A solid-state lighting unit for automated visual inspection includes a high-density array of light emitting diodes. The packing density of said diode array being limited only by the physical size of the light emitting diode chips and the ability to perform die and wire bond operations on the bare chips. Each diode is disposed on an electrically insulated, thermally conductive base unit. The base unit is, in turn, in a thermally conductive path with a heat dissipator. The provisions made to ensure a thermally conductive path from the individual light emitting diode chips to the heat dissipator combined with the high chip packing densities work together to create a solid-state lighting array capable of producing extremely high illumination fields when operated in either pulsed or continuous current mode.