W I L L I A M L I N D S E YB L U E L E D B U L B S P R O D U C E A N O B E L P R I Z E F O R S C I E N T I S T S

T H E P R I Z E

• Three scientists from Japan

created blue LEDs twenty

years ago.

• Today, they received the

Nobel Prize in Physics and

$1.1 million.

G A D G E T S O V E R T H E Y E A R S

• Gadgets that have been in existence for over forty

years all used red LED light bulbs. TVs, VCRs, and

modems all were familiarly adorned with these lights,

as science had no idea how to formulate blue.

However, by the late nineties, blue LEDs could be

found in electronics everywhere.

H O W T H E Y W O R K ?B L U E L E D S :

• The discovery that gallium nitride could produce

efficient blue LEDs is what earned the Nobel Prize.

After more fine tuning and work with indium-gallium-

nitride quantum wells, blue and white LEDs continued

to advance. According to the Nobel Committee in

Physics, “The invention of the blue LED is just 20 years

old, but it has already contributed to create and light in

an entirely new manner to the benefit of us all.”

W O R L D

I M P R O V E M E N T

S

• The quality of life for many

around the world now has a

chance to improve. The low

power requirements of an

LED lamp means those

who don’t have access to

electricity grids now have

another option.

V I S I T H E R E F O R M O R E I N F O O N L I G H T I N G !

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