A new technique that paves the way for manufacturing affordable LED light bulbs is to be exploited in the UK, in a deal that researchers say could have a dramatic impact on carbon emissions.
The process, developed at the University of Cambridge, will be utilised by Plessey, a semiconductor manufacturer based in Plymouth. It involves growing gallium nitride crystals on silicon and could drastically reduce the cost of making LEDs for lighting in offices and homes.
Light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, are the small, coloured lights currently used in electronic equipment, bicycle lights and roadside signs. Many scientists see them as the ideal replacement for old-fashioned tungsten filament light bulbs, which are being phased out by the EU because of the amount of electricity they waste and the consequent impact on carbon emissions.
Researchers estimate that a worldwide switch to LEDs, which are far more energy-efficient, would enable the closure of 560 power plants and result in annual CO2 savings equivalent to the output of all the cars on the planet.
Image: An LED emitting light on a 6-inch silicon wafer. Credit: Colin Humphreys.
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge