Patent ID: 7535161

Claim:
A flat fluorescent lamp comprising: a lower substrate; an upper substrate combined with the lower substrate to provide a discharge area therebetween; a plurality of sidewalls extending between the lower substrate and the edges of the upper substrate to define an interior; a plurality of walls partitioning the discharge area to provide a plurality of discharge units; a first voltage-applying electrode disposed at one end of each discharge unit and having a portion extending outside a first sidewall to be outside of the interior; a second voltage-applying electrode disposed at an opposite end of each discharge unit and having a portion extending outside a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall to be outside of the interior; a first discharge electrode formed on the first voltage-applying electrode; a second discharge electrode formed on the second voltage-applying electrode; a dielectric layer coated on an interior portion of each of the first and second voltage-applying electrodes, each dielectric layer being arranged completely in the interior; and a fluorescent layer formed within the discharge area.