ʻO ke kumu kukui LED mua loa, me ka hoʻohana ʻana i ke kumu -emitting kumu o kahi hui semiconductor P-N, i hana ʻia i ka makahiki 1960. ʻO GaAsP ka mea i hoʻohana ʻia i ia manawa, e hoʻopuka ana i ke kukui ʻulaʻula (λp=650nm). Me ka holo ana o 20 mA, o ka luminous flux he kakaikahi wale no na tausani o ka lumen, i ka hopena o ka malamalama efficacy ma kahi o 0.1 lumen/watt.
Ma ka waena waena o ka makahiki 1970, no ka hoʻokomo ʻia ʻana o nā mea In a me N i hiki ai i nā LED ke hana i ka ʻōmaʻomaʻo (λp=555nm), melemele (λp=590nm), a me ka ʻalani (λp=610nm) kukui, a ua hoʻomaikaʻi ʻia ka mana kukui i 1 lumen/watt.
I nā makahiki 1980 mua, ua puka mai nā kumu kukui LED GaAlAs, hiki i nā LED ʻulaʻula ke hoʻokō i ka mana kukui o 10 lumens/watt.
I nā makahiki 1990 mua, ua hoʻomaikaʻi maikaʻi ka holomua ʻana o ʻelua mau mea hou -GaAlInP (e hoʻopuka ana i ke kukui ʻulaʻula a me ka melemele) a me GaInN (e hoʻopuka ana i ke kukui ʻōmaʻomaʻo a me ka uliuli)- i ka pono ʻālohilohi o nā LED. I ka makahiki 2000, ua hana ka mea mua i na LED me ka mana olinolino o 100 lumens no ka watt ma na wahi ulaula a alani (λp=615nm), aʻo ka mea hope i hana i na LED me ka mana olinolino o 50 lumens per watt ma ka ʻāpana ʻōmaʻomaʻo (λp=530nm).
