LED Lights Manufacturing Process: How LED Lighting is Made
What are LED lights?
LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are semiconductors that produce light when an electrical current passes through them. LEDs differ from typical lighting methods, which generate light when heated. With energy efficiency, a longer lifetime, and improved colour quality, LEDs outperform traditional incandescent and fluorescent lighting.
Research discovered that in 2020, 14% of UK households switched to LED lighting in order to make homes more efficient. The move towards LED lighting is steadily increasing as more homeowners understand the advantages of LEDs. As demand for LED lighting continues to grow, the manufacturing process is constantly developing to find the most cost-effective and time-efficient procedure.
The LED manufacturing process
The LED lights manufacturing process is a complex procedure made up of three main steps: LED chips, LED package, and LED lamp. Each step must be executed to the highest standard to ensure quality control and product consistency.
The process begins with the manufacturing of the LED chip. First, the semiconductor material is grown in a high-pressure, high-temperature chamber, where elements (gallium, arsenic, phosphor) are purified, mixed, and liquified into a concentrated solution. Once combined, a rod is placed into the solution and slowly pulled out. After the rod is removed, the solution quickly cools and begins to crystalise to create a long crystal ingot. Next, the crystal ingot is sliced into semiconductor wafers, each sanded and cleaned to remove any dust, dirt, or organic material.
The semiconductor wafers are then layered up and diced into small segments called chips. The chips get separated and packaged into individual LED packages. The LED package acts as a casing that holds the chip, bond wire, and phosphor layer. The packages allow the LED chip to emit bright white light.
Finally, the LED packages are mounted onto a printed circuit board and integrated into the product. The most common LEDs in the home are pendant lights, flush ceiling lights, and spotlights, but the opportunities are endless when it comes to integrating LED lights into products. With integrated LED lighting fixtures, manufacturers can market more exciting products offering Smart functions, increased design opportunities, better quality lighting, longer lifetime, and improved energy efficiency.
What are LED lights used for?
LED lighting is a popular choice for homes due to its high energy efficiency and innovative technology. In addition to lamps and luminaires, LED components are manufactured for many products that we use in everyday life. Some of the most common types of LED products include streetlights, exit signs, traffic signals, TV screens, dashboard buttons, and message displays at railway stations and airports.
High demand means LED manufacturers must take extra care when testing LEDs before the product reaches the customer. Rigorous product testing ensures consistency through integrated LED products and guarantees uniform lighting quality.
Future of LED lights
The future of LED is certainly bright. With growing demand and rising popularity, the LED market is pushing lighting companies and manufacturers to advance their technology and find innovative ways to enhance their respective products.
According to studies, 87% of all light sources will be LED by 2030, indicating that LEDs are the future of lighting. The demand for LED lighting has driven efforts to achieve a more sustainable future and caused LED prices to drop. Furthermore, governments across the globe are implementing plans to promote environmentally friendly and energy-efficient lighting, meaning traditional incandescent lightbulbs will be phased out and replaced with energy-saving alternatives such as LEDs.
Keywords
LED chip – an electronic component that emits light
LED package – an LED casing that carries the LED chip and phosphor layer
LED lamp – a light fixture or lightbulb that uses light-emitting diodes to produce light
Semiconductor wafer – used to integrate an electrical current to charge the LED light
Gallium – a soft silvery metal
Arsenic – a metalloid chemical element
Phosphor – a synthetic fluorescent substance that emits light when exposed to radiant energy
Bond wire – connects the semiconductor to the LED chip
Phosphor layer – designed to absorb the blue light from the LED chip and emit white light
Printed circuit board – electrically connects electrical components to power the LED