External electrode fluorescent lamp and method of fabricating the same

A method of fabricating an external electrode fluorescent lamp, the method comprising:

• preparing a tube having openings at ends of the tube, the tube having electrode regions at end regions and a fluorescent region between the end regions;
• forming a phosphor layer on an inner surface of the tube in the fluorescent region such that the phosphor layer contacts the inner surface of the tube in the fluorescent region;
• forming a protection layer covering the phosphor layer;
• filling an inner space of the tube with a discharge gas and closing the openings;
• and
• forming external electrodes on an outer surface of the tube in the electrode regions.

A method of fabricating an external electrode fluorescent lamp, the method comprising:

• forming a phosphor layer directly on an inner surface of a tube in a fluorescent region from an electrode region of the tube to substantially an opposing electrode region of the tube and removing the phosphor layer from the one electrode region;
• forming a protection layer covering the phosphor layer;
• filling an inner space of the tube with a discharge gas and closing openings of the tube;
• and
• forming external electrodes on an outer surface of the tube in the electrode regions.