In the beginning, Man created the Red (and infrared) LED…and it was good! These were used for such critical tasks as lighting up airplane dashboards, and entertaining cats. Later, shorter wave-length LED’s were invented, the yellow and the green…and it was better! But the shortest LED wavelength of all proved to be the elusive Blue LED.
Since the 1950’s, scientists had tried in vain to discover the secret of making a Blue LED light. But somehow the formula required for it was far different than any of the other colors. Finally, three Japanese scientists discovered a “new” material, called Gallium Nitride (GaN). It didn’t happen overnight, but ultimately, GaN has become the best material to layer LED’s on, and has become the material that superior LED’s are manufactured with.
For their persistence and dedication, the three Japanese scientists were awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics! And for their efforts, the three men split a reward of $1.1 Million and each received a Gold Medal.
Most Nobel Prizes that I remember hearing about are for something that seems rather obtuse; important, but doesn’t affect me or the average person. But the LED is here to stay, and it’s usually the solution that the Team at Accurate Auditors will specify. LED's have the ability to put out more light (Lumens) while using less energy (fewer Watts). And while we don't often have the need to specify Blue LED's, it's nice to know that we can...!
The Team at Accurate Auditors...!