LED technology in modern lighting

LED technology in everyday use has revolutionized the contemporary look at the quality of lighting and the spectrum of its application. Depending on the individual needs of the user, a wide range of choice of the appropriate type of LED lighting, due to the diversity of the broadcasting power, will work both in terms of functionality and aesthetics, being a key element in the arrangement of internal and external space.

LED technology

A light-emitting diode, known as LED diodes (light-emitting diodes), is currently one of three basic sources of radiation. Immediately next to discharge or incandescent sources, it is currently one of the most energy-saving and, at the same time, efficient light sources.

Contrary to appearances, the idea of ​​creating a luminous diode is not as young as it seems. The origins of the project should be traced back to the early 20s of the 20th century, then the Soviet radio technician - Oleg Łosiew- he noticed that the diodes, which are in the radio receivers, emit visible light. On the basis of articles that were created based on the observations of the technique, the idea of ​​production came into force only in the second half of the century (1962), based on a formula developed by an American engineer - Nick Holonyak Jr.

LED - construction

The semiconductor diode has been built in layers. It consists of the layer n, the active area of the PN junction and closing the p line. On both sides of the diode, there are metal contacts whose task is to provide electricity with a suitable charge: negative to the layer n, positive to the layer p.

LED - operation

The basis of the LED diode is the phenomenon of electroluminescence, which is based on the lighting of objects under the influence of direct or alternating current in semiconductor materials, the construction of which is based on two layers:

N - a layer with a very large number of electrons 
P - a layer with holes that are a typical element of the structure of crystalline sulfur (made up of atoms and molecules). 
The key element in the diode's operation is the phenomenon of recombination, that is, the combination of pairs of molecules having an opposite electric charge. In the field of physics, we can distinguish two types of recombination mechanism - direct and indirect.

Direct recombination is a phenomenon that involves the passage of an electron from conductive bands to another, a free state on the valence band. The energy created as a result of recombination has the form of a photon (light particle).

Indirect recombination, however, also involves the passage of the electron from the conductive band on the valence, except that it takes place in two stages. The electron during the cut passes through the so-called quantum states that result from energy pauses that occur within the so-called crystal lattice, which is defined by a specific and symmetrical system of atoms and molecules in the solid body.

After the diode is supplied to the system, a recombination event takes place, during which the electrons suddenly jump between layers N and P. During this transition, the generated energy value of the photons of light emitted is equal to the previously mentioned energy break.

As in the case of classic light sources, among others discharge lamps in which the light-emitting environment is a vapor of gases eg sodium or bromine, and in the case of light-emitting diodes, depending on the material from which the semiconductor was built, the diode can emit light of different color.

Based on the historical processes involved in creating the LEDs we deal with today, the first was semiconductors made of gallium arsenide, which emitted monochromatic light - infrared, red, green, blue and white. In the 1970s, development works allowed for the creation of diodes, whose parameters are still used today, both in terms of broadcasting power (100 mW) and size (5mm). The natural consequence was the production of high-power diodes, whose spectrum was from 0.8 to 6W. 
Light technology used in semiconductor radiation sources emits light, based on three basic colors - Red Red, Green Green and Blue Blue (more about RGB lighting you will learn from our article ). Thanks to the possibility of connection in any basic color configurations, it is possible to create a white light, which in practice enables the use of LED lighting in a wider range of use.