Patent ID: 7193363

Claim:
A flat noble-gas discharge lamp comprising: an outer enclosure that comprises: a flat rear-surface substrate; a flat front-surface substrate that confronts the rear-surface substrate and that is separated from the rear-surface substrate by a prescribed distance; a frame member disposed on a perimeter of the flat rear-surface substrate that connects the flat rear-surface substrate to the flat front-surface substrate; and a gas that is hermetically sealed inside the outer enclosure; a plurality of electrodes provided on at least one of the flat rear-surface substrate and the flat front-surface substrate; at least one dielectric film that provides a dielectric barrier discharge; and films of fluorescent material provided on an inner surface of said outer enclosure, wherein the application of voltage between a pair among said plurality of electrodes causes a glow discharge based on the dielectric barrier discharge inside said outer enclosure; and ultraviolet rays that are emitted by this glow discharge are converted to visible light by said films of fluorescent material, and extracted through said front-surface substrate to the outside; wherein said films of fluorescent material comprises a first fluorescent film that is provided on said rear-surface substrate, and a second fluorescent film that is provided on said front-surface substrate and that emits visible light of a color that differs from that of said first fluorescent film.