Far ultraviolet ray-emitting device

Abstract

This far ultraviolet ray-emitting device may comprise: a surface light source which emits light via surface discharge; and a band pass filter positioned on the light-emitting surface of the surface light source. The surface light source includes: a first plate member having the light-emitting surface; a second plate member that faces the first plate member with a discharge space therebetween and has an electrode surface on the outer surface thereof; and a first electrode and a second electrode, which are positioned on the electrode surface of the second plate member. According to the above configuration, the first electrode and the second electrode are only arranged on the electrode surface of the second plate member and not arranged on the first plate member. Therefore, the surface light source emits light via surface discharge rather than dielectric barrier discharge and can ensure sufficient acceleration distance for electrons or ions generating discharge, and thus can improve light-emitting efficiency. In addition, the material costs of the electrodes can be reduced, and thus the manufacturing costs of the far ultraviolet ray-emitting device can be reduced.

Description

ultraviolet emitting device

[0001] This specification relates to a far ultraviolet ray emitting device capable of generating ultraviolet rays that are harmless to the human body.

[0002] In general, ultraviolet lamps are used in various fields for the purpose of sterilizing bacteria and fungi by generating ultraviolet rays.

[0003] UV lamps, by utilizing a lamp-type design, can be used appropriately and easily when needed. Furthermore, installation and maintenance costs for UV lamps are low. Furthermore, the UV rays emitted from UV lamps remain largely constant, maintaining consistent sterilizing power.

[0004] UV lamps generate ultraviolet rays (UV) of various wavelengths depending on the materials provided inside the lamp. For example, they can generate UV-A (315 nm to 400 nm), UV-B (280 nm to 315 nm), UV-C (100 nm to 280 nm), etc.

[0005] Among these, UV-C wavelengths possess the strongest sterilizing power. When exposed to UV-C, bacteria and fungi are damaged and killed. In other words, UV-C damages the DNA of living organisms, making it effective against a wide range of bacteria.

[0006] Therefore, sterilization using ultraviolet lamps is more efficient than sterilization using heat, chemicals, ozone, or radiation.

[0007] Typically, ultraviolet lamps, especially excimer lamps, can be classified into tube type lamps and plate type lamps.

[0008] Here, the tubes provided in the tube type lamp can be classified into circular tubes having a cross-sectional shape that is approximately circular, and rectangular tubes having a cross-sectional shape that is approximately square. The rectangular tubes can be manufactured by forming circular tubes using a processing method such as thermoforming.

[0009] And the flat type lamp can be formed by sealing two plates using a sealant.

[0010] The tube provided in the above tube type lamp and the flat plate provided in the above flat plate type lamp can each be formed of quartz.

[0011] An example of an ultraviolet irradiation device having a tube-type lamp formed into a circular tube is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0049890 (hereinafter referred to as “prior patent 1”), and an example of an excimer lamp having a tube-type lamp formed into a square tube is disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1646862 (hereinafter referred to as “prior patent 2”).

[0012] The ultraviolet irradiation device of the above prior art patent 1 comprises a lamp house having a light extraction surface formed on at least one surface, a plurality of excimer lamps positioned in the lamp house in a first direction spaced apart from the light extraction surface and generating ultraviolet rays whose main emission wavelength is included in a first wavelength band (190 nm or more, 225 nm or less), a first electrode arranged in contact with an outer surface of the excimer lamp, a second electrode arranged in contact with the outer surface of the excimer lamp at a position spaced apart from the first electrode in a second direction parallel to the tube axis of the excimer lamp, and an optical filter arranged on the light extraction surface and substantially transmitting ultraviolet rays in the first wavelength band while substantially blocking ultraviolet rays in a wavelength band (240 nm or more, 300 nm or less) that is harmful to the human body.

[0013] However, in the ultraviolet irradiation device of the above-mentioned prior art patent 1, since the tube provided in the excimer lamp is formed in a circular shape, a plurality of excimer lamps must be arranged in the ultraviolet irradiation device in order to form a surface light source structure.

[0014] Here, a “surface light source” refers to a light source in which most of the surface from which light is emitted, for example, the light-emitting surface, is formed to be substantially flat.

[0015] Therefore, when the tube provided in the excimer lamp is formed in a circular shape, a surface light source structure must be formed using multiple excimer lamps.

[0016] However, a lamp having a square tube and a flat type lamp can form a surface light source structure with one or more lamps, respectively.

[0017] Therefore, the ultraviolet irradiation device of prior art patent 1 has a problem in that the number of lamps increases compared to a lamp having a square tube and a flat-type lamp, and thus the manufacturing cost increases.

[0018] In addition, when forming a surface light source structure using multiple excimer lamps, there is a problem that the light quantity is reduced compared to the area of ​​the lamp housing because the distance between adjacent excimer lamps along the first direction must be maintained at a constant interval. In other words, there is a problem that the area of ​​the lamp housing is large compared to the light quantity.

[0019] The above prior art patent 2 discloses an excimer lamp having a tube type lamp formed as a square tube.

[0020] The square tube of the above prior art patent 2 includes a pair of flat wall portions and a side wall portion connecting the flat wall portions, and the flat wall portions form a light-emitting surface.

[0021] In this way, the excimer lamp of the above-mentioned prior art patent 2 can be viewed as having a surface light source structure, since the flat wall portion of the square tube forms a light-emitting surface.

[0022] However, the excimer lamp of the above-mentioned prior art patent 2 has the problem that it is difficult to form a surface light source of precise dimensions because it is formed only with heat, and the manufacturing process is complicated because both ends of the surface light source must be joined using a sealant.

[0023] In addition, electrodes of different polarities are arranged oppositely on a pair of flat walls provided in the square tube of the above-mentioned prior art patent 2.

[0024] That is, a first electrode or a second electrode is placed on one flat wall portion, and another electrode, for example, a second electrode or a first electrode, is placed on the other flat wall portion.

[0025] Therefore, in the excimer lamp of prior art patent 2, in which the first and second electrodes of different polarities are arranged opposite each other on different flat walls, light is emitted by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), so there is a problem in that sufficient light emission efficiency cannot be obtained because the acceleration distance of electrons or ions that generate the discharge is short.

[0026] In addition, since the first and second electrodes are respectively positioned on the flat wall portion, the area of ​​the light-emitting surface through which light is emitted through the flat wall portion is reduced due to the electrodes. Therefore, there is a problem of low light extraction efficiency.

[0027] In addition, in the excimer lamp of prior art patent 2, in order to secure a light-emitting surface, the electrode located on the light-emitting surface must be formed in a mesh type. In order to form a mesh-type electrode, an electrode layer must be formed over the entire area of ​​the light-emitting surface, and then a part of the electrode layer must be removed to form a mesh type.

[0028] Therefore, there is a problem that the material cost of the electrode is high due to the electrode layer being removed and not being used as an electrode.

[0029] In addition, in the excimer lamp of prior art patent 2, the ultraviolet reflective film for reflecting ultraviolet rays is placed on the inner surface of the flat wall portion, so it is difficult to form the ultraviolet reflective film.

[0030] Meanwhile, as a light-emitting device equipped with a flat-type lamp, an ultraviolet irradiation device is disclosed in which a spacer is placed between two flat plates to form a discharge space and the two flat plates are then sealed with a sealant, or one side of a relatively thick flat plate among the two flat plates is etched to form a discharge space and the two flat plates are then sealed with a sealant.

[0031] A UV light emitting device equipped with a flat type lamp can be viewed as having a surface light source structure since the flat plate forms a light emitting surface.

[0032] However, the ultraviolet ray emitting device equipped with the above-mentioned flat type lamp, like the above-mentioned prior patent 2, has first and second electrodes of different polarities arranged opposite each other on different flat plates, and thus contains the same problems that occur in the above-mentioned prior patent 2.

[0033] In addition, in the case of a deep ultraviolet emitting device having a flat type lamp formed by sealing two flat plates, there is a problem that the manufacturing process of the deep ultraviolet emitting device is complicated because a sealing material for joining the two flat plates and an exhaust tip required for exhausting and injecting gas must be provided.

[0034] Meanwhile, in the conventional ultraviolet ray light emitting devices disclosed in prior patents 1 and 2, a bandpass filter for blocking ultraviolet rays of harmful wavelengths that are harmful to humans is coated on a separate quartz plate (e.g., a fused quartz substrate), and then the fused quartz substrate coated with the bandpass filter is installed on the light extraction surface. Therefore, there is a problem of reduced light transmittance due to the use of the fused quartz substrate.

[0035] That is, when a fused quartz substrate is provided for installing a bandpass filter, some of the light is reflected at the boundary between the lamp and the fused quartz substrate and is prevented from being emitted outside the lamp, resulting in a problem of reduced light transmittance.

[0036] [Prior Art Literature]

[0037] [Patent Document]

[0038] Prior patent 1: Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0049890

[0039] Prior patent 2: Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-1646862

[0040] The technical problem to be solved by this specification is to provide a far-ultraviolet light emitting device that can solve at least one of the problems described above.

[0041] Another technical problem to be solved by the present specification is to provide a deep ultraviolet light emitting device having a surface light source that emits light by surface discharge.

[0042] Another technical challenge that this specification seeks to address is to provide a far-ultraviolet light emitting device equipped with a surface light source capable of sufficiently securing an acceleration distance of electrons or ions that generate a discharge.

[0043] Another technical problem that the present specification seeks to solve is to provide a far-ultraviolet light emitting device having a surface light source with improved luminous efficiency.

[0044] Another technical problem that the present specification seeks to solve is to provide a far-ultraviolet light emitting device having a surface light source with improved light extraction efficiency.

[0045] Another technical problem that the present specification seeks to solve is to provide a deep ultraviolet light emitting device having a surface light source in which electrodes of different polarities are arranged on the same surface.

[0046] Another technical challenge that this specification seeks to address is to provide a far-ultraviolet light emitting device having a bandpass filter disposed on the light-emitting surface of a surface light source.

[0047] Another technical challenge that this specification seeks to address is to provide a deep ultraviolet emitting device having a surface light source of precise dimensions.

[0048] Another technical challenge that this specification seeks to address is to provide a deep ultraviolet emitting device having a surface light source with a simple manufacturing process.

[0049] The technical problems to be achieved in this specification are not limited to the technical problems mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which this specification pertains from the description below.

[0050] A UV light emitting device according to one aspect of the present disclosure may include a surface light source that emits light by surface discharge; and a bandpass filter positioned on a light emitting surface of the surface light source.

[0051] The surface light source of the ultraviolet ray light emitting device according to one aspect of the present specification may include a first plate member having the light emitting surface; a second plate member facing the first plate member with a discharge space therebetween and having an electrode surface on an outer surface; and a first electrode and a second electrode positioned on the electrode surface of the second plate member.

[0052] According to this configuration, the first electrode and the second electrode are disposed only on the electrode surface of the second plate member, and not on the first plate member.

[0053] Accordingly, the above surface light source generates light by surface discharge rather than dielectric barrier discharge, and since it can sufficiently secure an acceleration distance of electrons or ions that generate the discharge, it can improve light emission efficiency.

[0054] In addition, since the material cost of the electrode can be reduced, the manufacturing cost of the ultraviolet ray light emitting device can be reduced.

[0055] The first electrode may include a first main electrode portion, the second electrode may include a second main electrode portion, and the first main electrode portion and the second main electrode portion may be positioned spaced apart from each other by a first interval.

[0056] According to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately control the acceleration distance of electrons or ions by appropriately setting the size of the first gap.

[0057] The first electrode and the second electrode can be formed in an asymmetrical structure or a symmetrical structure.

[0058] When the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in an asymmetrical structure, either one of the first electrode and the second electrode may include at least one auxiliary electrode portion protruding toward the main electrode portion of the opposing electrode.

[0059] By forming an auxiliary electrode section, the discharge initiation voltage can be lowered.

[0060] When the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in a symmetrical structure, an auxiliary electrode positioned between the first main electrode part and the second main electrode part may be further included.

[0061] By forming an auxiliary electrode, the discharge initiation voltage can be lowered.

[0062] When the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in a symmetrical structure, the first electrode may include at least one first auxiliary electrode portion protruding toward the second main electrode portion, and the second electrode may include at least one second auxiliary electrode portion protruding toward the first main electrode portion.

[0063] The at least one first auxiliary electrode portion and the at least one second auxiliary electrode portion may face each other.

[0064] By forming the first auxiliary electrode part and the second auxiliary electrode part, the discharge initiation voltage can be further lowered.

[0065] The first plate member and the second plate member may be made of quartz glass or ceramic.

[0066] The second plate member may include a concave portion for forming a discharge space, and a first wall member positioned at an edge of the second plate member and surrounding the concave portion, and a sealant may be positioned between the first wall member and the first plate member.

[0067] Therefore, since the second plate member including the first wall member is joined to the first plate member by the sealant, the discharge space can be maintained in a sealed state.

[0068] The second plate member may further include a second wall member positioned inside the discharge space.

[0069] According to this configuration, the gap between the first plate member and the second plate member can be maintained constant by the first wall member and the second wall member.

[0070] The bandpass filter may be provided on a fused quartz substrate, and the fused quartz substrate provided with the bandpass filter may be positioned on the light-emitting surface of the first plate member.

[0071] According to this configuration, it is possible to block ultraviolet rays of harmful wavelengths that are harmful to the human body.

[0072] Alternatively, the bandpass filter can be coated directly onto the light-emitting surface of the first plate member.

[0073] According to this configuration, some of the light reflected at the interface between the first plate member and the fused quartz substrate can be reduced, thereby increasing the light extraction efficiency.

[0074] Additionally, the manufacturing cost of the ultraviolet emitting device can be reduced by not using a fused quartz substrate.

[0075] The discharge space may be provided with an inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon (Ar), neon (Ne), xenon (Xe), and krypton (Kr), and the inert gas may be selected from the group consisting of ArBr, ArCl, ArF, ArO, NeF, XeI, XeO, XeBr, XeCl, XeF, KrBr, KrCl, KrO, and KrF.

[0076] Instead of the second plate member having a wall member, the surface light source may further include a first spacer positioned between an edge of the first plate member and an edge of the second plate member, and a sealant may be positioned between the first spacer and the first plate member and between the first spacer and the second plate member.

[0077] Therefore, since the first spacer is bonded to the first plate member and the second plate member, respectively, the discharge space can be maintained in a sealed state.

[0078] The surface light source may further include a second spacer positioned inside the discharge space.

[0079] According to this configuration, the gap between the first plate member and the second plate member can be maintained constant by the first spacer and the second spacer.

[0080] According to another aspect of the present specification, the surface light source of the ultraviolet ray light emitting device may include: a light emitting portion having the light emitting surface; an electrode portion facing the light emitting portion with a discharge space therebetween and having an electrode surface on which a first electrode and a second electrode are arranged; and a side wall portion connecting the light emitting portion and the electrode portion along a first direction, wherein among a first end and a second end positioned on both sides in the first direction, the first end may be formed as a bonded end in which the light emitting portion and the electrode portion are in direct contact with each other and joined, and the second end may be formed as a sealed end in which the light emitting portion and the electrode portion extend in the first direction and are sealed by a sealant.

[0081] A surface light source of this configuration can be formed by a method of heating a cylindrical tube and forming the cylindrical tube using a mold on the outside of the cylindrical tube.

[0082] The light-emitting portion, electrode portion, and bonding end portion of the surface light source can be formed during molding using a mold.

[0083] When forming using a mold, the thickness of the light emitting portion and the electrode portion can be formed uniformly by injecting compressed air into the interior of the cylindrical tube.

[0084] According to this configuration, it is possible to shape a surface light source to precise dimensions.

[0085] The above-mentioned joint end can be formed into a flat square shape in cross-section, and the above-mentioned sealing end can be formed into a circular shape in cross-section.

[0086] According to this configuration, an unprocessed cylindrical tube portion can be used as a sealing end, and after exhaust and gas injection are performed through the sealing end, it can be sealed using a sealing material.

[0087] Therefore, there is no need to form the exhaust tip separately.

[0088] At the above-mentioned joint end, the light-emitting portion and the electrode portion can be in direct contact with each other.

[0089] The thickness of the above-mentioned joint end can be formed to be smaller than the thickness of the surface light source, and the thickness of the above-mentioned sealing end can be formed to be larger than the thickness of the surface light source.

[0090] That is, since the cross-sectional shape of the sealing end is formed in a circular shape, exhaust and gas injection operations can be performed smoothly.

[0091] When forming using a mold, the light-emitting portion and the electrode portion can each be formed substantially flat.

[0092] In contrast, when forming using a mold, at least one of the light-emitting portion and the electrode portion can be formed to have at least one curved portion.

[0093] According to this configuration, the number of discharge filaments with high plasma density can be increased, so that the amount of ultraviolet rays can be increased and a stable discharge can be maintained.

[0094] The first electrode and the second electrode are placed only on the electrode surface of the electrode part, and are not placed on the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting part.

[0095] Accordingly, the above surface light source generates light by surface discharge rather than dielectric barrier discharge, and since it can sufficiently secure an acceleration distance of electrons or ions that generate the discharge, it can improve light emission efficiency.

[0096] In addition, since the material cost of the electrode can be reduced, the manufacturing cost of the ultraviolet ray light emitting device can be reduced.

[0097] The first electrode may include a first main electrode portion, the second electrode may include a second main electrode portion, and the first main electrode portion and the second main electrode portion may be positioned spaced apart from each other by a first interval.

[0098] According to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately control the acceleration distance of electrons or ions by appropriately setting the size of the first gap.

[0099] The first electrode and the second electrode can each be coated, printed or deposited on the surface of the electrode portion, and can be in direct contact with the surface of the electrode portion.

[0100] According to this configuration, after forming a cylindrical tube, the first electrode and the second electrode can be formed directly on the surface of the electrode portion.

[0101] In contrast, the first electrode and the second electrode may each be formed of a thin metal plate and may be in direct contact with the surface of the electrode portion.

[0102] According to this configuration, when forming using a mold, the first electrode and the second electrode can be placed directly on the electrode portion.

[0103] In this case, each of the first electrode and the second electrode may have a portion embedded in the electrode portion.

[0104] According to this configuration, the first electrode and the second electrode can be firmly fixed to the electrode part.

[0105] The surface light source may further include a reflective member disposed between the first electrode and the electrode portion and between the second electrode and the electrode portion.

[0106] The reflective member can be formed of PTFE, a fluorine-based polymer with frail properties.

[0107] According to this configuration, the electrode can be firmly attached to the reflective member with little influence from the thickness unevenness of the electrode portion and the thickness unevenness of the electrode material.

[0108] In addition, by placing a reflective member formed of a material having a higher reflectivity than the electrode material between the electrode and the electrode portion, the loss of ultraviolet light extracted from the surface light source can be minimized, and the degree of freedom in the design of the electrode structure or the surface light source can be improved.

[0109] The first electrode and the second electrode can each be coated, printed or deposited on the reflective member and can be in direct contact with the surface of the reflective member.

[0110] According to this configuration, after forming a cylindrical tube, a reflective member can be formed directly on the surface of the electrode portion, and then the first electrode and the second electrode can be formed directly on the surface of the reflective member.

[0111] In contrast, the first electrode and the second electrode may each be formed of a thin metal plate and may be in direct contact with the surface of the reflective member.

[0112] According to this configuration, when forming using a mold, the reflective member can be placed directly on the electrode portion.

[0113] In this case, a portion of the reflective member may be embedded in the electrode portion.

[0114] According to this configuration, the reflective member can be firmly fixed to the electrode portion.

[0115] The first electrode and the second electrode may be formed in an asymmetrical structure or in a symmetrical structure.

[0116] When the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in an asymmetrical structure, either the first electrode or the second electrode may include at least one auxiliary electrode portion protruding toward the main electrode portion of the opposing electrode.

[0117] By forming an auxiliary electrode section, the discharge initiation voltage can be lowered.

[0118] When the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in a symmetrical structure, an auxiliary electrode positioned between the first main electrode part and the second main electrode part may be further included.

[0119] By forming an auxiliary electrode, the discharge initiation voltage can be lowered.

[0120] When the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in a symmetrical structure, the first electrode may include at least one first auxiliary electrode portion protruding toward the second main electrode portion, and the second electrode may include at least one second auxiliary electrode portion protruding toward the first main electrode portion.

[0121] The at least one first auxiliary electrode portion and the at least one second auxiliary electrode portion may face each other.

[0122] By forming the first auxiliary electrode part and the second auxiliary electrode part, the discharge initiation voltage can be further lowered.

[0123] The light emitting portion, electrode portion, bonding end portion and sealing end portion may be made of quartz glass or ceramic.

[0124] A bandpass filter may be provided on a fused quartz substrate, and the fused quartz substrate provided with the bandpass filter may be positioned on a light-emitting surface of the light-emitting portion.

[0125] According to this configuration, it is possible to block ultraviolet rays of harmful wavelengths that are harmful to the human body.

[0126] Alternatively, the bandpass filter can be coated directly onto the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting element.

[0127] According to this configuration, some of the light reflected at the boundary between the light emitting portion and the fused quartz substrate can be reduced, thereby increasing the light extraction efficiency.

[0128] Additionally, the manufacturing cost of the ultraviolet emitting device can be reduced by not using a fused quartz substrate.

[0129] The discharge space formed between the light emitting portion and the electrode portion may be provided with an inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon (Ar), neon (Ne), xenon (Xe), and krypton (Kr), and the inert gas may be selected from the group consisting of ArBr, ArCl, ArF, ArO, NeF, XeI, XeO, XeBr, XeCl, XeF, KrBr, KrCl, KrO, and KrF.

[0130] The surface light source provided in the ultraviolet ray emitting device according to this specification emits light by surface discharge rather than dielectric barrier discharge.

[0131] Therefore, since the acceleration distance of electrons or ions that generate discharge can be sufficiently secured, the luminous efficiency is improved.

[0132] In addition, since the material cost of the electrode can be reduced, the manufacturing cost of the ultraviolet ray light emitting device can be reduced.

[0133] And, since an auxiliary electrode part is provided on at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode, or an auxiliary electrode is formed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the discharge initiation voltage is lowered by the auxiliary electrode part or the auxiliary electrode.

[0134] And, by using a bandpass filter, we can block harmful wavelengths of ultraviolet rays that are harmful to the human body.

[0135] In addition, when a bandpass filter is directly coated on the light-emitting surface of a surface light source, light extraction efficiency can be increased, and the manufacturing cost of a deep ultraviolet light-emitting device can be reduced because a fused quartz substrate is not used.

[0136] The effects that can be obtained from this specification are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects that are not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the technical field to which this specification belongs from the description below.

[0137] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and are intended to aid in the understanding of the present specification and are a part of the detailed description, provide embodiments of the present specification and, together with the detailed description, explain the technical features of the present specification.

[0138] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a surface light source according to a first embodiment of the present specification.

[0139] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line “Ⅱ-Ⅱ” of Figure 1.

[0140] Fig. 3 is a drawing schematically showing an electrode structure provided in the surface light source of Fig. 1.

[0141] FIG. 4 is a drawing according to a first modified example schematically showing an electrode structure provided in the surface light source of FIG. 1.

[0142] FIG. 5 is a drawing according to a second modified example schematically showing an electrode structure provided in the surface light source of FIG. 1.

[0143] FIG. 6 is a drawing according to a third modified example schematically showing an electrode structure provided in the surface light source of FIG. 1.

[0144] Fig. 7 is a drawing according to a fourth modified example schematically showing an electrode structure provided in the surface light source of Fig. 1.

[0145] Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a surface light source according to the second embodiment of the present specification.

[0146] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line “Ⅸ-Ⅸ” of Figure 8.

[0147] Figure 10 is a table showing the measurement of the amount of ultraviolet rays of a surface light source having an electrode structure according to the second modified example of the present specification.

[0148] Fig. 11 is a plan view of a surface light source according to the third embodiment of the present specification.

[0149] Figure 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line “ⅩⅡ-ⅩⅡ” of Figure 11.

[0150] Figure 13 is an enlarged view of the main part of Figure 12.

[0151] Fig. 14 is a drawing schematically showing an electrode structure provided in the surface light source of Fig. 11.

[0152] Fig. 15 is a drawing according to a first modified example schematically showing an electrode structure provided in the surface light source of Fig. 11.

[0153] Fig. 16 is a drawing according to a second modified example schematically showing an electrode structure provided in the surface light source of Fig. 11.

[0154] Fig. 17 is a drawing according to a third modified example schematically showing an electrode structure provided in the surface light source of Fig. 11.

[0155] Fig. 18 is a drawing according to a fourth modified example schematically showing an electrode structure provided in the surface light source of Fig. 11.

[0156] Fig. 19 is a plan view of a surface light source according to the fourth embodiment of the present specification.

[0157] Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line “ⅩⅩ-ⅩⅩ” of Figure 19.

[0158] Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line “ⅩⅩⅠ-ⅩⅩⅠ” of Figure 19.

[0159] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a general mold used to manufacture a surface light source according to the third embodiment of the present specification.

[0160] FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a special mold used to manufacture a surface light source according to the fourth embodiment of the present specification.

[0161] FIG. 24 is a conceptual diagram of a mold used to manufacture a surface light source according to the embodiment of FIG. 19.

[0162] Figure 25 is a table comparing the number of filaments and the amount of light of the surface light source of the third embodiment and the surface light source of the fourth embodiment of the present specification according to the distance between electrodes.

[0163] Hereinafter, embodiments disclosed in this specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Regardless of the drawing numbers, identical or similar components are given the same reference numbers and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0164] The suffixes "assembly" and "part" used for components in the following description are given or used interchangeably only for the convenience of writing specifications, and do not have distinct meanings or roles in themselves.

[0165] In addition, when describing the embodiments disclosed in this specification, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, the detailed description is omitted.

[0166] In addition, the attached drawings are only intended to facilitate easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical ideas disclosed in this specification are not limited by the attached drawings, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of this specification.

[0167] Terms that include ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used solely to distinguish one component from another.

[0168] When it is said that a component is "coupled to" or "in contact with" another component, it should be understood that it may be directly coupled to or in direct contact with that other component, but there may also be other components present in between.

[0169] On the other hand, when it is said that a component is "directly coupled" to or "in direct contact with" another component, it should be understood that there are no other components in between.

[0170] Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0171] In this application, terms such as “include” or “have” are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but should be understood not to exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0172] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments according to the present specification will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Regardless of the drawing numbers, identical or similar components are given the same reference numbers and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0173] Hereinafter, an ultraviolet ray emitting device according to an embodiment of the present specification is described.

[0174] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a surface light source according to a first embodiment of the present specification, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line “Ⅱ-Ⅱ” of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a drawing schematically showing an electrode structure provided in the surface light source of FIG. 1.

[0175] The ultraviolet ray light emitting device of the present embodiment has a surface light source (100) that emits light by surface discharge.

[0176] A surface light source (100) includes a first plate member (110) having a light-emitting surface (111), and a second plate member (120) facing the first plate member (110) with a discharge space (130) therebetween.

[0177] The first plate member (110) is formed as a flat plate, the second plate member (120) is formed thicker than the first plate member (110), and a concave portion (121) for forming a discharge space (130) is provided on the inner surface of the second plate member (120).

[0178] And, on the inner edge of the second plate member (120), a first wall member (123) surrounding a concave portion (121) is provided.

[0179] The first wall member (123) can be viewed as the remaining portion of the second plate member (120) excluding the concave portion (121).

[0180] That is, the concave portion (121) and the first wall member (123) can be formed by removing a portion of the second plate member (120) formed thicker than the first plate member (110) by etching or the like, and the first wall member (123) can be viewed as a part of the second plate member (120). Therefore, the first wall member (123) can be formed integrally with the second plate member (120).

[0181] The second plate member (120) may further include a second wall member (125) positioned inside the discharge space (130).

[0182] The second wall member (125) can be formed in the same manner as the first wall member (123), and can be formed with a length (L2) shorter than the length (L1) of the discharge space (130).

[0183] The first plate member (110) and the second plate member (120) can be joined by a sealant (140). The sealant (140) can be positioned between the first wall member (123) and the first plate member (110), and can also be positioned between the second wall member (125) and the first plate member (110).

[0184] Accordingly, since the second plate member (120) is joined to the first plate member (110) by the sealant (140), the discharge space (130) formed by the concave portion (121) of the second plate member (120) can maintain a sealed state.

[0185] The first plate member (110) and the second plate member (120) may be made of quartz glass or ceramic.

[0186] Since the first wall member (123) and the second wall member (125) can each be viewed as a part of the second plate member (120), the first wall member (123) and the second wall member (125) can also be made of quartz glass or ceramic.

[0187] The discharge space (130) may be provided with an inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon (Ar), neon (Ne), xenon (Xe), and krypton (Kr), and the inert gas may be selected from the group consisting of ArBr, ArCl, ArF, ArO, NeF, XeI, XeO, XeBr, XeCl, XeF, KrBr, KrCl, KrO, and KrF.

[0188] An electrode surface (127) is provided on the outer surface of the second plate member (120), and a first electrode (151) and a second electrode (153) are arranged on the electrode surface (127).

[0189] In this way, in the surface light source (100) of the present embodiment, the first electrode (151) and the second electrode (153) are arranged only on one side of the surface light source (100), that is, on the electrode surface (127) of the second plate member (120), and are not arranged on the light-emitting surface (111) of the first plate member (110).

[0190] Accordingly, the surface light source (100) of the present embodiment emits light by surface discharge rather than dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) that occurs when the first electrode (151) and the second electrode (153) are placed on different plate members (110, 120).

[0191] According to this configuration, the acceleration distance of electrons or ions that generate discharge can be sufficiently secured without increasing the height (H) of the discharge space (130) formed between the first plate member (110) and the second plate member (120), thereby improving the light emission efficiency of the surface light source (100).

[0192] According to the experiment conducted by the inventor of the present invention, the amount of ultraviolet rays of the surface light source that emits light by dielectric barrier discharge was measured to be 0.8 mW / cm2 to 2.64 mW / cm2, but the amount of ultraviolet rays of the surface light source (100) of the present embodiment that emits light by surface discharge was measured to be 6.2 mW / cm2 to 11.2 mW / cm2.

[0193] Therefore, it can be seen that the luminescence efficiency of the ultraviolet ray luminescence device having the surface light source (100) of the present embodiment in which luminescence is generated by surface discharge is much higher than the luminescence efficiency of the ultraviolet ray luminescence device having the conventional surface light source in which luminescence is generated by dielectric barrier discharge.

[0194] In addition, the surface light source (100) of the present embodiment can reduce the material cost of the electrodes (151, 153), and thus can reduce the manufacturing cost of the ultraviolet ray light emitting device.

[0195] That is, in a conventional surface light source in which light emission is achieved by dielectric barrier discharge, i.e., a surface light source in which the first electrode and the second electrode are positioned oppositely, the electrodes located on the light emitting surface are formed in a mesh type to secure a light emitting surface. In order to form a mesh type electrode, an electrode layer must be formed over the entire area of ​​the light emitting surface, and then a part of the electrode layer must be removed to form a mesh type.

[0196] Therefore, there is a problem that the material cost of the electrode is high due to the electrode layer being removed and not being used as an electrode.

[0197] However, in the case of the present embodiment, since the electrode is not positioned on the light-emitting surface (111), there is no need to form the first electrode (151) and the second electrode (153) in a mesh shape, and although there may be some differences depending on the electrode forming method, the amount of electrode layer removed during the electrode forming process may be very small compared to the prior art, or there may be no need to remove the electrode layer during the electrode forming process.

[0198] Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the material cost of the electrodes (151, 153) can be reduced, and thus the manufacturing cost of the ultraviolet ray light emitting device can be reduced.

[0199] The first electrode (151) and the second electrode (153) arranged on the electrode surface (127) of the second plate member (120) can be formed in a symmetrical structure.

[0200] To explain this, in the present embodiment, the first electrode (151) may include a first main electrode portion (151-1), and the second electrode (153) may include a second main electrode portion (153-1).

[0201] The first main electrode part (151-1) and the second main electrode part (153-1) can be positioned apart from each other with a first gap (D1).

[0202] According to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately control the acceleration distance of electrons or ions by appropriately setting the size of the first gap (D1).

[0203] The first main electrode part (151-1) and the second main electrode part (153-1) can each be formed as a square-shaped sheet electrode.

[0204] The first main electrode portion (151-1) and the second main electrode portion (153-1) can be formed on the electrode surface (127) by various known methods such as printing, coating, and sputtering.

[0205] Figures 4 to 6 illustrate various modified examples in which the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in a symmetrical structure.

[0206] To explain this, first, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the surface light source according to the first modified example may further include an auxiliary electrode (155) positioned between the first main electrode part (151-1) and the second main electrode part (153-1) in addition to the first main electrode part (151-1) and the second main electrode part (153-1) illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0207] In this way, according to the electrode structure further including the auxiliary electrode (155), the discharge initiation voltage can be lowered compared to the embodiment of FIG. 3 described above.

[0208] Next, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the surface light source according to the second modified example may further include at least one first auxiliary electrode part (151-2) and at least one second auxiliary electrode part (153-2) in addition to the first main electrode part (151-1) and the second main electrode part (153-1) illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0209] At least one first auxiliary electrode part (151-2) may be formed integrally with the first main electrode part (151-1) and may protrude toward the second main electrode part (153-1).

[0210] And at least one second auxiliary electrode part (153-2) can be formed integrally with the second main electrode part (153-1) and can protrude toward the first main electrode part (151-1).

[0211] The at least one first auxiliary electrode part (151-2) and the at least one second auxiliary electrode part (153-2) may face each other.

[0212] And when the second plate member (120) has a second wall member (125), as shown by a dotted line in Fig. 5, the second wall member (125) can be placed in the space between adjacent auxiliary electrode parts.

[0213] For example, the second wall member (125) can be placed between adjacent first auxiliary electrode parts (151-2) and between adjacent second auxiliary electrode parts (153-2).

[0214] And the second wall member (125) may not overlap with the auxiliary electrode portion (151-2, 153-2), or may partially overlap with the auxiliary electrode portion (151-2, 153-2).

[0215] By forming the first auxiliary electrode portion (151-2) and the second auxiliary electrode portion (153-2), the discharge initiation voltage can be lowered compared to the electrode structure of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0216] According to the surface light source of this configuration, when an AC voltage is applied to the first electrode (151) and the second electrode (153), discharge filaments are formed in a number similar to the number of auxiliary electrode parts (151-2, 153-2), and light emission is achieved.

[0217] The width (W1) of the first auxiliary electrode part (151-2) and the width (W1) of the second auxiliary electrode part (153-2) can be formed to be smaller than the gap (D2) between the auxiliary electrode parts.

[0218] In contrast, as shown in Fig. 6, it is also possible to form the width (W1) of the first auxiliary electrode part (151-2) and the width (W1) of the second auxiliary electrode part (153-2) to be larger than the gap (D2) between the auxiliary electrode parts.

[0219] And in the case where the second plate member (120) has the second wall member (125), as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 6, the second wall member (125) may partially overlap with the auxiliary electrode portions (151-2, 153-2), but the width (W2) of the second wall member (125) may be formed small so that the second wall member (125) does not overlap with the auxiliary electrode portions (151-2, 153-2).

[0220] In the above, an example in which the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in a symmetrical structure has been described, but the first electrode and the second electrode may also be formed in an asymmetrical structure.

[0221] Referring to FIG. 7, a surface light source according to the fourth modified example may further include one auxiliary electrode part among the first auxiliary electrode part (151-2) and the second auxiliary electrode part (153-2) illustrated in FIG. 5, in addition to the first main electrode part (151-1) and the second main electrode part (153-1) illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0222] In FIG. 7, an example is shown in which the first electrode (151) includes a first main electrode part (151-1) and a first auxiliary electrode part (151-2), but it is also possible for the first electrode (151) to include only the first main electrode part (151-1) and the second electrode (153) to include a second main electrode part (153-1) and a second auxiliary electrode part (153-2).

[0223] In the surface light source (100) having the electrode of the above-described structure, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an optical filter, for example, a bandpass filter (160), is placed on the light-emitting surface (111) of the first plate member (110).

[0224] The bandpass filter (160) substantially blocks ultraviolet rays in the wavelength range (240 nm or more, 300 nm or less) that are harmful to the human body, thereby enabling the killing of bacteria using only wavelengths of 190 nm to 240 nm, particularly 222 nm, that are harmless to the human body.

[0225] In this embodiment, a fused silica substrate (170) is used to place the bandpass filter (160) on the light-emitting surface (111) of the surface light source (100), and the bandpass filter (160) can be placed on one side, for example, the outer surface, of the fused silica substrate (170).

[0226] Hereinafter, a surface light source (100') provided in a ultraviolet ray light emitting device according to the second embodiment of the present specification will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0227] In the surface light source (100') of the present embodiment, the electrode structure can be formed in the same manner as in any one of the first embodiment and the first to fourth modified examples described above, so a description of the electrode structure is omitted.

[0228] In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the second plate member (120) includes a concave portion (121), a first wall member (123), and a second wall member (125).

[0229] However, in the surface light source of the present embodiment, the second plate member (120') is configured as a flat plate, similar to the first plate member (110).

[0230] And a first spacer (180) is placed between the first plate member (110) and the second plate member (120'), and the first spacer (180) is joined to the first plate member (110) and the second plate member (120') by a sealant (140).

[0231] The first spacer (180) may be positioned at the same position as the first wall member (123). For example, it may be positioned at the edge of the first plate member (110) and the edge of the second plate member (120').

[0232] Accordingly, a discharge space (130) is formed between the first plate member (110) and the second plate member (120') by the first spacer (180).

[0233] As shown by the dotted line, a second spacer (185) may be further placed inside the discharge space (130).

[0234] The second spacer (185) functions in the same manner as the second wall member (125) of the first embodiment described above.

[0235] And the bandpass filter (160) is formed directly on the light-emitting surface (111) of the first plate member (110) without interposing a fused quartz substrate (170).

[0236] The bandpass filter (160) can be directly coated on the light-emitting surface (111) of the first plate member (110). Alternatively, the bandpass filter (160) can be bonded to the light-emitting surface (111) of the first plate member (110) by an adhesive.

[0237] According to this configuration, the fused quartz substrate (170) of the first embodiment described above is not required, so that some light can be reduced from being reflected at the boundary between the first plate member (110) and the fused quartz substrate (170).

[0238] Therefore, the light extraction efficiency can be increased, and the manufacturing cost of the ultraviolet light emitting device can be reduced because a fused quartz substrate is not used.

[0239] A structure that does not use a fused quartz substrate can also be applied to the surface light source of the first embodiment described above.

[0240] Figure 10 is a table showing the amount of ultraviolet rays measured by a surface light source having an electrode structure according to a second modified example of the present specification, and is the amount of ultraviolet rays measured at a distance of 5 cm from the surface light source.

[0241] In FIG. 10, the second modified example refers to a surface light source having the electrode structure illustrated in FIG. 5, Comparative Example 1 refers to a surface light source applying the electrode structure of the second modified example and the bandpass filter and fused quartz substrate of the first embodiment, and Comparative Example 2 refers to a surface light source applying the electrode structure of the second modified example and the bandpass filter of the second embodiment.

[0242] Referring to Fig. 10, in the case of a surface light source having an electrode structure of the second modified example, it can be seen that the amount of ultraviolet rays is greater than in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 due to the fact that a bandpass filter is not applied.

[0243] However, in order to remove ultraviolet rays in a wavelength range that is harmless to the human body, a bandpass filter must be applied as in Comparative Examples 2 and 3.

[0244] However, when looking at the amount of ultraviolet rays in Comparative Example 2 and Comparative Example 3, it can be seen that the amount of ultraviolet rays in Comparative Example 3, in which the bandpass filter is directly coated on the light-emitting surface of the first plate member (110), is greater than the amount of ultraviolet rays in Comparative Example 2, which further includes a fused quartz substrate.

[0245] A ultraviolet ray emitting device having a surface light source of the above configuration may further include a housing that accommodates the surface light source.

[0246] Hereinafter, a surface light source (200) provided in a ultraviolet ray light emitting device according to the third embodiment of the present specification will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 18.

[0247] FIG. 11 is a plan view of a surface light source according to a third embodiment of the present specification, FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line “ⅩⅡ-ⅩⅡ” of FIG. 11, FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 12, and FIG. 14 is a drawing schematically showing an electrode structure provided in the surface light source of FIG. 11.

[0248] The ultraviolet ray light emitting device of the present embodiment has a surface light source (200) that emits light by surface discharge.

[0249] A surface light source (200) includes a light-emitting portion (210) having a light-emitting surface (211), an electrode portion (220) facing the light-emitting portion (210), and a side wall portion (230) connecting the light-emitting portion (210) and the electrode portion (220) along a first direction (X-X').

[0250] Here, the first direction (X-X') may be the longitudinal direction of the surface light source (200). However, the first direction may be the width direction of the surface light source (200).

[0251] In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the light emitting portion (210) and the electrode portion (220) can be formed in a substantially flat plate shape, and the cross-sectional shape of the side wall portion (230) can be formed in an arc shape.

[0252] However, the cross-sectional shape of at least one of the light-emitting portion (210) and the electrode portion (220) may be formed as a shape having a curved portion (see FIGS. 20 and 21), and the cross-sectional shape of the side wall portion (230) may be formed as a substantially flat plate shape.

[0253] In this way, the cross-sectional shape of the light emitting portion (210), electrode portion (220), and side wall portion (230) can be changed by the mold (see FIGS. 22 to 24) used in the manufacturing process of the surface light source (200).

[0254] A discharge space (240) is formed inside the surface light source (200) formed by the light-emitting portion (210), the electrode portion (220), and the side wall portion (230).

[0255] The surface light source (200) has a first end (E1) and a second end (E2) positioned on both sides in the first direction.

[0256] Referring to Fig. 11, the first end (E1) refers to an end located on the left, and the second end (E2) refers to an end located on the right.

[0257] The first end (E1) may be formed as a bonding end, and the second end (E2) may be formed as a sealing end.

[0258] Here, the bonded end refers to an end where two components, i.e., the light-emitting part (210) and the electrode part (220), are bonded by direct contact with each other, and the sealed end refers to an end where two components, i.e., the light-emitting part (210) and the electrode part (220), are not bonded by direct contact with each other, but extend in the first direction and are sealed by a separate sealant (250).

[0259] The joint end (E1) can be formed into a flat square shape in cross section, and the sealing end (E2) can be formed into a circular shape in cross section.

[0260] According to this configuration, the thickness (T1) of the bonding end (E1) can be formed to be smaller than the thickness (T2) of the surface light source (200), and the thickness (T3) of the sealing end (E2) can be formed to be larger than the thickness (T2) of the surface light source (200).

[0261] Since the light emitting part (210) and the electrode part (220) are joined by being in direct contact with each other, a sealing material (250) may not be provided between the light emitting part (210) and the electrode part (220) at the joining end, and accordingly, the light emitting part (210) and the electrode part (220) may be in direct contact with each other.

[0262] A surface light source (200) of this shape can be manufactured using a mold (300) illustrated in Fig. 22. The mold (300) can be referred to as a “general mold.”

[0263] Below, a method for manufacturing a surface light source (200) is described.

[0264] First, a cylindrical tube is heated using a hydrogen torch.

[0265] The cylindrical tube can be formed with an outer diameter of 10 mm to 20 mm and can be formed from a material such as quartz or borosilicate.

[0266] When heating a cylindrical tube, it can be heated to a temperature of 1400°C to 1600°C for 5 to 30 seconds.

[0267] When heating a cylindrical tube, the entire cylindrical tube can be heated by rotating the hydrogen torch, or only the portion of the cylindrical tube to be deformed using a mold can be heated. When the cylindrical tube is heated, the heated portion softens.

[0268] After the heating operation is completed, a cylindrical tube is formed using a mold (300).

[0269] The mold (300) may include a non-formed portion (310) in which a cylindrical tube of an unheated portion is positioned, a first forming portion (320) for forming a light-emitting portion (210) and / or an electrode portion (220) having a substantially flat shape, and a second forming portion (330) for forming a bonding end portion (E1).

[0270] When forming a cylindrical tube, the mold (300) can be positioned so that a pair of molds face each other with the cylindrical tubes in between, and the cylindrical tubes can be pressurized and formed at the same pressure.

[0271] In this way, when the cylindrical tube is formed using a mold (300) from the outside of the cylindrical tube, it is possible to form the surface light source (200) with precise dimensions compared to the above-mentioned prior art patent 2.

[0272] Here, the fact that the surface light source (200) has precise dimensions means that the thickness of the light-emitting portion (210), the thickness of the electrode portion (220), the thickness of the side wall portion (230), and the height of the discharge space (240) are each individually and uniformly formed.

[0273] Meanwhile, in order to improve the dimensional precision of the discharge space (240) and to uniformly form the thickness of the light-emitting portion (210) and the electrode portion (220), it is also possible to inject compressed air into the interior of the cylindrical tube during the molding operation using the mold (300).

[0274] By forming a cylindrical tube using a mold (300), a surface light source (200) having a substantially flat light emitting portion (210), a substantially flat electrode portion (220), an arc-shaped side wall portion (230), a first end portion (E1), and a second end portion (E2) can be manufactured.

[0275] And, as described above, the first end (E1) can be formed as a bonding end in which the light-emitting part (210) and the electrode part (220) are in direct contact with each other and have a flat square cross-sectional shape, and the second end (E2) can be formed as a sealing end in which the cross-sectional shape is formed as a circle.

[0276] Accordingly, the discharge space (240) can be maintained in a sealed state by forming the surface light source (200), then performing exhaust and gas injection operations through the second end (E2), and then sealing the second end (E2) using a sealant (250).

[0277] According to this configuration, the surface light source of the present embodiment has the unformed portion of the cylindrical tube, i.e., the second end (E2), acting as an exhaust tip, so there is no need to form an exhaust tip separately.

[0278] The light emitting portion (210), electrode portion (220), side wall portion (230), first end portion (E1) and second end portion (E2) may be made of quartz glass or ceramic.

[0279] The discharge space (240) may be provided with an inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon (Ar), neon (Ne), xenon (Xe), and krypton (Kr), and the inert gas may be selected from the group consisting of ArBr, ArCl, ArF, ArO, NeF, XeI, XeO, XeBr, XeCl, XeF, KrBr, KrCl, KrO, and KrF.

[0280] An electrode surface (221) is provided on the outer surface of the electrode portion (220), and a first electrode (261) and a second electrode (263) are arranged on the electrode surface (221).

[0281] In this way, in the surface light source (200) of the present embodiment, the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) are arranged only on one side of the surface light source (200), that is, on the electrode surface (221) of the electrode portion (220), and are not arranged on the light-emitting surface (211) of the light-emitting portion (210).

[0282] Accordingly, the surface light source (200) of the present embodiment emits light by surface discharge (surface charge) rather than by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) that occurs when the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) are separately disposed in different parts, i.e., the light-emitting part (210) and the electrode part (220).

[0283] According to this configuration, the acceleration distance of electrons or ions that generate discharge can be sufficiently secured without increasing the height (H) of the discharge space (240) formed between the light-emitting portion (210) and the electrode portion (220), thereby improving the light-emitting efficiency of the surface light source (200).

[0284] According to the experiment conducted by the inventor of the present invention, the amount of ultraviolet rays of the surface light source that emits light by dielectric barrier discharge was measured to be 0.8 mW / cm2 to 2.64 mW / cm2, but the amount of ultraviolet rays of the surface light source (200) of the present embodiment that emits light by surface discharge was measured to be 6.2 mW / cm2 to 11.2 mW / cm2.

[0285] Therefore, it can be seen that the luminescence efficiency of the ultraviolet ray luminescence device having the surface light source (200) of the present embodiment in which luminescence is generated by surface discharge is much higher than the luminescence efficiency of the ultraviolet ray luminescence device having the conventional surface light source in which luminescence is generated by dielectric barrier discharge.

[0286] In addition, the surface light source (200) of the present embodiment can reduce the material cost of the electrodes (261, 263), and thus can reduce the manufacturing cost of the ultraviolet ray light emitting device.

[0287] That is, in a conventional surface light source in which light emission is achieved by dielectric barrier discharge, i.e., a surface light source in which the first electrode and the second electrode are positioned oppositely, the electrodes located on the light emitting surface are formed in a mesh type to secure a light emitting surface. In order to form a mesh type electrode, an electrode layer must be formed over the entire area of ​​the light emitting surface, and then a part of the electrode layer must be removed to form a mesh type.

[0288] Therefore, there is a problem that the material cost of the electrode is high due to the electrode layer being removed and not being used as an electrode.

[0289] However, in the case of the present embodiment, since the electrode is not positioned on the light-emitting surface (211), there is no need to form the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) in a mesh shape, and although there may be some differences depending on the electrode forming method, the amount of electrode layer removed during the electrode forming process may be very small compared to the prior art, or there may be no need to remove the electrode layer during the electrode forming process.

[0290] Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the material cost of the electrodes (261, 263) can be reduced, and thus the manufacturing cost of the ultraviolet ray light emitting device can be reduced.

[0291] The first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) placed on the electrode surface (221) of the electrode portion (220) can be formed in a symmetrical structure.

[0292] To explain this, in the present embodiment, the first electrode (261) may include a first main electrode portion (261-1), and the second electrode (263) may include a second main electrode portion (263-1).

[0293] The first main electrode part (261-1) and the second main electrode part (263-1) can be positioned apart from each other with a first gap (D3).

[0294] According to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately control the acceleration distance of electrons or ions by appropriately setting the size of the first gap (D3).

[0295] The first main electrode part (261-1) and the second main electrode part (263-1) can each be formed as a square-shaped sheet electrode.

[0296] However, the first main electrode portion (261-1) and the second main electrode portion (263-1) may be formed in a stripe shape.

[0297] The first main electrode portion (261-1) and the second main electrode portion (263-1) can be formed on the electrode surface (221) by various known methods such as printing, coating, and sputtering.

[0298] In this case, the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) can be positioned on the surface of the electrode surface (221) of the electrode portion (220) as shown in FIG. 12.

[0299] However, it is also possible to form the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) as thin metal plates, respectively.

[0300] In this case, when forming using a mold (300), the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) can be directly placed on the electrode surface (221) of the electrode part (220), and as shown in FIG. 13, each of the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) can be partially embedded in the electrode part (220).

[0301] That is, the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) can be embedded in the electrode portion (220) to a certain depth (D4).

[0302] According to this configuration, the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) can be firmly fixed to the electrode portion.

[0303] However, even when the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) are each formed of a metal thin plate, the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) may not be embedded in the electrode portion (220).

[0304] Figures 15 to 17 illustrate various modified examples in which the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in a symmetrical structure.

[0305] To explain this, first, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the surface light source according to the first modified example may further include an auxiliary electrode (265) positioned between the first main electrode part (261-1) and the second main electrode part (263-1) illustrated in FIG. 14.

[0306] In this way, according to the electrode structure further including the auxiliary electrode (265), the discharge initiation voltage can be lowered compared to the embodiment of FIG. 14 described above.

[0307] Next, as illustrated in FIG. 16, the surface light source according to the second modified example may further include at least one first auxiliary electrode part (261-2) and at least one second auxiliary electrode part (263-2) in addition to the first main electrode part (261-1) and the second main electrode part (263-1) illustrated in FIG. 14.

[0308] At least one first auxiliary electrode part (261-2) may be formed integrally with the first main electrode part (261-1) and may protrude toward the second main electrode part (263-1).

[0309] And at least one second auxiliary electrode part (263-2) can be formed integrally with the second main electrode part (263-1) and can protrude toward the first main electrode part (261-1).

[0310] The at least one first auxiliary electrode part (261-2) and the at least one second auxiliary electrode part (263-2) may face each other.

[0311] By forming the first auxiliary electrode portion (261-2) and the second auxiliary electrode portion (263-2), the discharge initiation voltage can be lowered compared to the electrode structure of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 14.

[0312] According to the surface light source of this configuration, when an AC voltage is applied to the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263), discharge filaments are formed in a number similar to the number of auxiliary electrode parts (261-2, 263-2), and light emission is achieved.

[0313] The width (W3) of the first auxiliary electrode part (261-2) and the width (W3) of the second auxiliary electrode part (263-2) can be formed to be smaller than the gap (D5) between the auxiliary electrode parts.

[0314] In contrast, as illustrated in FIG. 17, it is also possible to form the width (W3) of the first auxiliary electrode part (261-2) and the width (W3) of the second auxiliary electrode part (263-2) to be larger than the gap (D5) between the auxiliary electrode parts.

[0315] In the above, an example in which the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) are formed in a symmetrical structure has been described, but the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) may also be formed in an asymmetrical structure.

[0316] Referring to FIG. 18, the surface light source according to the fourth modified example may further include one auxiliary electrode part among the first auxiliary electrode part (261-2) and the second auxiliary electrode part (263-2) illustrated in FIG. 16, in addition to the first main electrode part (261-1) and the second main electrode part (263-1) illustrated in FIG. 14.

[0317] In FIG. 18, an example is shown in which the first electrode (261) includes a first main electrode part (261-1) and a first auxiliary electrode part (261-2), but it is also possible for the first electrode (261) to include only the first main electrode part (261-1) and the second electrode (263) to include a second main electrode part (263-1) and a second auxiliary electrode part (263-2).

[0318] In the surface light source (200) having the electrode of the above-described structure, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, an optical filter, for example, a bandpass filter (270), is placed on the light-emitting surface (211) of the light-emitting portion (210).

[0319] The bandpass filter (270) substantially blocks ultraviolet rays in the wavelength range (240 nm or more, 300 nm or less) that are harmful to the human body, thereby enabling the killing of bacteria using only wavelengths of 190 nm to 240 nm, particularly 222 nm, that are harmless to the human body.

[0320] In this embodiment, a fused silica substrate (280) is used to place the bandpass filter (270) on the light-emitting surface (211) of the surface light source (200), and the bandpass filter (270) can be placed on one side, for example, the outer surface, of the fused silica substrate (280).

[0321] Hereinafter, a surface light source (200') provided in a far-ultraviolet ray light emitting device according to the fourth embodiment of the present specification will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 to 21.

[0322] FIG. 19 is a plan view of a surface light source according to the fourth embodiment of the present specification, FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken along line “ⅩⅩ-ⅩⅩ” of FIG. 19, and FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view taken along line “ⅩⅩⅠ-ⅩⅩⅠ” of FIG. 19.

[0323] In the surface light source (200') of the present embodiment, the electrode structure can be formed in the same manner as in any one of the third embodiment and the first to fourth modified examples described above, so a description of the electrode structure is omitted.

[0324] In the third embodiment described above, an example in which the electrode portion (220) is formed in a substantially flat plate shape has been described.

[0325] However, in the surface light source of the present embodiment, the electrode portion (220') includes a curved portion (223).

[0326] Therefore, unlike the third embodiment described above, the electrode surface (221) of the electrode portion (220') includes a substantially flat portion and a curved portion (223).

[0327] According to the above configuration including the bending portion (223), the number of discharge filaments having a high plasma density can be increased, so that the amount of ultraviolet rays can be increased and a stable discharge can be maintained.

[0328] The electrode portion (220') having a bent portion (223) can be formed using the mold (300') illustrated in Fig. 23. The mold (300') can be referred to as a "special mold."

[0329] The mold (300') is formed similarly to the mold (300) as a whole, and further includes a third forming part (340) for forming a curved part (223).

[0330] The third molding part (340) protrudes from the surface of the first molding part (320). Therefore, by using the mold (300'), an electrode part (220') having a curved part (223) can be molded.

[0331] The number and shape of the third molding part (340) can be varied, and accordingly, the number and shape of the bending part (223) can also be varied.

[0332] For example, the bent portion (223) can be formed into various cross-sectional shapes such as an arc shape, a trapezoid shape, a square shape, etc.

[0333] The surface light source (200') of the fourth embodiment can be molded using the mold (300, 300') shown in FIG. 24.

[0334] Referring to FIG. 24, in the mold (300'), the width (W4) of the first molding portion (320) is 13 mm to 20 mm, the width (W5) of the third molding portion (340) is 1 mm to 3 mm, and the thickness (D6) of the third molding portion (340) is 0.3 mm to 1 mm.

[0335] Although not shown, a surface light source having curved sections in each of the light emitting portion and the electrode portion can be manufactured using a pair of molds (300').

[0336] In this way, the bending portion can be provided in at least one of the light emitting portion and the electrode portion.

[0337] In this embodiment, the bandpass filter (270) can be formed directly on the light-emitting surface (211) of the light-emitting portion (210) without interposing a fused quartz substrate (280).

[0338] The bandpass filter (270) can be directly coated on the light-emitting surface (211) of the light-emitting portion (210). Alternatively, the bandpass filter (270) can be bonded to the light-emitting surface (211) of the light-emitting portion (210) using an adhesive.

[0339] According to this configuration, the fused quartz substrate (280) of the third embodiment described above is not required, so that some of the light reflected at the boundary between the light-emitting portion (210) and the fused quartz substrate (280) can be reduced.

[0340] Therefore, the light extraction efficiency can be increased, and the manufacturing cost of the ultraviolet light emitting device can be reduced because a fused quartz substrate is not used.

[0341] A structure that does not use a fused quartz substrate can also be applied to the surface light source of the third embodiment described above.

[0342] And in the present embodiment, the surface light source (200') may further include a reflective member (290) disposed between the first electrode (261) and the electrode portion (220') and between the second electrode (263) and the electrode portion (220').

[0343] The reflective member (290) can be formed of PTFE, which is one of the fluorine-based polymers with frail properties.

[0344] According to this configuration, the electrodes (261, 263) can be firmly attached to the reflective member (290) with little influence from the thickness unevenness of the electrode portion (220') and the thickness unevenness of the electrode material.

[0345] In addition, by placing a reflective member (290) formed of a material having a higher reflectivity than the electrode material between the electrodes (261, 263) and the electrode portion (220'), the loss of ultraviolet light emitted from the surface light source (200') can be minimized, and the degree of freedom in the design of the electrode structure or the surface light source can be improved.

[0346] The first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) can be coated, printed, or deposited on the reflective member (290), respectively, and can be in direct contact with the surface of the reflective member (290).

[0347] According to this configuration, after forming a cylindrical tube, a reflective member (290) is attached to the surface of the electrode portion (220'), and then the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) can be formed directly on the surface of the reflective member (290).

[0348] In contrast, the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263) can each be formed of a thin metal plate and can be in direct contact with the surface of the reflective member (290).

[0349] According to this configuration, when forming using a mold (300, 300'), the reflective member (290) can be placed directly on the electrode portion (220').

[0350] In this case, similar to that shown in FIG. 13 of the third embodiment, a portion of the reflective member (290) may be embedded in the electrode portion (220').

[0351] According to this configuration, the reflective member (290) can be firmly fixed to the electrode portion (220').

[0352] The third embodiment and the fourth embodiment described above can be combined in various ways.

[0353] As an example, the electrode installation structure using a reflective member (290) can also be applied to the third embodiment described above.

[0354] Similarly, it is also possible to apply a structure in which an electrode is formed directly on the electrode surface of the electrode part without using a reflective member (290) to the present embodiment.

[0355] And the structure of directly forming a bandpass filter on the light-emitting surface of the light-emitting part without using a fused quartz substrate (280) can also be applied to the third embodiment described above.

[0356] Likewise, it is also possible to apply the structure of the third embodiment, in which a bandpass filter (270) is installed using a fused quartz substrate (280), to the fourth embodiment.

[0357] Additionally, it is possible to control the number of filaments by varying the number of third molding parts (340) provided in the mold (300') depending on the outer diameter size of the cylindrical tube.

[0358] Figure 25 is a table comparing the number of filaments and the amount of light of the surface light source of the third embodiment and the surface light source of the fourth embodiment according to the distance between electrodes.

[0359] Referring to FIG. 25, it can be seen that the surface light source of the fourth embodiment having a curved portion (223) has an increased number of filaments and light quantity compared to the surface light source of the third embodiment not having a curved portion (223).

[0360] And it can be seen that the amount of light increases when the first distance (D3) is 50 mm compared to when the inter-electrode distance between the first electrode (261) and the second electrode (263), that is, the first distance (D3), is 40 mm, and it can be seen that the amount of light increases when the pressure of the discharge space (240) is 50 torr compared to when the pressure of the discharge space (240) is 70 torr.

[0361] A ultraviolet ray emitting device having a surface light source of the above configuration may further include a housing that accommodates the surface light source.

[0362] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that this specification may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Therefore, the foregoing detailed description should not be construed in any way as limiting but rather as illustrative. The scope of this specification should be determined by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims, and all changes within the scope of equivalents herein are intended to be included within the scope of this specification.

Claims

1. A surface light source that emits light by surface discharge; and Bandpass filter located on the light-emitting surface of the above surface light source Includes, The above surface light source is, A first plate member having the above-mentioned light-emitting surface; A second plate member facing the first plate member with a discharge space between them and having an electrode surface on the outer surface; and The first electrode and the second electrode located on the electrode surface of the second plate member A device comprising an ultraviolet ray emitting device.

2. In paragraph 1, The first electrode includes a first main electrode portion, and the second electrode includes a second main electrode portion, A ultraviolet ray emitting device in which the first main electrode portion and the second main electrode portion are positioned apart from each other by a first interval.

3. In paragraph 2, A device for emitting ultraviolet rays, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in an asymmetrical structure.

4. In paragraph 3, A device for emitting ultraviolet light, wherein one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes at least one auxiliary electrode portion protruding toward the main electrode portion of the opposing electrode.

5. In paragraph 2, A device for emitting ultraviolet rays, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are formed in a symmetrical structure.

6. In paragraph 5, A device for emitting ultraviolet light, further comprising an auxiliary electrode positioned between the first main electrode portion and the second main electrode portion.

7. In paragraph 5, A device for emitting ultraviolet light, wherein the first electrode includes at least one first auxiliary electrode portion protruding toward the second main electrode portion, and the second electrode includes at least one second auxiliary electrode portion protruding toward the first main electrode portion.

8. In paragraph 7, A device for emitting ultraviolet light, wherein at least one first auxiliary electrode portion and at least one second auxiliary electrode portion face each other.

9. In any one of paragraphs 1 to 8, A deep ultraviolet ray light emitting device, characterized in that the first plate member and the second plate member are made of quartz glass or ceramic.

10. In paragraph 9, A deep ultraviolet ray emitting device in which the second plate member includes a concave portion for forming the discharge space and a first wall member located at an edge of the second plate member and surrounding the concave portion, and a sealant is located between the first wall member and the first plate member.

11. In paragraph 10, A device for emitting ultraviolet rays, wherein the second plate member further includes a second wall member positioned inside the discharge space.

12. In paragraph 10, A deep ultraviolet ray light emitting device in which a fused quartz substrate is positioned between the above bandpass filter and the light emitting surface of the first plate member.

13. In paragraph 10, The above bandpass filter is a deep ultraviolet emitting device directly coated on the light-emitting surface of the first plate member.

14. In paragraph 10, A device for emitting ultraviolet light, wherein the above discharge space is provided with an inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon (Ar), neon (Ne), xenon (Xe), and krypton (Kr).

15. In paragraph 9, A deep ultraviolet ray emitting device further comprising a first spacer positioned between an edge of the first plate member and an edge of the second plate member, and a sealant positioned between the first spacer and the first plate member and between the first spacer and the second plate member.

16. In paragraph 15, An ultraviolet ray emitting device further comprising a second spacer positioned inside the discharge space.

17. In paragraph 15, A deep ultraviolet ray light emitting device in which a fused quartz substrate is positioned between the above bandpass filter and the light emitting surface of the first plate member.

18. In paragraph 15, The above bandpass filter is a deep ultraviolet emitting device directly coated on the light-emitting surface of the first plate member.

19. In paragraph 15, A device for emitting ultraviolet light, wherein the above discharge space is provided with an inert gas selected from the group consisting of argon (Ar), neon (Ne), xenon (Xe), and krypton (Kr).

20. Surface light source emitting light by surface discharge; and Bandpass filter placed on the light-emitting surface of the above surface light source Including, The above surface light source is, A light-emitting part having the above light-emitting surface; An electrode part having an electrode surface on which a first electrode and a second electrode are arranged, facing the light-emitting part with a discharge space between them; and A side wall portion connecting the light-emitting portion and the electrode portion along the first direction Includes, A deep ultraviolet ray light emitting device, wherein among the first end and the second end located on both sides in the first direction of the surface light source, the first end is formed as a bonded end in which the light emitting part and the electrode part are directly bonded, and the second end is formed as a sealed end extended in the first direction from the light emitting part and the electrode part and sealed by a sealant.

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