The role of electron beam in display devices

Light emission from phosphors excited by high potential electron beams is the basic mechanism of Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT). Due to this mechanism CRT has remarkable features superior to other display devices. Therefore the electron optics has been a key tool in providing the device performances as required for the evolving applications. The superiority of CRT as a display device for the typical characteristics, the history of the progress of electron gun design and the importance of the electron optics for future improvements are discussed with reference to several examples.