LED Technology

LED is short for 'light emitting diode', which means an electronic semiconductor component. If current flows through the diode in a forward direction it emits light, without energy losses via thermal development and also without harmful UV radiation.

In a LEDON LED, light emission occurs within the so-called 'die'. This term corresponds to the tiny semiconductor element shown enlarged in the image (edge length ~1mm). This light producer is fixed to a multifunctional printed circuit board responsible for cooling and energy supply.

The LED cannot produce white light directly; first blue light is created in the die. This is then transformed into white light in the globe top with the aid of colour conversion via phosphorescent materials. The fine art of white lighting quality is achieved by the correct composition of the substances contained within. This influences minimal colour hues and is ultimately the recipe for success for LEDON lamps in terms of warm white light.

The LED is fundamentally different from all light sources used until now, and many of its properties are unique. LEDON makes use of these specific LED qualities as the starting point for creating a high quality and efficient lighting result.

The special qualities of LED lamps:

• Low energy consumption
• Long service life
• No toxic materials that need to be disposed of as hazardous waste
• High level of colour stability
• IR and UV-free light

The physical effect of light emission was discovered as early as 1907, and in 1962 the first red LED was produced. Green, orange and yellow were available ten years later. Twenty more years were needed before the blue version could be created. The first white LED was developed in 1995. White light is gained from blue via colour conversion (with the use of phosphorisation substances).

The main breakthrough came after 2000 when white LED became efficient enough to be used for accent lighting. The first luminous letters, refrigerated cabinets and pocket torches with LED came to market.

Today LEDs have sufficient light output to replace incandescent lamps and halogen lamps. The result: LEDs are now used for general lighting.

Experts are convinced that this trend will strengthen in the future, and the banning of incandescent lamps is just one of the reasons. The LED lamp with its high quality of light offers more than just an adequate substitute.

Today the investment in an LED lamp is repaid within a few years via the low consumption of electricity. These time periods will become even shorter as  prices reduce and energy prices increase in the future.

Saving energy brings ecological benefits in addition to economic ones. Those who consume less electricity reduce costs and carbon dioxide emissions at the same time. With LEDON LED lamps, this is very simple and yet still highly effective. If conventional incandescent lamps with 40 watts are replaced with LEDON LED lamps with 6 watts, energy consumption and pollutant emission is reduced by 85 percent.

A further important aspect is the service life of the lamp. An LED lamp from LEDON keeps going 25 times longer than an incandescent lamp. In this way resources are saved. But LED lamps not only have fewer raw materials but also fewer harmful materials. They contain no mercury and can therefore be disposed of via normal electrical household waste.