LED Full Form

LED full form is Light Emitting Diode. Due to their energy-efficient nature, LED lights have gained immense popularity. This revolutionary item is now widely used in different electronic gadgets including watches, calculators, electronic test equipment, televisions, and monitors, to name a few. Most people know that LED lights are energy-efficient lights. But do you know there is a lot more to know about these lights? Continue reading to find more interesting information on LED lights, their usage, benefits, and more. 

What is LED Full Form?

The full form of LED is Light Emitting Diode, which is a semiconductor source of light. These are popular not just because of their energy-efficient nature but also because they reduce the negative impact of incandescent light bulbs. Smartphone backlights, LED displays, home lighting, and automatic lighting are some of the common examples of LED. 

Symbol of LED

History of LED

For most people, LEDs are the latest invention found in the 21st century. You will be shocked to know that in reality LED was first created in 1927 and since then it has been developing. As per some sources, Russian inventor Oleg Lesev created the first LED in 1927. The first high-brightness blue LED lights were created by Akaski and Amanos in 1993 and quickly developed the white LEDs. The popularity of LEDs grew further and these became a common part of the school, office, and hospital lighting in 2008. Today, LEDs have completely replaced halogen and fluorescent bulbs as the main source of lighting. 

How are LEDs Designed?

Like any other bulb, LEDs are also designed with a glass lens around it. The glass lens helps in equal distribution of light in a limited angular range. The PN-junction in these lights is formed by using semiconductor chips doped with impurities. To make the contact, the conductive adhesive is used on the side of the cathode and gold wire on the anode side to lead the frame.  

LEDs are designed by using different semiconductor materials. The main materials used to design LEDs include:

• InGaN (Indium Gallium Nitride): These are used to design green, blue and ultraviolet high brightness LEDs.
• AIGaInP (Aluminum Gallium Indium Phosphide): This semiconductor material is used to design orange, yellow and red high brightness LEDs.
• GAP (Gallium Phosphide): To design green and yellow LEDs, these materials are used. 

Types of LED

Based on the uses, different types of LEDs are designed which vary in size, shape, design and power. Here are some common types of LEDs:

• High Power LED: These LED lights are designed for higher levels of output by consuming more than 1-watt power. As the name suggests, these LEDs have higher luminous intensity and long-lasting life. These are majorly used in streets, traffic lights and lamps. 
• Application Specific LED: As the name suggests, these are customized LED lights designed based on their usage. Some of the examples of application-based LEDs include flashing LEDs, RGB tri-colour LEDs, Multicolour LEDS and Bi-colour LEDs. 
• LED Tubes: These lights are used as a substitute of fluorescent tubes through a single handing replacement. As a replacement of the tube, a series of LED miniatures is used along the tube length. 
• Lighting LED: The Edison light bulb is the example of lighting LED which uses aluminum or ceramic body for its design. These are used for heat dissipation. 

Uses of LED

Not just in the commercial sector, LED lights today have become an integral part of the daily life of people. There are various applications of LED lights like home lighting, LED display, TV backlight, automotive lighting etc. Some of the important uses of LED lights are:

LEDs for TV Backlighting

One of the major power consuming sources in a television is its backlight. This power-consumption is reduced by using LEDs. These have successfully replaced CFLs and LCDs. 

LEDs for Dimming of Lights

LEDs are used for dimming of lights to reduce the heavy loads on circuits. This helps in maintaining the brightness of lights without additional energy costs. 

LEDs in Smartphone Backlighting

Be it boosting the design of the extra-slim smartphones or reducing the cost, LEDs serve various purposes when used as an option for mobile phone backlighting. These also help in enhancing the battery life of the smartphones by consuming low voltage. 

LEDs in Displays

One of the most common uses of LEDs is in displays. From the road signs to billboards and storage signs, LED lights are used for every display because these consume low energy and give better visibility of the designs. 

Features of LED

• Energy-Saving: One of the biggest features that makes LED lights so popular is their energy-saving nature. These can save up to 80%.
• Environment-Friendly: People nowadays are more aware about the environment and look for environment-friendly options. LED make one perfect choice here as these cause no damage to the environment. These are made with non-toxic technology without using cadmium, lead or mercury.
• Long-Lasting Nature: LED lights are durable and run a long race. You can use a LED bulb for years, and that is at a reasonable price. 
• Low Maintenance Cost: LED TVs come with impressive crystal clear images with bright colours. Besides, LED lights run along with a low maintenance cost.
• Great CRI: LEDs make a perfect choice for areas where actual color of the objects makes a huge difference like the operation theatre. LEDs have great Color Rendering Index (CRI).
• Long Life: LEDs have a long life of approx. 50000 Hours (5 Years approx.).

Disadvantages of LED

There are numerous benefits and advantages of LED lights. But at the same time, these also have some flaws, which are:

• LED lights are comparatively expensive.
• The performance of LEDs has a direct impact on the temperature of the area where these are used. 
• The voltage sensitivity has a huge impact on the LED's performance. To ensure long life of the LED, the voltage supplied to the LED should not be below the threshold and the current should not be above the rating. 
• These don't make a good choice for open large areas as these don't produce spherical distribution. 

Interesting Facts About LED Lights

• LED full form is Light Emitting Diodes, used by LED bulbs to produce light. 
• LEDs have a long life span. If you never turn off the same bulb, it will last for at least three years. 
• The New Year's Eve ball that is dropped in Times Square is made of 32,256 individual LED lights.
• As compared to halogen, LED lights breed significantly less bacteria when used in fresh food displays. 
• LED lights help in increasing productivity at the workplace by reducing eye strain.