Oyena mthombo wokukhanya we-LED wokuqala, usebenzisa isibane{0}}umgaqo okhuphayo we-semiconductor ye-P-N junction, yaqalwa ekuqaleni koo-1960s. Izinto ezazisetyenziswa ngelo xesha yayiyiGaAsP, ikhupha isibane esibomvu (λp=650nm). Ngokuqhuba kwangoku kwe-20 mA, ukukhanya okukhanyayo kwakungamawaka ambalwa e-lumen, okukhokelela ekusebenzeni okukhanyayo malunga ne-0.1 lumen / watt.
Embindini we-1970s, ukwaziswa kwe-In kunye no-N element kwenza ii-LED zikwazi ukuvelisa uhlaza (λp=555nm), mthubi (λp=590nm), kunye nokukhanya orenji (λp=610nm) kunye nokusebenza okukhanyayo kuye kwaphuculwa ukuya kwi-lumen e-1/watt.
Ekuqaleni kwe-1980, imithombo yokukhanya ye-GaAlAs ye-LED yavela, eyenza ukuba ii-LED ezibomvu zifezekise ukukhanya okukhanyayo kwe-lumens / watt ye-10.
Ekuqaleni koo-1990, uphuhliso oluyimpumelelo lwezixhobo ezibini ezitsha{1}}i-GaAlInP (ekhupha ukukhanya okubomvu nokutyheli) kunye ne-GaInN (ikhupha ukukhanya okuluhlaza nokubhlowu){2}}yaphucula ngokubonakalayo ukusebenza okuqaqambileyo kwee-LED. Kwi-2000, ii-LED zangaphambili zavelisa ukukhanya okukhanyayo kwe-lumens ye-100 nge-watt kwindawo ebomvu kunye ne-orenji (λp=615 nm), ngelixa umva wavelisa ii-LED ezinokukhanya okukhanyayo kwe-50 lumens ngewatt kwindawo eluhlaza ( λp =530 nm).
