Isoko ya mbere y’umuco w’amatara y’izuba, ikoresha ingingo ngenderwako y’umuco-itanga umuco w’ihuriro ry’ibice vy’umuyagankuba P-N, yavumbuwe mu ntango z’imyaka ya 1960. Ivyo bikoresho vyakoreshwa ico gihe vyari GaAsP, bikaba bitanga umuco utukura (λp=650nm). Kubera ko umuyagankuba utwara 20 mA, umuco wari ibihumbi bikeyi gusa vy’umuco, ivyo bikaba vyatuma umuco ushobora gutanga nk’ibice 0,1 lumen/watt.
Mu myaka ya 1970 hagati, ugushiraho ibintu vya In na N vyatumye ama LED ashobora gutanga umuco w’icatsi kibisi (λp=555nm), umuhondo (λp=590nm), n’umuco w’umuhondo (λp=610nm), kandi ubushobozi bwo gutanga umuco bwarateye imbere bushika ku 1 lumen/watt.
Mu ntango z’imyaka ya 1980, haradutse amatara y’umuco w’amatara ya GaAlAs, ivyo bikaba vyatumye amatara y’umutuku ashobora gutanga umuco w’amatara 10 lumens/watt.
Mu ntango z’imyaka ya 1990, ugutegura neza ibikoresho bibiri bishasha-GaAlInP (bitanga umuco w’umutuku n’umuhondo) na GaInN (bitanga umuco w’icatsi kibisi n’ubururu)-vyatumye ama LED agira ubushobozi bwo gutanga umuco. Mu mwaka w’2000, iyo ya mbere yakoze amatara y’umuco afise ubushobozi bwo gutanga umuco w’ama lumens 100 ku watt mu karere k’umutuku n’ay’umuhondo (λp=615nm), mu gihe aya nyuma yakoze amatara y’umuco afise ubushobozi bwo gutanga umuco w’ama lumens 50 ku watt mu karere k’icatsi kibisi (λp=530n).
