A vacuum flat panel display including: a plurality of electrically addressable pixels; a plurality of thin-film transistor driver circuits each being electrically coupled to an associated at least one of the pixels, respectively; a passivating layer on the thin-film transistor driver circuits and at least partially around the pixels; a conductive frame on the passivating layer, said frame and pixel area coated with an insulator; and, a plurality of cathode emitters are deposited on the coated frame while phosphor is deposited on the coated pixel; wherein, exciting the cathode emitters and addressing one of the pixels using the associated driver circuit causes the emitted electrons to induce one of the pixels to emit light. By introducing a noble gas or mixture, and a ML layer having a DC, AC or pulsed voltage applied thereto, one creates a plasma to form a sheath boundary at the insulator causing electron multiplication and increased illumination.