A wavelength converter includes: a substrate portion; and an optical conversion layer including optical conversion inorganic particles and a binder portion that mutually holds the optical conversion inorganic particles, and being formed on the substrate portion, wherein the substrate portion and the binder portion bond to each other, and wherein the binder portion includes, as a main component, an inorganic polycrystalline substance composed in such a manner that inorganic material particles having an average particle size of 1 μm or less are bound to one another, and has thermal conductivity of 2 w/mK or more.

A UV emitting device having at least one first phosphor that absorbs UV radiation of a wavelength shorter than 200 nm and at least one second phosphor which absorbs UV radiation of a wavelength between 220 nm and 245 nm. The at least one first phosphor emits UV radiation of a wavelength between 220 nm and 245 nm and the at least one second phosphor emits UV radiation of a wavelength between 250 nm and 315 nm. The at least one first phosphor and the at least one second phosphor are disposed in the form of layers, wherein the at least one first phosphor layer is positioned between a discharge volume and the at least one second phosphor layer.

A support member is made of a material(s) that excel in both of electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity. Phosphors are applied to the surface of the support member. The phosphors include layers having a very small thickness as close as possible to a minimum quantity of phosphors that can be obtained. The phosphors are disposed on a surface of the support member in a thickness small enough to an extent that the support member is slightly glimpsed in part from between the phosphors. The support member is exposed in part out of the lighting device.

A low-pressure discharge lamp having a discharge vessel and a coating structure. The coating structure is formed on an inner side of the discharge vessel. The coating structure has nanoscale phosphate particles and/or nanoscale functional oxide. Alternatively or in addition, the phosphate particles are free or at least approximately free of rare earth metals. The nanoscale phosphate particles range in size from 5 nm to 800 nm.

A low-pressure discharge lamp having a discharge vessel and a coating structure. The coating structure is formed on an inner side of the discharge vessel. The coating structure has nanoscale phosphate particles and/or nanoscale functional oxide. Alternatively or in addition, the phosphate particles are free or at least approximately free of rare earth metals. The nanoscale phosphate particles range in size from 5 nm to 800 nm.

A wavelength converter includes: a substrate portion; and an optical conversion layer including optical conversion inorganic particles and a binder portion that mutually holds the optical conversion inorganic particles, and being formed on the substrate portion, wherein the substrate portion and the binder portion bond to each other, and wherein the binder portion includes, as a main component, an inorganic polycrystalline substance composed in such a manner that inorganic material particles having an average particle size of 1 m or less are bound to one another, and has thermal conductivity of 2 w/mK or more.

An RF fluorescent lamp comprising an electric ballast comprising an inverter circuit operating at a first frequency that provides the voltage and current with reference to local ground to a switching node connected to a first end of a winding of a power coupler, a timing circuit operating at a second frequency equal to or less than half the first frequency, and an enable circuit activated by the timing circuit that enables and disables the inverter circuit.

An RF fluorescent lamp comprising an electric ballast comprising an inverter circuit operating at a first frequency that provides the voltage and current with reference to local ground to a switching node connected to a first end of a winding of a power coupler, a timing circuit operating at a second frequency equal to or less than half the first frequency, and an enable circuit activated by the timing circuit that enables and disables the inverter circuit.

Provided are a phosphor-containing capable of suppressing deterioration of phosphors and can be manufactured with high efficiency and a backlight unit. Specifically, provided is a phosphor-containing film, including a first substrate film; and a phosphor-containing layer at which a plurality of regions containing phosphors, which, if exposed to oxygen, deteriorate by reacting with the oxygen, are discretely disposed on the first substrate film, and at which a resin layer having an impermeability to oxygen is disposed between the discretely disposed regions containing phosphors, in which a width S of the resin layer between the regions containing phosphors is 0.01S<0.5 mm, and wherein a ratio of a volume Vp of the regions containing phosphors, to a sum of the volume Vp and a volume Vb of the resin layer in the phosphor-containing layer, is 0.1Vp/(Vp+Vb)<0.9.

Provided are a phosphor-containing capable of suppressing deterioration of phosphors and can be manufactured with high efficiency and a backlight unit. Specifically, provided is a phosphor-containing film, including a first substrate film; and a phosphor-containing layer at which a plurality of regions containing phosphors, which, if exposed to oxygen, deteriorate by reacting with the oxygen, are discretely disposed on the first substrate film, and at which a resin layer having an impermeability to oxygen is disposed between the discretely disposed regions containing phosphors, in which a width S of the resin layer between the regions containing phosphors is 0.01S<0.5 mm, and wherein a ratio of a volume Vp of the regions containing phosphors, to a sum of the volume Vp and a volume Vb of the resin layer in the phosphor-containing layer, is 0.1Vp/(Vp+Vb)<0.9.