White light‐emitting diodes: History, progress, and future

About twenty years ago, in the autumn of 1996, the first white light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) were offered for sale. These then‐new devices ushered in a new era in lighting by displacing lower‐efficiency conventional light sources including Edison's venerable incandescent lamp as well as the Hg‐d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Laser & photonics reviews 2017-03, Vol.11 (2), p.np-n/a
Main Authors: Cho, Jaehee, Park, Jun Hyuk, Kim, Jong Kyu, Schubert, E. Fred
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Devices
Displacement
Fluorescent lamps
Illumination
Incandescent lamps
LED
LED History
Light emitting diodes
Lighting
Smart LEDs
White light emitting diode
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Summary:About twenty years ago, in the autumn of 1996, the first white light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) were offered for sale. These then‐new devices ushered in a new era in lighting by displacing lower‐efficiency conventional light sources including Edison's venerable incandescent lamp as well as the Hg‐discharge‐based fluorescent lamp. We review the history of the conception, improvement, and commercialization of the white LED. Early models of white LEDs already exceeded the efficiency of low‐wattage incandescent lamps, and extraordinary progress has been made during the last 20 years. The review also includes a discussion of advances in blue LED chips, device architecture, light extraction, and phosphors. Finally, we offer a brief outlook on opportunities provided by smart LED technology. In 1996, the first white light‐emitting diodes entered the commercial market. These devices ushered in a new era in lighting by displacing lower‐efficiency incandescent and fluorescent lamps. The history of the conception, improvement, and commercialization of white light‐emitting diodes is reviewed. The review also addresses developments in white light‐emitting diode technology during the past two decades and offers an outlook on the future of lighting.
ISSN:1863-8880
1863-8899
DOI:10.1002/lpor.201600147