Semiconductor firm Bridgelux Inc has demonstrated a silicon substrate LED with a light output of 135 lumens per watt.
According to the company, this is the first time that anyone has created "commercial grade" performance from a silicon substrate LED.
This was achieved by using a single 1.5-mm diameter LED that is operated at 350-mA.
However, Bridgelux Inc conceded that products based on this technology are at least two to three years to come to market.
Meanwhile, new research has shown that global inventories held by semiconductor suppliers increased to the highest level in two and a half years during the fourth quarter of last year.
IHS iSuppli said that semiconductor suppliers had 83.6 days of inventory at the end of the fourth quarter of 2010, newselectronics.co.uk reports.
This is up 5.5 days, or seven per cent, from 78.1 days in the previous quarter.
Indeed, inventory was said to be at its highest level since the second quarter of 2008.