Ol i bin kamapim namba wan LED lait sos, we i yusim lait-emiting prinsipel bilong wanpela semikondakta P-N junksen, long stat bilong 1960s. Ol samting ol i yusim long dispela taim em GaAsP, we i save givim retpela lait (λp=650nm). Wantaim wanpela 'driving current' bilong 20 mA, 'luminous flux' i bin stap long sampela tausen hap bilong wanpela 'lumen' tasol, na dispela i mekim na 'luminous efficacy' bilong en i stap klostu long 0.1 'lumen/watt'.
Long namel bilong 1970s, ol i kamapim ol In na N element na dispela i mekim na ol LED i ken kamapim grin (λp=555nm), yelo (λp=590nm), na orens (λp=610nm) lait, na strong bilong lait i go antap long 1 lumen/watt.
Long stat bilong 1980s, ol GaAlAs LED lait sos i kamap, na dispela i mekim na ol retpela LED i gat lait bilong 10 lumens/watt.
Long stat bilong 1990s, gutpela wok bilong kamapim tupela nupela samting-GaAlInP (i save givim ret na yelo lait) na GaInN (i save givim grin na blu lait)-i mekim gutpela wok bilong ol LED. Long 2000, namba wan i kamapim ol LED wantaim lait bilong 100 lumens long wan wan watt long retpela na orens rijen (λp=615nm), na namba tu i kamapim ol LED wantaim lait bilong 50 lumens long wan wan watt long grinpela rijen (λp=530nm).
