Mohloli oa khale oa lebone la LED, o sebelisang lebone-molao-motheo o ntšang semiconductor P-N, o ile oa qaptjoa mathoasong a lilemo tsa bo-1960. Thepa e neng e sebelisoa ka nako eo e ne e le GaAsP, e ntša lebone le khubelu (λp=650nm). Ka matla a ho khanna a 20 mA, phallo e khanyang e ne e le likete tse 'maloa feela tsa lumen, e leng se ileng sa fella ka ts'ebetso e khanyang ea hoo e ka bang 0.1 lumen/watt.
Bohareng ba lilemo tsa bo-1970, kenyelletso ea likarolo tsa In le N e ile ea thusa li-LED ho hlahisa botala (λp=555nm), bosehla (λp=590nm), le lebone la lamunu (λp=610nm) le khanya e matlafalitsoeng ho isa ho 1 lumen/watt.
Mathoasong a lilemo tsa bo-1980, mehloli ea leseli la GaAlAs LED e ile ea hlaha, e leng ho nolofalletsang li-LED tse khubelu ho finyella katleho e khanyang ea 10 lumens / watt.
Mathoasong a lilemo tsa bo-1990, nts'etsopele e atlehileng ea lisebelisoa tse peli tse ncha-GaAlInP (e ntšang khanya e khubelu le e mosehla) le GaInN (lebone le letala le leputsoa)-e ile ea ntlafatsa ts'ebetso e khanyang ea li-LED haholo. Ka 2000, ea pele e ile ea hlahisa li-LED tse nang le matla a khanyang a 100 lumens ka watt libakeng tse khubelu le tsa lamunu (λp=615nm), ha tsa morao-rao li ile tsa hlahisa li-LED tse nang le matla a khanyang a 50 lumens ka watt sebakeng se setala (λp=530nm).
