Researchers develop Phosphor-Free White LED

Commercial white LEDs use a phosphor conversion layer in combination with a blue LED to achieve white-light emission. However, the conversion process results in efficiency losses, and phosphor also degrades over time, which limits the lifetime of the bulb.

In a new study, researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, demonstrate a phosphor-free white LED that can be tuned from warm white to cool white emission (Appl. Phys. Lett., doi: 10.1063/5.0026017). While its efficiency remains limited and more work is still needed, the device represents a step toward the development of practical, phosphor-free white-light sources.