Ozone generator

1. An ozone generator comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode facing the first electrode and defining a discharge area in which an electrical discharge takes place in response to application of an AC voltage across the first and second electrodes;

a first raw material gas supply unit for supplying oxygen as a first raw material gas;

a photocatalytic material or a material transforming into a photocatalyst in response to the electrical discharge, located in a dielectric substrate that is located in the discharge area or that is located in the first electrode, for absorbing light in a specified wavelength range; and

a second raw material gas supply unit for supplying a second raw material gas which is excited by the electrical discharge and generates excited light to excite the photocatalytic material or the material transforming into a photocatalyst to accelerate dissociation of the oxygen, wherein

the AC voltage applied across the first electrode and the second electrode is supplied by a power supply, and

quantities of the first and second raw material gases are supplied by the first and second raw material gas supply units to a space where the electrical discharge is generated in the discharge area and in which ozone is generated in response to the electrical discharge.

2. The ozone generator according to claim 1 , wherein the photocatalytic material or the material transforming into a photocatalyst is selected from the group consisting of WO 3 , CrO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , a metal-semiconductor structure, and a ferroelectric material.

3. The ozone generator according to claim 1 , wherein the photocatalytic material or the material transforming into a photocatalyst includes a plurality of different photocatalytic materials.

4. The ozone generator according to claim 1 , wherein the second raw material gas is selected from the group consisting of a noble gas, nitrogen monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon dioxide, and the second raw material gas is contained in the oxygen in a concentration of from several hundred ppm to 50000 ppm.

5. The ozone generator according to claim 1 , including a cylinder in which the second raw material gas is added to the first raw material gas.

6. An ozone generator comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode facing the first electrode and defining a discharge area in which an electrical discharge takes place in response to application of an AC voltage across the first and second electrodes;

a first raw material gas supply unit for supplying oxygen as a first raw material gas, wherein the oxygen has a purity of at least 99.99%;

a photocatalytic material or a material transforming into a photocatalyst in response to the electrical discharge, located in a dielectric substrate that is located in the discharge area or that is located in the first electrode, for absorbing light in a specified wavelength range; and

a second raw material gas supply unit for supplying a second raw material gas which is excited by the electrical discharge and generates excitation light to excite the photocatalytic material or the material transforming into a photocatalyst, to accelerate dissociation of the oxygen, wherein

the second raw material gas is selected from the group consisting of a noble gas, nitrogen monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon dioxide,

the second raw material gas is contained in the oxygen in a concentration of from several hundred ppm to 50,000 ppm,

the AC voltage applied across the first electrode and the second electrode is supplied by a power supply, and

quantities of the raw material gases are supplied by the first and second raw material gas supply units to a space where the electrical discharge is generated in the discharge area and in which ozone is generated in response to the electrical discharge.

7. An ozone generator comprising:

a first electrode;

a second electrode facing the first electrode and defining a discharge area in which an electrical discharge takes place in response to application of an AC voltage across the first and second electrodes;

a first raw material gas supply unit for supplying oxygen as a first raw material gas, wherein the oxygen has a purity of at least 99.99%;

a photocatalytic material or a material transforming into a photocatalyst in response to the electrical discharge, located in a dielectric substrate that is located in the discharge area or that is located in the first electrode, for absorbing light in a specified wavelength range, wherein the photocatalytic material is selected from the group consisting of WO 3 , CrO 2 , Fe 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , a metal-semiconductor structure, and a ferroelectric material; and

a second raw material gas supply unit for supplying a second raw material gas which is excited by the discharge and generates excitation light to excite the photocatalytic material or the material transforming into a photocatalyst to accelerate dissociation of the oxygen, wherein

the second raw material gas is selected from the group consisting of a noble gas, nitrogen monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon dioxide,

the second raw material gas is contained in the oxygen in a concentration of from several hundred ppm to 50,000 ppm,

the AC voltage applied across the first electrode and the second electrode is supplied by a power supply, and

quantities of the first and second raw material gases are supplied by the first and second raw material gas supply units to a space where the electrical discharge is generated in the discharge area and in which ozone is generated in response to the electrical discharge.