Scientists develop thinnest LEDs that are stronger, more energy efficient

Scientists have come up with the thinnest possible LEDs, which they claim are stronger and more energy efficient than the normal ones.

The LEDs, which are developed by University of Washington scientists, are based on two-dimensional, flexible semiconductors, making it possible to stack or use in much smaller and more diverse applications than what the current technology allows.

The LED is made from flat sheets of the molecular semiconductor known as tungsten diselenide and scientist have used regular adhesive tape to extract a single sheet of this material from thick, layered pieces.

According to the researchers, this technology could open doors for using light, as these LEDs interconnects to run nano-scale computer chips, instead of standard devices that operate off the movement of electrons or electricity.

Assistant professor Xiaodong Xu said that their thinnest LEDs are only three atoms thick, but are still mechanically strong and such thin, and that foldable LEDs are critical for future portable and integrated electronic devices.

The paper about this technology appeared online in Nature Nanotechnology.