Review—On The Search for Efficient Solid State Light Emitters: Past, Present, Future

Abstract

The emergence of efficient solid state light emitters was the result of the remarkable breakthroughs in the late 1980s and early 1990s in GaN-based materials and light emitting diodes. Over the past two decades, the continued progress in blue LED efficiency resulted in a revolution in lighting. While the basic physics of nitrides LEDs operation are well understood, nitride LEDs have still open questions, and their reaching physical limits at all wavelengths still raises major challenges.