A new fabrication technology for the chimney-shaped metal field emission elements with a self-alignment process which makes the emitter structure symmetrical. This tectnology is based on the isotropic or anisotropic, wet or dry etching and then the sputtering deposition of the emither material as well as the wet etching of attaching silicon. The finished field emitters are with excellent uniformity and high reproducibility and are able to emit the current thirty times in magnitude higher than that from the conventional cone-shaped field emitters at the same electric field.