A flat panel display is disclosed. The flat panel display includes a plurality of electrically addressable pixels, a plurality of thin-film transistor driver circuits each been electrically coupled to an associated at least one of the pixels, respectively, a passivating layer on the thin-film transistor driver circuits and at least partially around the pixels, a conductive frame on the passivating layer, and a plurality of nanostructures on the conductive frame, wherein, creating a voltage difference between the pixels and the conductive frame by addressing one of the pixels using the associated driver circuit causes the nanostructures to emit electrons that induce a corresponding one of the pixels to emit light. The display further comprising a nano material deposited on a metal cathode layer. The nano-material providing additional electron emission through secondary electron emission.