To provide an electron emission element and its manufacturing method for suppressing diode light emission owing to a crack by preventing generation of the crack in an insulating layer when a cathode electrode is patterned and lowering a drive voltage as well as improving screen brightness by enhancing conductivity of the cathode electrode.

The emission element includes a first and a second substrates, disposed opposite with each other by arbitrarily spacing, at least one gate electrode formed on the first substrate, a cathode electrode formed on at least one gate electrode by holding the insulating layer and made of a layered structure with at least two layers, an electron emission source positioned in contact with the cathode electrode, at least one anode electrode formed on the second substrate, and a fluorescent screen positioned on one face of at least one anode electrode.