Transition-metal nitrides seem to have good field emission characteristics, but their field emission properties are not well known. NbN, Nb2N, TiN, and ZrN emitters were fabricated by nitriding elemental metal needles. These nitride field emitters gave step- and spikelike current fluctuations. The NbN emitters, which had been flash heated at 900 degrees C, showed the most stable field emission current among the nitride emitters examined.