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Light-Emitting Diode: LED (Disambiguation) LED Lamp LCD

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductors that emit light when an electric current passes through them. LEDs were first invented in 1907 but did not become practical electronic components until 1962, when the earliest LEDs emitted infrared light. Modern LEDs are available across the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared wavelengths and have high light output. LEDs have many advantages over incandescent light sources, including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, and smaller size. They are used in various applications from aviation lighting to camera flashes.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
68 views3 pages

Light-Emitting Diode: LED (Disambiguation) LED Lamp LCD

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductors that emit light when an electric current passes through them. LEDs were first invented in 1907 but did not become practical electronic components until 1962, when the earliest LEDs emitted infrared light. Modern LEDs are available across the visible, ultraviolet, and infrared wavelengths and have high light output. LEDs have many advantages over incandescent light sources, including lower energy consumption, longer lifetime, and smaller size. They are used in various applications from aviation lighting to camera flashes.

Uploaded by

Ricart Guardino
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Light-emitting diode

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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"LED" redirects here. For other uses, see LED (disambiguation).
This article is about the basics of light emitting diodes. For application to area lighting,
see LED lamp.
Not to be confused with LCD.

Light-emitting diode (LED)

Blue, green, and red LEDs in 5 mm diffused case

Working principle Electroluminescence

Invented H. J. Round (1907)[1]

Oleg Losev (1927)[2]

James R. Biard (1961)[3]

Nick Holonyak (1962)[4]

First production October 1962

Pin configuration Anode and cathode

Electronic symbol
Parts of a conventional LED. The flat bottom surfaces of the anvil and post embedded inside the epoxy act as
anchors, to prevent the conductors from being forcefully pulled out via mechanical strain or vibration.

Close up image of a surface mount LED

A bulb-shaped modern retrofit LED lamp with aluminum heat sink, a light diffusing dome and E27 screw base,


using a built-in power supply working on mains voltage

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor light source that emits light


when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron
holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (corresponding to
the energy of the photons) is determined by the energy required for electrons to cross
the band gap of the semiconductor.[5] White light is obtained by using multiple
semiconductors or a layer of light-emitting phosphor on the semiconductor device. [6]
Appearing as practical electronic components in 1962, the earliest LEDs emitted low-
intensity infrared (IR) light.[7] Infrared LEDs are used in remote-control circuits, such as
those used with a wide variety of consumer electronics. The first visible-light LEDs were
of low intensity and limited to red. Modern LEDs are available across
the visible, ultraviolet (UV), and infrared wavelengths, with high light output.
Early LEDs were often used as indicator lamps, replacing small incandescent bulbs,
and in seven-segment displays. Recent developments have produced high-output white
light LEDs suitable for room and outdoor area lighting. LEDs have led to new displays
and sensors, while their high switching rates are useful in advanced communications
technology.
LEDs have many advantages over incandescent light sources, including lower energy
consumption, longer lifetime, improved physical robustness, smaller size, and faster
switching. LEDs are used in applications as diverse as aviation lighting, automotive
headlamps, advertising, general lighting, traffic signals, camera flashes, lighted
wallpaper, horticultural grow lights, and medical devices.[8]
Unlike a laser, the light emitted from an LED is neither spectrally coherent nor even
highly monochromatic. However, its spectrum is sufficiently narrow that it appears to
the human eye as a pure (saturated) color.[9][10] Also unlike most lasers, its radiation is
not spatially coherent, so it cannot approach the very high brightnesses characteristic
of lasers.

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