The present invention relates to a display device that employs edge emitters as a source for pixel electrons. The edge emitters allow the viewing glass plate to be made very small or eliminated, thereby substantially reducing the size of or eliminating the spacers typically utilized in conventional display devices and thereby enabling a simple and compact assembly structure. In one embodiment a pixel configuration comprises a phosphor area disposed between a plurality edge emitters, each of which are associated with tynes that are adapted to reduce the distance between the emitters and that separate the phosphor area into segments such that the emitters emit electrons when the voltage between a phosphor segment and the an emitter exceed a threshold voltage to cause the phosphor segment to emit light.