[en] Gadolinium hexaboride (GdB_6) nanocrystalline thin films were grown on tungsten (W), rhenium (Re) tips and foil substrates using optimized pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The X-ray diffraction analysis reveals formation of pure, crystalline cubic phase of GdB_6 on W and Re substrates, under the prevailing PLD conditions. The field emission (FE) studies of GdB_6/W and GdB_6/Re emitters were performed in a planar diode configuration at the base pressure ∝10"-"8 mbar. The GdB_6/W and GdB_6/Re tip emitters deliver high emission current densities of ∝1.4 and 0.811 mA/cm"2 at an applied field of ∝6.0 and 7.0 V/μm, respectively. The Fowler-Nordheim (F-N) plots were found to be nearly linear showing metallic nature of the emitters. The noticeably high values of field enhancement factor (β) estimated using the slopes of the F-N plots indicate that the PLD GdB_6 coating on W and Re substrates comprises of high-aspect-ratio nanostructures. Interestingly, the GdB_6/W and GdB_6/Re planar emitters exhibit excellent current stability at the preset values over a long-term operation, as compared to the tip emitters. Furthermore, the values of workfunction of the GdB_6/W and GdB6/Re emitters, experimentally measured using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, are found to be same, ∝1.6 ± 0.1 eV. Despite possessing same workfunction value, the FE characteristics of the GdB_6/W emitter are markedly different from that of GdB_6/Re emitter, which can be attributed to the growth of GdB_6 films on W and Re substrates. (orig.)