An electron-emitting device has a pair of device electrodes formed on a substrate and an electroconductive film connected to the device electrodes. The electroconductive film has a first gap between the device electrodes and has a carbon film having a second gap at least in the first gap. The substrate is formed by stacking a nitrogen-contained activation suppressing layer and an activation accelerating layer having a nitrogen containing ratio smaller than that of the activation suppressing layer onto a base and has nitrogen containing ratio distribution in the activation suppressing layer in a film thickness direction. The nitrogen containing ratio of the activation suppressing layer at the activation accelerating layer side is smaller than that at the base side.