US Patent 6853123 Flat light source

A flat light source having a front plate and a rear part. The front plate is held at a distance from the rear part by spacers. A gaseous filling which is under a pressure lower than the ambient atmospheric pressure is introduced into the intermediate space between the front plate and rear part, and the front plate is of a glass material. To be able to produce flat light sources of this type which have a low intrinsic weight, according to this invention the front plate and/or the rear part can be configured as an at least partly thermally or chemically tempered glass pane or the front plate and/or the rear part can be configured as a glass pane which at least in areas is coated with ductile polymer material.