Subtypes

The electromagnetic spectrum of ultraviolet radiation (UVR), defined most broadly as 10–400 nanometers, can be subdivided into a number of ranges recommended by the ISO standard ISO-21348:

Name	Abbreviation	Wavelength (nm)	Photon energy (eV, aJ)	Notes/alternative names
Ultraviolet C	UVC	100–280	4.43–12.4, 0.710–1.987	Short-wave, germicidal, completely absorbed by the ozone layer and atmosphere: hard UV.
Ultraviolet B	UVB	280–315	3.94–4.43, 0.631–0.710	Medium-wave, mostly absorbed by the ozone layer: intermediate UV; Dorno de radiation.
Ultraviolet A	UVA	315–400	3.10–3.94, 0.497–0.631	Long-wave, black light, not absorbed by the ozone layer: soft UV.
Hydrogen Lyman-alpha	H Lyman-α	121–122	10.16–10.25, 1.628–1.642	Spectral line at 121.6 nm, 10.20 eV. Ionizing radiation at shorter wavelengths.
Far ultraviolet	FUV	122–200	6.20–10.16, 0.993–1.628
Middle ultraviolet	MUV	200–300	4.13–6.20, 0.662–0.993
Near ultraviolet	NUV	300–400	3.10–4.13, 0.497–0.662	Visible to birds, insects and fish.
Extreme ultraviolet	EUV	10–121	10.25–124, 1.642–19.867	Entirely ionizing radiation by some definitions; completely absorbed by the atmosphere.
Vacuum ultraviolet	VUV	10–200	6.20–124, 0.993–19.867	Strongly absorbed by atmospheric oxygen, though 150–200 nm wavelengths can propagate through nitrogen.

Several solid-state and vacuum devices have been explored for use in different parts of the UV spectrum. Many approaches seek to adapt visible light-sensing devices, but these can suffer from unwanted response to visible light and various instabilities. Ultraviolet can be detected by suitable photodiodes and photocathodes, which can be tailored to be sensitive to different parts of the UV spectrum. Sensitive UV photomultipliers are available. Spectrometers and radiometers are made for measurement of UV radiation. Silicon detectors are used across the spectrum.

Vacuum UV, or VUV, wavelengths (shorter than 200 nm) are strongly absorbed by molecular oxygen in the air, though the longer wavelengths around 150–200 nm can propagate through nitrogen. Scientific instruments can, therefore, use this spectral range by operating in an oxygen-free atmosphere (commonly pure nitrogen), without the need for costly vacuum chambers. Significant examples include 193-nm photolithography equipment (for semiconductor manufacturing) and circular dichroism spectrometers.

Technology for VUV instrumentation was largely driven by solar astronomy for many decades. While optics can be used to remove unwanted visible light that contaminates the VUV, in general; detectors can be limited by their response to non-VUV radiation, and the development of "solar-blind" devices has been an important area of research. Wide-gap solid-state devices or vacuum devices with high-cutoff photocathodes can be attractive compared to silicon diodes.

Extreme UV (EUV or sometimes XUV) is characterized by a transition in the physics of interaction with matter. Wavelengths longer than about 30 nm interact mainly with the outer valence electrons of atoms, while wavelengths shorter than that interact mainly with inner-shell electrons and nuclei. The long end of the EUV spectrum is set by a prominent He+ spectral line at 30.4 nm. EUV is strongly absorbed by most known materials, but synthesizing multilayer optics that reflect up to about 50% of EUV radiation at normal incidence is possible. This technology was pioneered by the NIXT and MSSTA sounding rockets in the 1990s, and it has been used to make telescopes for solar imaging. See also the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer satellite.

Some sources use the distinction of "hard UV" and "soft UV" - in the case of astrophysics, the boundary may be at the Lyman limit i.e. wavelength 91.2 nm, with "hard UV" being more energetic. The same terms may also be used in other fields, such as cosmetology, optoelectronic, etc. - the numerical value of the boundary between hard/soft, even within similar scientific fields, does not necessarily coincide; for example, one applied-physics publication used a boundary of 190 nm between hard and soft UV regions.