Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technologies (AIST) developed a diamond LED with a maximum output of 0.3W and exhibited it at nano tech 2010, an exhibition that runs from Feb 17 to 19, 2010, in Japan.

AIST developed the LED in collaboration with Iwasaki Electric Co Ltd and Shintec Co Ltd. A diamond LED emits deep ultraviolet light and can be used to kill E coli bacteria and so on.

AIST announced a diamond LED with an output of 30μW in March 2009 at the 56th Spring Meeting, 2009 of the Japan Society of Applied Physics. This time, by enhancing the output by 10 times, AIST confirmed that the LED can actually kill E coli bacteria.

"If its output reaches several milliwatts, it can be used for sterilization purpose," AIST said.