ELECTROLUMINESCENT CELLS

A large-area electroluminescent faceplate (20) for a storage cathode ray tube comprises an array of EL cells (40) on the inside of a front glass plate (12). The faceplate comprises a transparent conductor layer (24), a dielectric layer (30), an active electroluminescent layer (22), a dielectric layer (28) and a resistive layer (26). The dielectric layer (30) has a thin active region (34) for each cell (40) surrounded by a mesh structure of thicker, narrow non-active region (32). Overlaying the non-active region (32) is a mesh structure of high conductivity strips (36). Side areas (27) of the layer (26) provide individual current limiting resistance between a power source and the active regions to improve the faceplate breakdown characteristics. The mesh of high conductivity strips delivers power to the active regions and is substantially reduced in area relative to a simple conventional device. Its disposition on the thick dielectric nonactive region further reduces the possibility of catastrophic breakdown.