Over 12 years have passed since the first field emission display (FED) prototype was built by LETI, France; this was a 5Ó diagonal, 1/4 VGA monochrome screen. At present, commercially available screens of similar design are beginning to emerge. These displays, manufactured by PixTech Inc., are based on a low-anode-voltage (<1kV) concept and are geared primarily for instrumentation applications. However, FED screens of superior image quality, including brightness and color purity, must be produced in order to challenge AMLCDs and ultimately the CRT beyond niche applications. To this end, Motorola adopted a high-anode-voltage approach to FED design that results in full-color, sun-light readable FED prototypes. In my presentation, I will address some of the challenges faced in producing a high-anode-voltage FED. In addition, I will describe some of the ongoing efforts at Motorola to produce still more readily affordable and reliable displays, such as those based on carbon cathodes.