Carbon nanotube (CNT) cathodes prepared with and without glass fillers were irradiated by a KrF (248 nm) excimer laser light with a homogeneous beam-intensity profile at various laser power densities. The current density was greatly increased by adding glass fillers to the paste. The turn-on field became as low as 0.34 V/mu m and the emission density became as high as 5.88 mA/cm(2) at a field of 2 V/mu m by KrF laser irradiation, presumably due to the change in morphology of the surface of the CNT cathodes. (c) 2006 American Vacuum Society.