Display

An active matrix electroluminescent device provides a gray scale display. The device comprises a first electrode layer including a plurality of individually addressable pixel electrodes, a second electrode layer, and a stack including at least a phosphor layer which produces light upon the application of an electric field across the phosphor layer and a dielectric layer. The stack is disposed between the first and second electrode layers. The gray scale is provided by selecting a set of selected ones of the pixel electrodes with data signals during a first subframe time period of a frame. The second electrode layer is driven during the first subframe time period with a first illumination signal having a first amplitude. At least one of the set of the selected ones of the pixel electrodes is selected with data signals during a subsequent subframe time period of the frame. The second electrode layer is driven during the subsequent subframe time period with a subsequent illumination signal having a second amplitude, where the subsequent amplitude is different than the first amplitude. At least one of the set of the selected ones of the pixel electrodes is selected with data signals during a further subsequent subframe time period of the frame. The second electrode layer is driven during the further subsequent subframe time period with a further subsequent illumination signal having a third amplitude, where the third amplitude is different than the first amplitude and the second amplitude.