The fabrication and testing of a back-gated field emission device (bgFED) are reported. The properties of a unique allotrope of carbon, carbon nanosheet (CNS), are exploited for use as a highly effective field emitter material, and CNSs are incorporated into a bgFED capable of producing several milliamperes of emission current. The bgFED is evaluated in terms of triode modulation, high current capability, and short-term stability. (c) 2006 American Vacuum Society.