A field emission display (100) includes an electron emitter structure (105) designed to emit an emission current (134), a phosphor (126) disposed to receive at an electron-receiving surface (127) emission current (134), and a multi-layered barrier structure (125) disposed on electron-receiving surface (127) of phosphor (126). Multi-layered barrier structure (125) of the preferred embodiment includes an aluminum layer (128) disposed on electron-receiving surface (127) of phosphor (126) and a carbon layer (129) disposed on aluminum layer (128).