Display

The present invention relates to a thin film electroluminescent device for providing a gray scale 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 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 or third amplitude where the subsequent amplitude or third amplitude is different than the first amplitude or different than the first amplitude and second amplitude.