Quantum Materials are now supplying tetrapod quantum dots to an Asian manufacturer of LCD displays. Tetrapod quantum dots are a high-efficiency display technology that could revolutionize the market.
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Quantum dots of the same material can emit different colored light depending on their diameter. Image credit: Quantum Materials Corp.
Quantum dots are nanoscale structures, which are so small their structure directly affects their optical and electrical properties.
For example, quantum dots made of the same material emit different colored light depending only on their size.
This unusual property, coupled with their high brightness, makes them very attractive to manufacturers of displays. In most types of display, red, green and blue emitters require different chemicals. This is true of LCDs, LED and OLEDs. With quantum dots however, a single material can be used to create a full color display, keeping manufacturing costs low.
Quantum Materials have another advantage which will help make quantum dot displays commercially viable. Their green, efficient continuous flow process makes transitioning to high-volume manufacturing an easy step. Quantum dots can also be made without toxic materials or rare earth elements, keeping the cost of raw materials and processing down.
"Tetrapod Quantum Dots ultimately allow for lower display manufacturing costs due to their superior luminescence and much lower incidence of aggregation. Far fewer quantum dots are required to achieve the same level of performance. We believe this performance advantage coupled with our continuous-flow manufacturing technology will insure the lowest quantum dot cost."
Stephen Squires, CEO, Quantum Materials
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Quantum Materials' tetrapod quantum dots have four "arms" which help to prevent aggregation, making them easier to print on a variety of substrates. Image credit: Quantum Materials Corp.
The news that a major electronics manufacturer is working with Quantum Materials on quantum dot displays is very exciting for the display industry - Wintergreen Research published a report on the quantum dot display market in 2013, which predicted that as soon as one manufacturer successfully adopts the technology, all the others will have to quickly follow suit, or be left behind.
It isn't difficult to see why this might be the case when you look at the benefits of quantum dot displays. "QD-LED" displays can be lighter, brighter, more energy efficient, and will offer incredible levels of contrast and precise color reproduction.
The technology is still at an early-stage commercially speaking, but the electronics industry moves fast, and it will be fascinating to see the first prototypes of these game-changing QD-LED displays when they emerge.
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