A novel method of high-efficiency cold cathode formation is developed. The technique is based on the growth of nitrogenated carbon nanofibers in a high-pressure apparatus on a graphite substrate. An average nitrogen concentration up to 13% was achieved. The turn-on and threshold fields for such cathodes are substantially lower than those for cathodes based on other carbon materials. A special method of substrate preparation provides strong adhesion of carbon-nitrogen nanomaterial and its durability during long-term cathode operation. It is shown that due to high uniformity, emission efficiency and time reliability, the field emission cathodes based on carbon-nitrogen nanofibers (CNNs) are very promising for high-brightness flat indicators and displays.