Brighter, Longer Lasting Blue and Green Lasers and LEDs

In the early 1990s, true green or blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with enough intensity for commercial applications were not available. Eagle-Picher and North Carolina State University (NCSU) had achieved groundbreaking developments in creating zinc selenide blue and green lasers and LEDs, but needed financial assistance to continue the research and development. With funding from the Advanced Technology Program (ATP), Eagle-Picher and NCSU (a subcontractor) partnered to develop blue LEDs that were approximately 40 times brighter than those commercially available and green LEDs that were 50 times brighter than those commercially available. Near the end of the project, however, a Japanese company released a blue LED with a longer life span. In response, Eagle-Picher redirected its research into zinc oxide-based lasers and LEDs.