INTRODUCTION

LED stands for “light emitting diode.” A diode is an electrical component with two terminals which conduct the electricity only in one direction. With an electrical current, the diode emits a bright light around the small bulb.

t’s really simple actually, and very cheap to produce, which is why there was so much excitement when LED lights were first invented!

The Technical Details: LED lights are composed of two types of semiconducting material (a p-type and an n-type). Both the p-type and n-type materials, also called astringent materials, have been doped (dipped into a substance called a “doping agent”) so as to slightly alter their electrical properties from their pure, unaltered, or “intrinsic” form (i-type).

The p-type and n-type materials are created by introducing the original material to atoms of another element. These new atoms replace some of the previously existing atoms and in so doing, alter the physical and chemical structure. The p-type materials are created using elements (such as boron) that have less valence electrons than the intrinsic material (oftentimes silicon). The n-type materials are created using elements (such as phosphorus) that have more valence electrons that the intrinsic material (oftentimes silicon). The net effect is the creation of a p-n junction with interesting and useful properties for electronic applications. What those properties are exactly depends mostly on the external voltage applied to the circuit (if any) and the direction of current (i.e. which side, the p-type or the n-type, is connected to the positive terminal and which is connected to the negative terminal).

Uses Of LED

The major uses of LED (Light Emitting Diodes) is to illuminate objects and even places. Its application is everywhere due to its compact size, low consumption of energy, extended lifetime and flexibility in terms of use in various applications. Applications and Uses of LEDs can be seen in: TV Backlighting.

Uses of LED in Displays

LEDs display boards are common now these days and are used outdoors like storage signs, billboards, road signs etc. In sign boards which has multiple languages conveying signals, use of more LEDs will be beneficial in terms of less power consumption.

LEDs used for TV Backlighting

A TV’s backlight is the major power consuming source. Uses of LEDs can give a efficient power reduction. In the edges of TV, using an LED will be a cost reduction choice. Using LEDs directly behind the display provides better contrast. LEDs has been replacing CFLs and LCDs when it comes to TV backlighting.

LED VS CFL Brightness

Are LED lights brighter than or equal to Compact Fluorescent (CFL) bulbs? The trick is to understand the technology. In short, LED and CFL as technologies do not have a difference in brightness intrinsically. Brightness is determined by lumens. Lumens is best described as the measurement of light. A single CFL and LED bulb might have the same lumen (brightness) output but vary greatly in the amount energy needed to generate that level of brightness.

Many LED bulbs in the past were not omnidirectional which gave the upper hand to CFL in various scenarios. For example, in a floor lamp, a CFL would perform better because of the light coverage was, at the time, much broader. In most recessed lighting (ceiling), however, the LED would have greater efficacy. Fast forward to new LED generations, and we see the little light-emitting diodes surpassing CFLs in overall energy consumption, color and even becoming more competitively priced in the marketplace.

How to understand this table – look at the lumens (brightness) in the far left column, then compare how many watts of power each light bulb type requires to produce that level of brightness. The lower the wattage needed, the better.