The LED's
LED means Light Emitting Diode. As its name implies, it is a diode that, when energized, emits a visible light.
There are three types of LEDs
What is diode?
Semiconductor diode is an electronic device or component, composed of silicon or germanium semiconductor crystal on a crystalline film, which opposed faces are doped by different gases during its formation.
Who invented the LED?
In 1961, Robert Biard and Gary Pittman, researchers of Texas Instruments, found that the GAAS (Gallium arsenate, one of the components used in the manufacture of rectifiers and signal diodes) emitted an infrared radiation when an electric current passed through it. The infrared radiation is not visible to the naked eye and only in 1962 Nick Holonyak Jr., of General Electric, was successful in obtaining a visible light (red) from a LED.
Robert Biard and Gary Pittman patented the LED, but Holonyak is considered as the ‘father of the light emitting diode’. In 1971 the blue LED was founde, but its luminous intensity was very low. Only in 1989 the first blue commercial LEDs were introduced. This enabled the creation of a number of visual devices such as the LED TV, RGB panels, etc.).
Source(s): Wikipedia
The LED lamps
Only in 1999 the LEDs were introduced in the lighting industry and since then they are considered as the future of the illumination. The advantage to use LED as Illumination is that they offer savings, durability and eco-efficiency.
The LEDs are increasingly bringing innovation to architecture projects and to a number of industries. Despite its high cost, the LED is the best economy option, mainly to the environment.
The LED advantages
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Durability: estimated in up to 100 000 HOURS
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It does not emit heat, UV and IV rays;
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It does not make harm to the illuminated objects by its luminous irradiation;
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It does not attract insects;
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It does not make harm to the environment, so discarding it is not necessary;
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Total safety: it is not harmful, as it has neither gases nor filament and its voltage is low;
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High Resistance: It does not require maintenance.
