Patent ID: 7717602

Claim:
A liquid crystal display device, comprising: a liquid crystal display panel including a display region and a non-display region at a periphery of the display region; and a backlight unit under the liquid crystal display panel, the backlight unit including an external electrode fluorescent lamp and the external electrode fluorescent lamp including: a tube filled with a discharge gas, the tube including a top portion facing the liquid crystal display panel, a bottom portion opposite to the top portion, and a side portion between the top and bottom portions; and a first external electrode on an outer surface of the tube, the first external electrode having a line-like shape and being disposed symmetrically on the side portion of the tube without covering the top portion, wherein the tube has a fluorescent region, a partial fluorescent region immediately adjacent to the fluorescent region and a non-fluorescent region immediately adjacent to the partial fluorescent region, and the first external electrode is in the partial fluorescent region.