An ultraviolet irradiation device having a simple structure without using a pn junction, which can efficiently utilize a surface plasmon polariton and can emit ultraviolet light of a specific wavelength at a high efficiency. The device has at least one semiconductor multilayer film element and an electron beam irradiation source which are provided in a container having an ultraviolet-ray transmitting window and is vacuum-sealed, wherein the film element has an active layer formed of InxAlyGa1-x-yN (wherein 0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1, and x+y≦1) and having a single or multiple quantum well structure and a metal film formed on an upper surface of the active layer, composed of metal particles of aluminum or an aluminum alloy and having a nano-structure formed of the metal particles, wherein ultraviolet light is emitted to the outside through the transmitting window by irradiating the film element with electron beams from the irradiation source.