A new LED device has been created that uses an array of LEDs 100 times smaller than conventional LEDs and that is flexible, maintains lower temperature and has an increased life span. "The new model uses a silicon substrate, novel etching strategies, a unique layout and innovative thermal management method," said Jizhou Song, a professor at the College of Engineering at the University of Miami and co-author of the study published in the National Academy of Sciences. "The combination of these manufacturing techniques allows the new design to be much smaller and keep lower temperatures than current LEDs using the same electrical power." In the future, the researchers also would like to make the device stretchable so that it can be used on any surface, such as deformable display monitors and biomedical devices that adapt to the curvilinear surfaces of the human body. For more information, visit: www.miami.edu