A flat panel display and a method for forming a carbon nanotube based flat panel display. In one embodiment, the flat panel display includes a barrier layer formed between a catalyst layer upon which microstructures of carbon nanotubes are formed and a resistor layer. The barrier layer acts as an anti diffusion layer between the catalysts layer and the resistor layer to prevent the catalyst layer from diffusing into the resistor layer during the growing of the carbon nanotubes. The barrier layer also enhances the adhesion characteristics of the catalyst layers to enable the uniform growth of the carbon nanotube structures on the catalyst layer.