Micro-fabricated charge-emission devices comprise an electrically conductive gate electrode with an aperture, an electrically conductive base electrode, a charge-emitting microstructure extending from a surface in electrical contact with the base electrode and terminating near the aperture of the gate electrode, and a dielectric layer stack disposed between the base electrode and the gate electrode. The dielectric layer stack comprises a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer is disposed between the second dielectric layer and the base electrode. The first dielectric layer is of a different selectively etchable dielectric material than the second dielectric layer. The dielectric layer stack h formed therein a cavity within which the charge-emitting emitting microstructure is disposed. The cavity has a corrugated wall shaped by the first dielectric layer undercutting the second dielectric layer. The corrugated wall surrounds the charge-emitting microstructure disposed within the cavity.