Abstract: A flat lamp with horizontal facing electrodes is provided, in which a front substrate and a rear substrate are spaced such as to face each other. Walls between the front and rear substrates form a discharging space filled with a discharge gas. A plurality of front electrodes and a plurality of rear electrodes are provided on facing surfaces of the front and rear substrates, respectively. The front and rear electrodes, formed in strips, are arranged in such a way that the front electrodes alternate with the rear electrodes. Accordingly, the discharging distance between front and rear electrodes is lengthened, and many fine discharging operations occur between tip electrodes extending from the lateral sides of the electrode strips and flat portions of corresponding electrode strips. Therefore, a current concentration is prevented, thereby achieving uniform discharging. Also, brightness of the flat lamp increases.

Abstract: A plasma flat lamp includes an upper plate, a lower plate separated a predetermined distance from the upper plate, a wall portion for forming a sealed discharge space between the upper and lower plates, a discharge gas filled in the discharge space, a first pair of electrodes including a first upper plate electrode and a first lower plate electrode arranged to face each other on each of the upper and lower plates with the discharge space interposed therebetween, and a second pair of electrodes including a second upper plate electrode separated a predetermined distance from the first upper plate electrode and a second lower plate electrode separated a predetermined distance from the first lower plate electrode arranged to face each other on each of the upper and lower plates with the discharge space interposed therebetween.