each tube producing a single sub-pixel, grouped in threes to form red-green-blue (RGB) pixels. FEDs combine the advantages of CRTs, namely their high contrast levels and very fast response times, with the packaging advantages of LCD and other flat panel technologies. They also offer the possibility of requiring less power, about half that of an LCD system.

After considerable time and effort in the early and mid-2000s, Sony's FED efforts started winding down in 2009 as LCD became the dominant technology. In January 2010, AU Optronics announced that it acquired essential FED assets from Sony and intends to continue development of the technology.

FEDs are closely related to another developing display technology, the surface-conduction electron-emitter display, or SED, differing primarily in details of the electron emission system. In August 2010, Canon announced they were shutting down their joint effort to develop SEDs commercially, signalling the end of development efforts.