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This paper concerns an all‐solid‐state, high‐contrast electroluminescent (EL) flat panel display which is becoming the potential for multifunctional avionic displays. In this ACTFEL (a.c. thin film electroluminescent flat panel) device, an active layer, doped with manganese (ZnS:Mn) is sandwiched between the two dielectric layers followed by conductive layers. All the layers are transparent except the back conductive layer. In the basic mode of operation, an alternating voltage is applied across any two crossing electrodes. When this voltage exceeds the ‘threshold voltage’, light is emitted from the active layer. EL mechanism (the generation of electrons, acceleration of these electrons to optical energies, and collision excitation of the Mn ions yielding light emission) occurs within the film or at the surface of the ZnS:Mn layer. A bright yellow light, in the visible region and with a relatively broad spectrum, is emitted. The TFEL display's thinness, compactness, low weight, moderately low power requirements and durability are its prime advantages. The characteristics of various thin films utilised in TFEL have been studied, and the data in this paper show the optimum requirements for luminance, efficiency and reliability of the light emission in ACTFEL.