There are even more benefits from the semiconductor character of LEDs.

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LEDs, semiconductor diodes that light up when current runs through them, are 10 to 20 times as expensive as incandescents, too high for use at home.

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But LEDs are made from a semiconductor material, and are able to emit much more light for the same amount of electricity.

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Gallium nitride is a semiconductor used to create bright-blue LEDs.

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But the Department of Energy predicts that steady improvements in semiconductor manufacturing will bring the price of white LEDs below that of compact fluorescents in five years.

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LEDs function by driving electrons across a junction between two semiconductor materials in which electrons move at different energy levels.

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Other competitors in the technology sector include: SemiLEDs (LEDS), Advanced Photonix, Inc. (API), and TriQuint Semiconductor (TQNT).

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The LED light is a semiconductor chip that requires another chip, called an LED driver, to supply stable power to LEDs, improve electrical efficiency and regulate performance.

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