The preparation of sodium salicylate doped sol-gel films and their application as phosphor screens have been studied. The sol-gel process opens the possibility of homogeneously tailoring the overall thickness and chemical composition of such films. The adhesion of the sol-gel processed film to the substrate is noteworthy and, together with the rad-hard characteristics of the silica matrix, contributes to the durability of these films. With regard to the characteristics of the sodium salicylate doped sol-gel films as phosphor screens, the measured relative fluorescence efficiency is found to be among the highest ever reported without adverse affects on the fast response time (similar to4 ns).