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Light-emitting Light-emitting diode (From Wikipedia)
Blue, green, and red LEDs; these can be combined to produce any color, including white. Infrared and ultraviolet (UVA) LEDs are also available.
LED panels allow for smaller sets of interchangeable LEDs to be one large display. A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor diode that emits light when an electrical current is applied in the forward direction of the device, as in the simple LED circuit. circuit. The effect is a form of electroluminescence of electroluminescence where incoherent and narrowspectrum light is emitted from the p-n junction. junction. LEDs are widely used as indicator lights on electronic devices and increasingly in higher power applications such as flashlights and area lighting lighting.. An LED is usually a small area (less than 1 mm 2) light source, often with optics added to the chip to shape its radiation pattern and assist in reflection [2] [3]. The color of the emitted light depends on the composition and condition of the semiconducting material used, and can be infrared infrared,, visible visible,, or ultraviolet ultraviolet.. Besides lighting, interesting applications include using UV UV-LEDs -LEDs for sterilization [4] of water and disinfection of devices , and as grow light to enhance photosynthesis in plants[5]. •
History Discovery and development The first known report of a light-emitting solid-state solid-state diode was made in 1907 by the British experimenter H. J. Round of Marconi of Marconi Labs [6]. Russian Oleg Vladimirovich Losev independently created the first LED in the mid 1920s; his research, though distributed in Russian, German and British scientific journals, was ignored, [7] [8] and no practical use was made of the discovery for several decades. Rubin Braunstein of the Radio Corporation of America reported on infrared emission from gallium arsenide (GaAs) and other semiconductor alloys in 1955 [9] . Braunstein observed infrared emission generated by simple diode structures using GaSb GaSb,, GaAs,, InP GaAs InP,, and Ge-Si alloys at room temperature and at 77 K. In 1961, Experimenters Bob Biard and Gary Pittman working at Texas at Texas Instruments, Instruments, [10] found that gallium arsenide gave off infrared radiation when electric current was applied. Biard and Pittman were able to establish the priority of their work and received the patent for the infrared light-emitting diode diode.. The first practical visible-spectrum (red) LED LED was developed in 1962 by Nick Holonyak Jr., Jr. , while working at General Electric Company. Company. He later moved to the University of Illinois at [11] Urbana-Champaign . Holonyak is seen as the "father of the light-emitting diode". [12] M. 1
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George Craford, a former graduate student of Holonyak's, invented the first yellow LED and 10x brighter red and red-orange LEDs in 1972. [13] Shuji Nakamura of Nichia of Nichia Corporation of Japan demonstrated the first high-brightness hi gh-brightness blue LED based on InGaN InGaN,, borrowing on critical developments in GaN nucleation on sapphire substrates and the demonstration of p-type doping of GaN which were developed by I. Akasaki and H. Amano in Nagoya Nagoya.. In 1995, Alberto Barbieri at the Cardiff University Laboratory (GB) investigated the Efficiency and Reliability of high-brightness LED demonstrating very high result by using a transparent contact made by indium tin oxide (ITO) on (AlGaInP/GaAs) LED. The existence of the blue LED and high efficiency quickly carried to the first white LED, which employed a Y 3Al5O12:Ce, or "YAG", phosphor coating to mix yellow (down-converted) light with blue to produce light that appears white. Nakamura was awarded the 2006 Millennium Technology Prize for his invention. [14] The development of LED technology has caused the efficiency and light output output to increase exponentially,, with a doubling approximately every 36 months since the 1960s, in a way exponentially similar to Moore's law. law. The advances are generally attributed to the parallel development of other semiconductor technologies and advances in optics and material science. This trend is normally called Haitz's Law after Dr. Roland Haitz.
Practical use The first commercial LEDs were commonly used as replacements for incandescent indicators, and in seven-segment displays, displays, first in expensive equipment such as laboratory l aboratory and electronics test equipment, then later in such appliances as TVs, radios, telephones, calculators, and even watches. These red LEDs were we re bright enough only for use as indicators, as the light output was not enough to illuminate an area. Later, other colors became widely available and also appeared in appliances and equipment. As the LED materials technology became more advanced, the light output was increased, while maintaining the efficiency and the reliability to an acceptable level, causing LEDs to become bright enough to be used for illumination. Most LEDs were made in the very common 5 mm T1³ ⁄ ₄ and 3 mm T1 packages, but with higher power, it has become increasingly necessary to shed excess heat in order to maintain reliability, so more complex packages adapted for efficient heat dissipation are becoming common. Packages for state-of-the-art high power LEDs bear little resemblance to early LEDs (see, for example, Philips Lumileds). Lumileds).
LED technolog t echnology y Physical principles
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I-V diagram for a diode an LED will begin to emit light when the on-voltage is exceeded. Typical on voltages are 2-3 Volt Like a normal diode, the LED consists of a chip of semiconducting material impregnated, or doped, with impurities to create a p-n junction. As in other diodes, current flows easily from the p-side, or anode, to the n-side, or cathode, but not in the reverse direction. Chargecarriers — electrons and holes — flow into the junction from electrodes with different voltages. When an electron meets a hole, it falls into a lower energy level, and releases energy in the form of a photon. The wavelength of the light emitted, and therefore its color, depends on the band gap energy of the materials forming the p-n junction. In silicon or germanium diodes, the electrons and holes recombine by a non-radiative transition which produces no optical emission, because these are indirect band gap materials. The materials used for the LED have a direct band gap with energies corresponding to near-infrared, visible or near-ultraviolet light. LED development began with infrared and red devices made with gallium arsenide. Advances in materials science have made possible the production of devices with ever-shorter wavelengths, producing light in a variety of colors. LEDs are usually built on an n-type substrate, with an electrode attached to the p-type layer deposited on its surface. P-type substrates, while less common, occur as well. Many commercial LEDs, especially GaN/InGaN, also use sapphire substrate.
Light extraction The refractive index of most LED semiconductor materials is quite high, so in almost all cases the light from the LED is coupled into a much lower-index medium. The large index difference makes the reflection quite substantial (per the Fresnel coefficients). The produced light gets partially reflected back into the semiconductor, where it may be absorbed and turned into additional heat; this is usually one of the dominant causes of LED inefficiency. Often more than half of the emitted light is reflected back at the LED-package and package-air interfaces. The reflection is most commonly reduced by using a dome-shaped (half-sphere) package with the diode in the center so that the outgoing light rays strike the surface perpendicularly, at which angle the reflection is minimized. Substrates that are transparent to the emitted wavelength, and backed by a reflective layer, increase the LED efficiency. The refractive index of the package material should also match the index of the semiconductor, to minimize backrefelction. An anti-reflection coating may be added as well. The package may be colored, but this is only for cosmetic reasons or to improve the contrast ratio; the color of the packaging does not substantially affect the color of the light emitted. Other strategies for reducing the impact of the interface reflections include designing the LED to reabsorb and reemit the reflected light (called photon recycling) and manipulating the microscopic structure of the surface to reduce the reflectance, by introducing random roughness, creating programmed moth eye surface patterns. Recently photonic crystal have also been used to minimize back-reflections [15]. In December 2007, scientists at Glasgow University claimed to have found a way to make LEDs more energy efficient, imprinting billions of holes into LEDs using a process known as nanoimprint lithography.[16]
Materials Conventional LEDs are made from a variety of inorganic semiconductor materials, producing the following colors: Aluminium gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) — red and infrared Aluminium gallium phosphide (AlGaP) — green • •
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• • •
• • • • • • •
Aluminium gallium indium phosphide (AlGaInP) — high-brightness orange-red, orange, yellow, and green Gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP) — red, orange-red, orange, and yellow Gallium phosphide (GaP) — red, yellow and green Gallium nitride (GaN) — green, pure green (or emerald green), and blue also white (if it has an AlGaN Quantum Barrier) Indium gallium nitride (InGaN) — 450–470 nm — near ultraviolet, bluish-green and blue Silicon carbide (SiC) as substrate — blue Silicon (Si) as substrate — blue (under development) Sapphire (Al2O3) as substrate — blue Zinc selenide (ZnSe) — blue Diamond (C) — ultraviolet Aluminium nitride (AlN), aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN), aluminium gallium indium nitride (AlGaInN) — near to far ultraviolet (down to 210 nm[17])
With this wide variety of colors, arrays of multicolor LEDs can be designed to produce unconventional color patterns. [18]
Ultraviolet and blue LEDs
Ultraviolet GaN LEDs. Blue LEDs are based on the wide band gap semiconductors GaN (gallium nitride) and InGaN (indium gallium nitride). They can be added to existing red and green LEDs to produce the impression of white light, though white LEDs today rarely use this principle. The first blue LEDs were made in 1971 by Jacques Pankove (inventor of the gallium nitride LED) at RCA Laboratories.[19] However, these devices had too little light output to be of much practical use. In the late 1980s, key breakthroughs in GaN epitaxial growth and p-type doping by Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano (Nagoya, Japan) [20] ushered in the modern era of GaNbased optoelectronic devices. Building upon this foundation, in 1993 high brightness blue LEDs were demonstrated through the work of Shuji Nakamura at Nichia Corporation.[21] By the late 1990s, blue LEDs had become widely available. They have an active region consisting of one or more InGaN quantum wells sandwiched between thicker layers of GaN, called cladding layers. By varying the relative InN-GaN fraction in the InGaN quantum well s, the light emission can be varied from violet to amber. AlGaN aluminium gallium nitride of varying AlN fraction can be used to manufacture the cladding and quantum well layers for ultraviolet LEDs, but these devices have not yet reached the level of efficiency and technological maturity of the InGaN-GaN blue/green devices. If the active quantum well layers are GaN, as opposed to alloyed InGaN or AlGaN, the device will emit near-ultraviolet light with wavelengths around 350 – 370 nm. Green LEDs manufactured from the InGaN-GaN system are far more efficient and brighter than green LEDs produced with non-nitride material systems. 4
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With nitrides containing aluminium, most often AlGaN and AlGaInN, even shorter wavelengths are achievable. Ultraviolet LEDs in a range of wavelengths are becoming available on the market. Near-UV emitters at wavelengths around 375 – 395 nm are already cheap and often encountered, for example, as black light lamp replacements for inspection of anticounterfeiting UV watermarks in some documents and paper currencies. Shorter wavelength diodes, while substantially more expensive, are commercially available for wavelengths down to 247 nm.[22] As the photosensitivity of microorganisms approximately matches the absorption spectrum of DNA, with a peak at about 260 nm, UV LEDs emitting at 250 – 270 nm are to be expected in prospective disinfection and sterilization devices. Recent research has shown that commercially available UVA LEDs (365 nm) are already effective disinfection and sterilization devices.[4] Wavelengths down to 210 nm were obtained in laboratories using aluminium nitride. While not an LED as such, an ordinary NPN bipolar transistor will emit violet light if its emitterbase junction is subjected to non-destructive reverse breakdown. This is easy to demonstrate by filing the top off a metal-can transistor (BC107, 2N2222 or similar) and biasing it well above emitter-base breakdown (≥ 20 V) via a current-limiting resistor.
White light LEDs There are two ways of producing high intensity white-light using LEDs. One is to use individual LEDs that emit three primary colors[23] – red, green, and blue, and then mix all the colors to produce white light. The other is to use a phosphor material to convert monochromatic light from a blue or UV LED to broad-spectrum white light.
RGB Systems
Combined spectral curves for blue, yellow-green, and high brightness red solid-state semiconductor LEDs. FWHM spectral bandwidth is approximately 24–27 nm for all three colors. White light can be produced by mixing differently colored light, the most common method is to use red, green and blue (RGB). Hence the method is called multi-colored white LEDs (sometimes referred to as RGB LEDs). Because its mechanism is involved with sophisticated electro-optical design to control the blending and diffusion of different colors, this approach has rarely been used to mass produce white LEDs in the industry. Nevertheless this method is particularly interesting to many researchers and scientists because of the flexibility of mixing 5
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different colors. In principle, this mechanism also has higher quantum efficiency in producing white light. There are several types of multi-colored white LEDs: di-, tri-, and tetrachromatic white LEDs. Several key factors that play among these different approaches include color stability, color rendering capability, and luminous efficacy. Often higher efficacy will mean lower color rendering, presenting a trade off between the luminous efficiency and color rendering. For example, the dichromatic white LEDs have the best luminous efficiency (120 lm/W), but the lowest color rendering capability. Oppositely although tetrachromatic white LEDs have excellent color rendering capability, they often have poor luminous efficiency. Trichromatic white LEDs are in between, having both good luminous efficiency (>70 lm/W) and fair color rendering capability. What multi-color LEDs offer is not merely another solution of producing white light, but is a whole new technique of producing light of different colors. In principle, all perceivable colors can be produced by mixing different amounts of three primary colors, and this makes it possible to produce precise dynamic color control as well. As more effort is devoted to investigating this technique, multi-color LEDs should have profound influence on the fundamental method which we use to produce and control light color. However, before this type of LED can truly play a role on the market, several technical problems need to be solved. These certainly include that this type of LED's emission power decays exponentially with increasing temperature,[24] resulting in a substantial change in color stability. Such problem is not acceptable for industrial usage. Therefore, many new package designs aiming to solve this problem have been proposed, and their results are being reproduced by researchers and scientists.
Phosphor based LEDs
Spectrum of a “white” LED clearly showing blue light which is directly emitted by the GaNbased LED (peak at about 465 nm) and the more broadband Stokes-shifted light emitted by the Ce3+:YAG phosphor which emits at roughly 500–700 nm. The method involves coating a LED of one color (mostly blue LED made of InGaN) with phosphor of a different color to produce white light. Depending on the color of the original LED, phosphors of different colors can also be employed. By applying several phosphor layers of distinct colors, we can effectively increase the color rendering index (CRI) value of a given LED.
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Because this method of producing white LEDs heavily employs the usage of phosphor, the resultant LEDs are called phosphor based white LEDs. Although easier to be manufactured than multi-colored LEDs, phosphor based LEDs have a lower quantum efficiency and other phosphor-related degradation issues. However, it is still the most popular technique of manufacturing high intensity white LEDs as well as high intensity LEDs of other colors because it requires much easier material processing and therefore suits today ’s applications. Much effort has been spent on optimizing the operating environment, namely temperature and current, for this type of LED. Phosphor based white LEDs encapsulate InGaN blue LEDs inside of a phosphor coated epoxy. A common yellow phosphor material is cerium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Ce3+:YAG). Although the phosphor based white LEDs have a relatively easier mechanism, they reach the fundamental limitation due to the unavoidable Stokes shift energy loss, a loss that occurs when short wavelength photons are converted to long wavelength photons. Regardless this technique of manufacturing is adopted by most of the LED industry because of its low cost and high output. All the high intensity white LEDs now on the market are manufactured by this method. Phosphor based white LEDs is so far the simplest solution to produce high intensity white light. With its simplified mechanism, this type of LEDs has attracted much interest from the lighting industry. Because of their more stable performance over a range of temperatures, prototypes as well as products based on this phosphor based mechanism have already appeared on the market. And more high intensity white LEDs are expected to be produced in the near future. However, the biggest challenge these phosphor based white LEDs face is solving the seemingly unavoidable Stokes energy loss. Again this can be done by adapting a better package design or by replacing a more suitable type of phosphor. Philips Lumileds patented conformal coating process addresses the issue of varying phosphor thickness, giving the white LEDs a more consistent spectrum of white light. White LEDs can also be made by coating near ultraviolet (NUV) emitting LEDs with a mixture of high efficiency europium-based red and blue emitting phosphors plus green emitting copper and aluminum doped zinc sulfide (ZnS:Cu, Al). This is a method analogous to the way fluorescent lamps work. However, the ultraviolet light causes photodegradation to the epoxy resin and many other materials used in LED packaging, causing manufacturing challenges and shorter lifetimes. This method is less efficient than the blue LED with YAG:Ce phosphor, as the Stokes shift is larger and more energy is therefore converted to heat, but yields light with better spectral characteristics, which render color better. Due to the higher radiative output of the ultraviolet LEDs than of the blue ones, both approaches offer comparable brightness. The newest method used to produce white light LEDs uses no phosphors at all and is based on homoepitaxially grown zinc selenide (ZnSe) on a ZnSe substrate which simultaneously emits blue light from its active region and yellow light from the substrate
Efficiency and operational parameters Typical indicator LEDs are designed to operate with no more than 30 – 60 milliwatts (mW) of electrical power. Around 1999, Philips Lumileds introduced power LEDs capable of continuous use at one watt (W). These LEDs used much larger semiconductor die sizes to handle the large power inputs. Also, the semiconductor dies were mounted onto metal slugs to allow for heat removal from the LED die. One of the key advantages of LED-based lighting is its high efficiency, as measured by its light output per unit power input. White LEDs quickly matched and overtook the efficiency of standard incandescent lighting systems. In 2002, Lumileds made five-watt LEDs available with a luminous efficacy of 18 – 22 lumens per watt (lm/W). For comparison, a conventional 60 – 100 7
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W incandescent lightbulb produces around 15 lm/W, and standard fluorescent lights produce up to 100 lm/W. (The luminous efficacy article discusses these comparisons in more detail.) In September 2003, a new type of blue LED was demonstrated by the company Cree, Inc. to provide 24 mW at 20 milliamperes (mA). This produced a commercially packaged white light giving 65 lm/W at 20 mA, becoming the brightest white LED commercially available at the time, and more than four times as efficient as standard incandescents. In 2006 they demonstrated a prototype with a record white LED luminous efficacy of 131 lm/W at 20 mA. Also, Seoul Semiconductor has plans for 135 lm/W by 2007 and 145 lm/W by 2008, which would be approaching an order of magnitude improvement over standard incandescents and better even than standard fluorescents. [25] Nichia Corporation has developed a white light LED with luminous efficacy of 150 lm/W at a forward current of 20 mA. [26] It should be noted that high-power ( ≥ 1 W) LEDs are necessary for practical general lighting applications. Typical operating currents for these devices begin at 350 mA. The highest efficiency high-power white LED is claimed by Philips Lumileds Lighting Co. with a luminous efficacy of 115 lm/W (350 mA).
Failure modes The most common way for LEDs (and diode lasers) to fail is the gradual lowering of light output and loss of efficiency. However, sudden failures can occur as well. The mechanism of degradation of the active region, where the radiative recombination occurs, involves nucleation and growth of dislocations; this requires a presence of an existing defect in the crystal and is accelerated by heat, high current density, and emitted light. Gallium arsenide and aluminium gallium arsenide are more susceptible to this mechanism than gallium arsenide phosphide and indium phosphide. Due to different properties of the active regions, gallium nitride and indium gallium nitride are virtually insensitive to this kind of defect; however, high current density can cause electromigration of atoms out of the active regions, leading to emergence of dislocations and point defects, acting as nonradiative recombination centers and producing heat instead of light. Ionizing radiation can lead to the creation of such defects as well, which leads to issues with radiation hardening of circuits containing LEDs (e.g., in optoisolators). Early red LEDs were notable for their short lifetime. White LEDs often use one or more phosphors. The phosphors tend to degrade with heat and age, losing efficiency and causing changes in the produced light color. Pink LEDs often use an organic phosphor formulation which may degrade after just a few hours of operation causing a major shift in output color. High electrical currents or voltages at elevated temperatures can cause diffusion of metal atoms from the electrodes into the active region. Some materials, notably indium tin oxide and silver, are subject to electromigration with the conseguence of leakage current and non radiative recombination along the chip edges. In some cases, especially with GaN/InGaN diodes, a barrier metal layer is used to hinder the electromigration effects. Mechanical stresses, high currents, and corrosive environment can lead to formation of whiskers, causing short circuits. High-power LEDs are susceptible to current crowding, nonhomogenous distribution of the current density over the junction. This may lead to creation of localized hot spots, which poses risk of thermal runaway. Nonhomogenities in the substrate, causing localized loss of thermal conductivity, aggravate the situation; most common ones are voids caused by incomplete soldering, or by electromigration effects and Kirkendall voiding. Thermal runaway is a common cause of LED failures. Laser diodes may be subject to catastrophic optical damage, when the light output exceeds a critical level and causes melting of the facet. 8
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Some materials of the plastic package tend to yellow when subjected to heat, causing partial absorption (and therefore loss of efficiency) of the affected wavelengths. Sudden failures are most often caused by thermal stresses. When the epoxy resin used in packaging reaches its glass transition temperature, it starts rapidly expanding, causing mechanical stresses on the semiconductor and the bonded contact, weakening it or even tearing it off. Conversely, very low temperatures can cause cracking of the packaging. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) may cause immediate failure of the semiconductor junction, a permanent shift of its parameters, or latent damage causing increased rate of degradation. LEDs and lasers grown on sapphire substrate are more susceptible to ESD damage.
Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) Main article: Organic light-emitting diode If the emitting layer material of the LED is an organic compound, it is known as an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED). To function as a semiconductor, the organic emitting material must have conjugated pi bonds. The emitting material can be a small organic molecule in a crystalline phase, or a polymer. Polymer materials can be flexible; such LEDs are known as PLEDs or FLEDs. Compared with regular LEDs, OLEDs are lighter, and polymer LEDs can have the added benefit of being flexible. Some possible future applications of OLEDs could be: Inexpensive, flexible displays Light sources Wall decorations Luminous cloth • • • •
OLEDs have been used to produce visual displays for portable electronic devices such as cellphones, digital cameras, and MP3 players. Larger displays have been demonstrated, but their life expectancy is still far too short (<1,000 hours) to be practical. Today, OLEDs operate at substantially lower efficiency than inorganic (crystalline) LEDs. The best luminous efficacy of an OLED so far is about 68 lm/W [citation needed].
Experimental technologies Quantum Dot LEDs A new technique developed by Michael Bowers, a graduate student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, involves coating a blue LED with quantum dots that glow white in response to the blue light from the LED. This technique produces a warm, yellowish-white light similar to that produced by incandescent bulbs.[27] Quantum Dots are semiconductor nanocrystals that possess unique optical properties. [28] Their emission color can be tuned from the visible throughout the infrared spectrum. This allows quantum dot LEDs to create almost any color on the CIE diagram. This provides more color options and better color rendering white LEDs. Quantum dot LEDs are available in the same package types as traditional phosphor based LEDs.
Research on DNA At the University of Cincinnati the DNA in salmon sperm has recently been discovered to amplify the effects and quality of a LED light[1] [2]. 9
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Considerations in use
Close-up of a typical LED in its case, showing the internal structure.
Unlike incandescent light bulbs, which light up regardless of the electrical polarity, LEDs will only light with correct electrical polarity. When the voltage across the p-n junction is in the correct direction, a significant current flows and the device is said to be forward-biased. If the voltage is of the wrong polarity, the device is said to be reverse biased, very little current flows, and no light is emitted. LEDs can be operated on an alternating current voltage, but they will only light with positive voltage, causing the LED to turn on and off at the frequency of the AC supply. 10
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While the only definitive way to determine the polarity of the LED is to examine its datasheet, these methods are usually reliable:
sign:
+
-
termin al:
anode (A)
cathode (K)
leads:
long
short
exterio r:
round
flat
interior :
small
large
wiring:
red
black
Less reliable methods of determining polarity are:
sign:
+
-
markin g:
none
stripe
pin:
1
2
PCB:
roun d
squar e
While it is not an officially reliable method, it is almost universally true that the cup that holds the LED die corresponds to the cathode. It is strongly recommended to apply a safe voltage and observe the illumination as a test regardless of what method is used to determine the polarity. Because the voltage versus current characteristics of the LED are much like any diode (that is, current approximately an exponential function of voltage), a small voltage change results in a huge change in current. Added to deviations in the process this means that a voltage source may barely make one LED light while taking another of the same type beyond its maximum ratings and potentially destroying it. 11
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Since the voltage is logarithmically related to the current it can be considered to remain largely constant over the LED's operating range. Thus the power can be considered to be essentially proportional to the current. In order to keep power nearly constant with variations in supply and LED characteristics, the power supply should be a “current source”, that is, it should supply an almost constant current. If high efficiency is not required (e.g., in most indicator applications), an approximation to a current source is made by connecting the LED in series with a current limiting resistor to a regulated voltage source. Most LEDs have low reverse breakdown voltage ratings, so they will also be damaged by an applied reverse voltage of more than a few volts. Since some manufacturers don't follow the indicator standards above, if possible the data sheet should be consulted before hooking up the LED, or the LED may be tested in series with a resistor on a sufficiently low voltage supply to avoid the reverse breakdown. If it is desired to drive the LED directly from an AC supply of more than the reverse breakdown voltage then it may be protected by placing a diode (or another LED) in inverse parallel. LEDs can be purchased with built in series resistors. These can save printed circuit board space and are especially useful when building prototypes or populating a PCB in a way other than its designers intended. However, the resistor value is set at the time of manufacture, removing one of the key methods of setting the LED's intensity. To increase efficiency (or to allow intensity control without the complexity of a DAC), the power may be applied periodically or intermittently; so long as the flicker rate is greater than the human flicker fusion threshold, the LED will appear to be continuously lit. Multiple LEDs can be connected in series with a single current limiting resistor provided the source voltage is greater than the sum of the individual LED threshold voltages. Parallel operation is also possible but can be more problematic. Parallel LEDs must have closely matched forward voltages (Vf) in order to have equal branch currents and, therefore, equal light output. Variations in the manufacturing process can make it difficult to obtain satisfactory operation when connecting some types of LEDs in parallel. [29] Bicolor LED units contain two diodes, one in each direction (that is, two diodes in inverse parallel) and each a different color (typically red and green), allowing two-color operation or a range of apparent colors to be created by altering the percentage of time the voltage is in each polarity. Other LED units contain two or more diodes (of different colors) arranged in either a common anode or common cathode configuration. These can be driven to different colors without reversing the polarity, however, more than two electrodes (leads) are required. Generally, for newer common standard LEDs in 3 mm or 5 mm packages, the following forward DC potential differences are typically measured. The forward potential difference depending on the LED's chemistry, temperature, and on the current (values here are for approx. 20 mA, a commonly-found maximum value).
Color
Potential Difference (Vf)
Infrared
1.6 V
Red
1.8–2.1 V
Orange
2.2 V
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Yellow
2.4 V
Green
2.6 V
Blue
3.0–3.5 V
White
3.0–3.5 V
Ultraviol et
3.5 V
Many LEDs are rated at 3 V maximum reverse potential. LEDs also behave as photocells, and will generate a current depending on the ambient light. They are not efficient as photocells, and will only produce a few microamperes (µA), but will produce a electrical potential — as much as 2 or 3 V depending on the band gap. This is enough to operate an amplifier or a CMOS logic gate. This effect can be used to make an inexpensive light sensor, for example to decide when to turn on the LED illuminator.
Advantages of using LEDs
LED schematic symbol LEDs produce more light per watt than incandescent bulbs; this is useful in battery powered or energy-saving devices. [30] LEDs can emit light of an intended color without the use of color filters that traditional lighting methods require. This is more efficient and can lower initial costs. The solid package of the LED can be designed to focus its light. Incandescent and fluorescent sources often require an external reflector to collect light and direct it in a usable manner. When used in applications where dimming is required, LEDs do not change their color tint as the current passing through them is lowered, unlike incandescent lamps, which turn yellow. LEDs are ideal for use in applications that are subject to frequent on-off cycling, unlike fluorescent lamps that burn out more quickly when cycled frequently, or HID lamps that require a long time before restarting. LEDs, being solid state components, are difficult to damage with external shock. Fluorescent and incandescent bulbs are easily broken if dropped on the ground. •
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•
•
• • •
LEDs can have a relatively long useful life. One report estimates 35,000 to 50,000 hours of useful life, though time to complete failure may be longer. [31] Fluorescent tubes typically are rated at about 30,000 hours, and incandescent light bulbs at 1,000–2,000 hours.[citation needed] LEDs mostly fail by dimming over time, rather than the abrupt burn-out of incandescent bulbs.[32] LEDs light up very quickly. A typical red indicator LED will achieve full brightness in microseconds; Philips Lumileds technical datasheet DS23 for the Luxeon Star states “less than 100ns.” LEDs used in communications devices can have even faster response times. LEDs can be very small and are easily populated onto printed circuit boards. LEDs do not contain mercury, unlike compact fluorescent lamps. Due to the human eye's visual persistence LEDs can be pulse width or duty cycle modulated in order to save power or achieve an apparent higher brightness for a given power input. The eye will tend to perceive the peak current light level rather than the average current light level when the modulation rate is higher than approximately 1000 hertz and the duty cycle is greater than 15 to 20% [citation needed]. This is also useful when applied to the multiplexing used in 7-segment displays.
LEDs are produced in an array of shapes and sizes. The 5 mm cylindrical package (red, fifth from the left) is the most common, estimated at 80% of world production. The color of the plastic lens is often the same as the actual color of light emitted, but not always. For instance, purple plastic is often used for infrared LEDs, and most blue devices have clear housings. There are also LEDs in extremely tiny packages, such as those found on blinkies and on cell phone keypads. (not shown).
Disadvantages of using LEDs •
LEDs are currently more expensive, price per lumen, on an initial capital cost basis, than more conventional lighting technologies. The additional expense partially stems from the relatively low lumen output and the drive circuitry and power supplies needed. However, when considering the total cost of ownership (including energy and maintenance costs), LEDs far surpass incandescent or halogen sources and begin to threaten compact fluorescent lamps[citation needed]. 14
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LED performance largely depends on the ambient temperature of the operating environment. Over-driving the LED in high ambient temperatures may result in overheating of the LED package, eventually leading to device failure. Adequate heatsinking is required to maintain long life. This is especially important when considering automotive, medical, and military applications where the device must operate over a large range of temperatures, and is required to have a low failure rate. LEDs must be supplied with the voltage above the threshold and a current below the rating. This can involve series resistors or current-regulated power supplies. [33] The spectrum of some white LEDs differs significantly from a black body radiator, such as the sun or an incandescent light. The spike at 460 nm and dip at 500 nm can cause the color of objects to be perceived differently under LED illumination than sunlight or incandescent sources, due to metamerism.[34] Color rendering properties of common fluorescent lamps are often inferior to what is now available in state-of-art white LEDs. LEDs do not approximate a “point source” of light, so cannot be used in applications needing a highly collimated beam. LEDs are not capable of providing divergence below a few degrees. This is contrasted with lasers, which can produce beams with divergences of 0.2 degrees or less.[35] There is increasing concern that blue LEDs and white LEDs are now capable of exceeding safe limits of the so-called blue-light hazard as defined in eye safety specifications such as ANSI/IESNA RP-27.1-05: Recommended Practice for Photobiological Safety for Lamp and Lamp Systems.[36][37]
Types The main types of LEDs are miniature, high power devices and custom designs such as alphanumeric or multi-color. Miniature LEDs
Different sized LEDs. 8 mm, 5mm and 3 mm These are mostly single-die LEDs used as indicators, and they come in various-size packages: surface mount 2 mm 3 mm (T1) 5 mm (T1³⁄₄) 10 mm Other sizes are also available, but less common. • • • • • •
Common package shapes: Round, dome top Round, flat top Rectangular, flat top (often seen in LED bar-graph displays) Triangular or square, flat top • • • •
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The encapsulation may also be clear or semi opaque to improve contrast and viewing angle. There are three main categories of miniature single die LEDs: Low current — typically rated for 2 mA at around 2 V (approximately 4 mW consumption). Standard — 20 mA LEDs at around 2 V (approximately 40 mW) for red, orange, yellow & green, and 20 mA at 4–5 V (approximately 100 mW) for blue, violet and white. Ultra-high output — 20 mA at approximately 2 V or 4–5 V, designed for vie wing in direct sunlight. •
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Five- and twelve-volt LEDs These are miniature LEDs incorporating a series resistor , and may be connected directly to a 5 V or 12 V supply.
Flashing LEDs Flashing LEDs are used as attention seeking indicators where it is desired to avoid the complexity of external electronics. Flashing LEDs resemble standard LEDs but they contain an integrated multivibrator circuit inside which causes the LED to flash with a typical period of one second. Most flashing LEDs emit light of a single color, but multicolored flashing LEDs are available too.
High power LEDs
High power LEDs from lumileds mounted on a star shaped heat sink High power LEDs (HPLED) can be driven at more than one ampere of current and give out large amounts of light. Since overheating destroys any LED the HPLEDs must be highly efficient to minimize excess heat, furthermore they are often mounted on a heat sink to allow for heat dissipation. If the heat from a HPLED is not removed the device will burn out in seconds. A single HPLED can often replace an incandescent bulb in a flashlight or be set in an array to form a powerful LED lamp. Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd produces LEDs that can run directly from mains power without the need for a DC converter. For each half cycle part of the LED diode emits light and part is dark, and this is reversed during the next half cycle. Current efficiency is 80 lm/W. [38]
Multi-color LEDs A “bi-color LED” is actually two different LEDs in one case. It consists of two dies connected to the same two leads but in opposite directions. Current flow in one direction produces one color, and current in the opposite direction produces the other color. Alternating the two colors with sufficient frequency causes the appearance of a third color. 16
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A “tri-color LED” is also two LEDs in one case, but the two LEDs are connected to separate leads so that the two LEDs can be controlled independently and lit simultaneously. RGB LEDs contain red, green and blue emitters, generally using a four-wire connection with one common (anode or cathode).
Alphanumeric LEDs
Old calculator LED display. LED displays are available in seven-segment and starburst format. Seven-segment displays handle all numbers and a limited set of letters. Starburst displays can display all letters. Seven-segment LED displays were in widespread use in the 1970s and 1980s, but increasing use of liquid crystal displays, with their lower power consumption and greater display flexibility, has reduced the popularity of numeric and alphanumeric LED displays.
LED applications List of LED applications The many application of LEDs are very diverse but fall in three major category's: Visual signal application where the light goes more or less directly from the LED to the human eye, to convey a message or meaning. Illumination where LED light is reflected from object to give visual response of these objects. And finally LEDs are also used to generate light for measuring and interacting with processes that do not involve the human visual system.
Indicators and signs
LED destination displays on buses, one with a colored route number.
Traffic light using LED 17
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Status indicators on a variety of equipment LED Panels used as stadium displays, large television displays, electronic billboards and dynamic decorative displays. Traffic lights and signals Exit signs Thin, lightweight message displays at airports and railway stations, and as destination displays for trains, buses, trams, and ferries. Red or yellow LEDs are used in indicator and alphanumeric displays in environments where night vision must be retained: aircraft cockpits, submarine and ship bridges, astronomy observatories, and in the field, e.g. night time animal watching and military field use. Red, yellow, green, and blue LEDs can be used for model railroading applications In dot matrix arrangements for displaying messages. Because of their long life and fast switching times, LEDs have been used for automotive high-mounted brake lights and truck and bus brake lights and turn signals for some time, but many high-end vehicles are now starting to use LEDs for their entire rear light clusters. Besides the gain in reliability, this has styling advantages because LEDs are capable of forming much thinner lights than incandescent lamps with parabolic reflectors. The significant improvement in the time taken to light up (perhaps 0.5s faster than an incandescent bulb) improves safety by giving drivers more time to react. It has been reported that at normal highway speeds this equals one car length increased reaction time for the car behind. White LED headlamps are beginning to make an appearance. As a medium quality voltage reference in electronic circuits. The forward voltage drop (e.g., about 1.7 V for a normal red LED) can be used instead of a Zener diode in lowvoltage regulators. Although LED forward voltage is much more current-dependent than a good Zener, Zener diodes are not available below voltages of about 3 V. Glowlights, as a more expensive but longer lasting and reusable alternative to Glowsticks. Lumalive, a photonic textile Emergency vehicle lighting LED-based Christmas lights available in different colors and with low energy consumption.
Lighting
Flashlights and lanterns that utilize white LEDs are becoming increasingly popular due to their durability and longer battery life. Replacement light bulbs Flashflights with low energy usage and high durability Lanterns • • •
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Streetlights Large scale video displays Architectural lighting Light source for machine vision systems, requiring bright, focused, homogeneous and possibly strobed illumination. Vehicle lighting on cars, motorcycles and bicycle lights Backlighting for LCD televisions and lightweight laptop displays. Using RGB LEDs increase the color gamut by as much as 45%. Stage lights using banks of RGB LEDs to easily change color and decrease heating from traditional stage lighting. Medical lighting where IR-radiation and high temperatures are unwanted.
Non visual applications
LED panel light source used in an experiment on plant growth. The findings of such experiments may be used to grow food in space on long duration missions. Grow lights using LEDs to increase photosynthesis in plants[39] Remote controls, such as for TVs and VCRs, often use infrared LEDs. Movement sensors, for example in optical computer mice. The Nintendo Wii's sensor bar uses infrared LEDs. In optical fiber and Free Space Optics communications. In pulse oximeters for measuring oxygen saturation LED phototherapy for acne using blue or red LEDs has been proven to significantly reduce acne over a three-month period. [citation needed] Some flatbed scanners use arrays of RGB LEDs rather than the typical cold-cathode fluorescent lamp as the light source. Having independent control of three illuminated colors allows the scanner to calibrate itself for more accurate color balance, and there is no need for warm-up. Sterilization of water and other substances using UV light.[4] Touch sensing: Since LEDs can also be used as photodiodes, they can be used for both photo emission and detection. This could be used in for example a touch-sensing screen that register reflected light from a finger or stylus[40]. • • •
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Optoisolators and optocouplers Main article: Opto-isolator
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Optocoupler schematic showing LED and phototransistor The LED may be combined with a photodiode or phototransistor in a single electronic device to provide a signal path with electrical isolation between two circuits. An optoisolator will have typical breakdown voltages between the input and output circuits of typically 500 – 3000 V. This is especially useful in medical equipment where the signals from a low voltage sensor circuit (usually battery powered) in contact with a living organism must be electrically isolated from any possible electrical failure in a recording or monitoring device operating at potentially dangerous voltages. An optoisolator also allows information to be transferred between circuits not sharing a common ground potential. An optocoupler may not have such high breakdown voltages and may even share a ground between input and output, but both types are useful in preventing electrical noise, particularly common mode electrical noise, on a sensor circuit from being transferred to the receiving circuit (where it may adversely affect the operation or durability of various components) and/or transferring a noisy signal. Optoisolators are also used in the feedback circuit of a DC to DC converter, allowing feedback information to be transferred while retaining electrical isolation between the input and output.
Light sources for machine vision systems
Light sources for machine vision systems. Machine vision systems often require bright and homogeneous illumination, so features of interest are easier to process. LEDs are often used to this purpose, and this field of application is likely to remain one of the major application areas until price drops low enough to make signaling and illumination applications more widespread. LEDs constitute a nearly ideal light source for machine vision systems for several main reasons: Size of illuminated field is usually comparatively small and Vision systems or smart camera are quite expensive, so cost of LEDs is usually a minor concern, compared to signaling applications. LED elements tend to be small and can be placed with high density over flat or even shaped substrates (PCBs etc) so that bright and homogeneous sources can be designed which direct light from tightly controlled directions on inspected parts. LEDs often have or can be used with small, inexpensive lenses and diffusers, helping to achieve high light densities and very good lighting control and homogeneity. •
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LEDs can be easily strobed (in the microsecond range and below) and synchronized; their power also has reached high enough levels that sufficiently high intensity can be obtained, allowing well lit images even with very short light pulses: this is often used in order to obtain crisp and sharp “still” images of quickly-moving parts. LEDs come in several different colors and wavelengths, easily allowing to use the best color for each application, where different color may provide better visibility of features of interest. Having a precisely known spectrum allows tightly matched filters to be used to separate informative bandwidth or to reduce disturbing effect of ambient light. LEDs usually operate at comparatively low working temperatures, simplifying heat management and dissipation, therefore allowing plastic lenses, filters and diffusers to be used. Waterproof units can also easily be designed, allowing for use in harsh or wet environments (food, beverage, oil industries). LED sources can be shaped in several main configurations (spot lights for reflective illumination; ring lights for coaxial illumination; back lights for contour illumination; linear assemblies; flat, large format panels; dome sources for diffused, omnidirectional illumination). Very compact designs are possible, allowing for small LED illuminators to be integrated within smart cameras and vision sensors.
Power sources LEDs have very low dynamic resistance, with the same voltage drop for widely varying currents. Consequently they cannot connect directly to most power sources without self destruction. A current control ballast is normally used, which is sometimes constant current. Indicator LEDs Miniature indicator LEDs are normally driven from low voltage DC via a current limiting resistor. Currents of 2 mA, 10 mA and 20 mA are common. Some low current indicators are only rated to 2 mA, and should not be driven at higher current. Sub-mA indicators may be made by driving ultrabright LEDs at very low current. Efficacy tends to reduce at low currents, but indicators running on 100 μA are still practical. The cost of ultrabrights is higher than 2 mA indicator LEDs. LEDs have a low max repeat reverse voltage rating, ranging from approximately 2 V to 5 V, and this can be a problem in some applications. Back to back LEDs are immune to this problem. These are available in single color as well as bicolor types. There are various strategies for reverse voltage handling. In niche applications such as IR therapy, LEDs are often driven at far above rated current. This causes high failure rate and occasional LED explosions. Thus many parallel strings are used, and a safety screen and ongoing maintenance are required. Alphanumeric LEDs use the same drive strategy as indicator LEDs, the only difference being the larger number of channels, each with its own resistor. Seven-segment and starburst LED arrays are available in both common-anode or common-cathode form.
Lighting LEDs on mains A CR dropper followed by full wave rectification is the usual ballast with series-parallel LED clusters. A single series string minimises dropper losses, while paralleled strings increase reliability. In practice usually three strings or more are used. 21
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Operation on square wave and modified sine wave (MSW) sources, such as many invertors, causes heavily increased resistor dissipation in CR droppers, and LED ballasts designed for sine wave use tend to burn on non-sine waveforms. The non-sine waveform also causes high peak LED currents, heavily shortening LED life. An inductor & rectifier makes a more suitable ballast for such use, and other options are also possible.
Lighting LEDs on low voltage LEDs are normally operated in parallel strings of series LEDs, with the total LED voltage typically adding up to around two-thirds of the supply voltage, with resistor current control for each string. LED current is proportional to power supply (PSU) voltage minus total LED string voltage. Where battery sources are used, the PSU voltage can vary widely, causing large changes in LED current and light output. For such applications, a constant current regulator is preferred to resistor control. Low drop-out (LDO) constant current regs also allow the total LED string voltage to be a higher percentage of PSU voltage, resulting in improved efficiency and reduced power use. Torches run one or more lighting LEDs on a low voltage battery. These usually use a resistor ballast. In disposable coin cell powered keyring type LED lights, the resistance of the cell itself is usually the only current limiting device. The cell should not therefore be replaced with a lower resistance type, such as one using a different battery chemistry. Finally, LEDs can be run from a single cell by use of a constant current switched mode invertor. The extra expense makes this option unpopular
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