Gas discharge display panel device sputter resistant segmented electrodes

There is disclosed an improved gaseous discharge display device having segmented electrodes, typically cathode electrodes, shaped in the form of segments of characters to be displayed, a viewing plate carrying an opposing electrode, typically an anode electrode, there being one such anode electrode for each character position to be displayed and a seal sealing the electrodes and a gaseous medium at glow discharge pressure therein. The cathode electrodes are a sputter resistant material selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, tungsten boride, chromium boride, molybdenum boride and molybdenum disilicide, these sputter resistant materials being in powder form deposited upon the dielectric substrate to form at least some of the electrodes and in a preferred form, the sputter resistant material is applied as a coating to conventional precious metal electrodes such as silver.