Electroluminescent device which incorporates barium oxide films as breakdown protection

Claim 1

AN ELECTROLUMINESCENT DEVICE WHICH IS ENERGIZABLE TO A HIGH BRIGHTNESS WITH A LOW APPLIED POTENTIAL, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: A SUBSTRATE MEANS; A FIRST ELECTRODE CARRIED ON SAID SUBSTRATE MEANS; A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS PHOSPHOR LAYER DISPOSED OVER SAID FIRST ELECTRODE; A THIN CONTINUOUS BARIUM OXIDE DIELECTRIC FILM TIGHTLY TIGHTLY ADHERED TO SAID PHOSPHOR LAYER, SAID BARIUM OXIDE FILM HAVING A HIGH ELECTRICAL BREAKDOWN STRENGTH AND A HIGH DIELECTRIC CONSTANT, AND SAID BARIUM OXIDE FILM CONSTITUTING A DESICCANT FOR MOISTURE; AND A SECOND ELECTRODE OVER SAID BARIUM OXIDE LAYER, SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELECTRODES ADAPTED TO HAVE A POTENTIAL APPLIED THEREACROSS FOR ENERGIZING SAID DEVICE; WHEREBY SAID BARIUM OXIDE FILM SERVES THE PLURAL FUNCTIONS OF PROTECTING SAID DEVICE FROM ELECTRICAL BREAKDOWN ACROSS SAID ELECTRODES, PERMITTING A MORE INTENSE ELECTRIC FIELD TO BE APPLIED ACROSS SAID PHOSPHOR LAYER TO INCREASE THE BRIGHTNESS OF SAID DEVICE, AND ALSO PROTECTING SAID PHOSPHOR LAYER FROM THE DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF MOISTURE THROUGH THE DESICCANT PROPERTIES OF BARIUM OXIDE.