Yttrium　oxide　was　chosen　as　the　secondary　emission　substance　based　on　calculation　results　through　first　principle　theory　method.　A　new　kind　of　pressed　yttrium　oxide-tungsten　matrix　dispenser　cathodes　are　prepared　by　a　sol　gel　method　combined　with　high　temperature　sintering　in　dry　hydrogen　atmosphere.　The　results　show　that　the　growth　of　the　grains　is　hampered　by　the　pinning　effect　of　Y2O3　distributing　uniformly　between　the　tungsten　particles,　resulting　in　the　formation　of　small　grain　size.　It　is　found　that　Y2O3　improves　the　secondary　electron　emission　property,　i.e.,　the　secondary　emission　yield　increases　with　the　increase　of　Y2O3　content　in　the　samples.　The　maximum　secondary　emission　yield　S.　of　the　cathode　with　15%　amount　of　Y2O3　can　reach　2.92.　Furthermore,　the　cathode　shows　a　certain　thermionic　emission　performance.　The　zero　field　emission　current　density　J(o)　of　4.18A/cm(2)　has　reached　at　1050　degrees　C-b　for　this　kind　of　cathode　after　being　activated　at　1200　degrees　C-b,　which　are　much　higher　than　that　of　rare　earth　oxide　doped　molybdenum　(REO-Mo)　cathode　reported　in　the　previous　work.　(C)　2014　Elsevier　B.V.　All　rights　reserved.