The preparation of high-luminance blue emitting Tm-activated multicomponent oxide phosphor thin films is described. The phosphor thin films were deposited on thick BaTiO3 ceramic sheets by r.f. magnetron sputtering using powder targets. A very high photoluminescence (PL) intensity in blue emission could be observed in postannealed Tm-activated gadolinium oxide-vanadium oxide Gd-0.5-V-0.5-O:Tm thin films prepared using Tm2O3-doped (Gd2O3)(0.5)-(V2O5)(0.5) targets (V2O5 content of 50 mol.%). It should be noted that thin films of this phosphor postannealed at 1100 degreesC in air exhibited higher PL intensity than those from commercially available blue BaMgAl14O23:Eu (BAM) phosphor powder and Gd-0.5-V-0.5-O:Tm powders. In addition, a Gd-0.5-V-0.5-O:Tm thin-film electroluminescent device exhibited a blue emission that was the same as the PL emission. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.