To provide an electron emitting element which does not reduce an emission current when it is driven for a long time by providing a conductive thin film having an electron emitting section formed between element electrodes and a getter laminated on a heater member near the electron emitting section.

An electron emitting section 5 is formed with a high-resistance crack formed at part of a conductive thin film 4. A getter 22 is formed on a heater member 21, the heater member 21 is particularly arranged to heat the getter 22, and a thin film, a wire or a fine grains made of a metal such as Au, Ni or a conductive oxide such as ITO are used for it. The conductive thin film 4 may concurrently serve as the heater member 21. When an electron emitting element is driven in this case, a current flows on the conductive thin film 4, and the getter 22 on the conductive thin film 4 is heated. The electron emitting section 5 is preferably formed at the edge section of an element electrode.