An electroluminescent light-emitting device is manufactured in a semi-continuous process using vapor deposition technology to reduce the thickness of the dielectric layers. The phosphor, dielectric and electrode layers are deposited sequentially on a flexible web substrate, preferably PET coated with conductive ITO, which is passed through the deposition sections on a continuous basis. By depositing the dielectric layers in vacuum, very thin layers are possible, which yields increased transparency and electrical capacitance. Accordingly the resulting multi-layer structure is suitable for the manufacture of large-area EL devices.