Thin film luminescent layers have applications in electroluminescent devices and potential application to other displays with high brightness and high resolution requirements. Displays such as field emission devices where high current densities, high electric fields, and small dimensional tolerances are present require phosphors which have high maintenance qualities and good adherence to the face plate. To increase the luminance of EL displays high quality phosphor layers are necessary. In this study, we report the growth kinetics studies of ZnS and the properties of high quality ZnS layers grown by metalorganic molecular beam epitaxial deposition for display applications. The layers' structural and optical properties have been characterized by x-ray diffraction, electron and optical microscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. These measurements were made as a function of the growth and process conditions such as growth temperature, flux ratios, different sulfur precursors, etc. PL spectra exhibited free- and bound-exciton transitions indicative of high quality ZnS material.