A ZnGa2O4/ZnO phosphor screen for FED was prepared by RF magnetron sputtering. The ZnO buffer layer has a reasonable resistivity of about 5.2 x 10(3) Omega cm and a high transparency larger than 85%. The ZnGa2O4 phosphor was polycrystalline on ITO, yet it was amorphous on ZnO. If the ZnGa2O4/ZnO phosphor screen was annealed at temperatures above 300 degrees C, then ZnGa2O4 was crystallized. Owing to the lattice mismatch between ZnGa2O4 and ZnO, the grain size of ZnGa2O4 on ZnO was small. As a result, the effective emission area and luminescence of the ZnGa2O4/ZnO phosphor screen were enhanced. Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) examination showed that atoms in ZnO did not diffuse into ZnGa2O4 film, and the ZnGa2O4 was Zn-deficient. For charge balance, oxygen vacancy defects in the phosphor film were formed to compensate Zn deficiencies; consequently, the probability for electrons transfer from E-2(B) to (4)A(2) of Ga energy levels was improved and the luminescence of the phosphor was increased. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.