A field emission display (FED) panel system was successfully built through integration of a 0.7 in diagonal Si-based Mo-tip field emitter array with 25x25 pixels, a Y2O3:Eu or ZnO:Zn phosphor screen, and vacuum sealing through an exhausting glass tube, including a getter. The panel system was driven by an external driver circuit that has a pulse width modulation driving scheme. We have tried to evaluate quantitatively the activation effect of a getter. The getter activated at a relatively low temperature was shown to act as a good in situ minipump during the lift: of the FED. Before character imaging, it was stabilized through tip aging by slowly increasing a pulse-mode emission current and phosphor aging by a Coulombic charging process. After aging, luminescent characteristics such as emission uniformity, charging and arcing phenomena were shown to be improved significantly.