A ferroelectric emitter is described. The ferroelectric emitter of the present invention includes a ferroelectric layer having a first side, an opposing second side, and a top surface, a first and a second electrode formed along the top surface of the ferroelectric layer, and a mask layer which has a predetermined pattern and is formed along the top surface of the ferroelectric layer between the first and second electrodes. When used in ferroelectric switching emission lithography, the ferroelectric emitter of the present invention allows electron emission from a wide or narrow gap of a mask layer and from an isolated pattern such as a doughnut shape while facilitating re-poling in pyroelectric electron emission.