QD III
In previous notes we have spoken about quantum dots and some of the current and future applications that present themselves for quantum dots, but in all of the application mentioned previously the dots have been stimulated optically, that is by the light coming from another source. In some cases it was from LEDs (QDEF film or Mini-LED/QD), in some cases it was from OLED (QD/OLED), and in the future it could be from micro-LEDs, but in each of these applications, the quantum dots were shifting colors as they were being stimulated by optical sources. Quantum dots have another characteristic that gives them a potential life even further down the road and that is the ability to be a self-emissive light source without being stimulated by another optical source.
Quantum dots are similar to OLED materials in that they can be made to ‘luminesce’ when stimulated by an electrical voltage, without the necessity of being ‘pumped’ by a light source. In such a circumstance they produce the same narrow band color that they would in an optically stimulated situation, creating the ability for an RGB display. That said, just as it was difficult for researchers to come up with a mechanism (stack) for OLED materials that could produce stability and consistency over the life of the device, it is the same for quantum dot EL materials, and such a device continues to be researched by a number of companies and educational institutions across the globe.
When it comes to making quantum dots for EL (Electro-luminescence) applications there are different challenges than those facing engineers designing materials for light-pumped applications. In order to produce an efficient QD EL material, large numbers of QDs must be squeezed into a small space, which makes their shape, a result of the ‘shell’ that is used to protect the quantum dot materials, a focus point. As ‘dots’ would imply spherical partials, that has been the typical shape for quantum dots but some have found a way to create a cube shell, which allows for more stable and more easily packed QDEL materials.
But there are still obstacles to overcome for EL QDs, and that tends to come down to the balance between material efficiency, the ability to convert as much of the electrical energy put into the material to light, and the lifetime of the material itself. Again similar to OLED materials, there is a balance with each new Quantum Dot structure that shows the relationship between applying additional voltage and the light output of the material. At a certain point, increasing the voltage produces little or no additional light, making the device actually less efficient, while also reducing the lifetime of the material, so QD EL developers are always looking toward developing new QD materials and structures that have a high efficiency and a long lifetime..
Thus far such materials are still in development, although red QD EL materials that have a lifetime and efficiency that can meet commercial specifications are becoming available from industry leader Nanosys (pvt), with a full stack (RGB) potentially available in 2024 and commercial production in 2025. While there are certainly a number of obstacles that need to be overcome before such materials can compete with other display modes, the progress seen in developing QD EL materials over the last few years leads us to believe that quantum dot EL materials will find a place in the display world alongside quantum dot applications used today, and can present another way in which displays might improve and become even more pervasive than today.
Quantum dots are similar to OLED materials in that they can be made to ‘luminesce’ when stimulated by an electrical voltage, without the necessity of being ‘pumped’ by a light source. In such a circumstance they produce the same narrow band color that they would in an optically stimulated situation, creating the ability for an RGB display. That said, just as it was difficult for researchers to come up with a mechanism (stack) for OLED materials that could produce stability and consistency over the life of the device, it is the same for quantum dot EL materials, and such a device continues to be researched by a number of companies and educational institutions across the globe.
When it comes to making quantum dots for EL (Electro-luminescence) applications there are different challenges than those facing engineers designing materials for light-pumped applications. In order to produce an efficient QD EL material, large numbers of QDs must be squeezed into a small space, which makes their shape, a result of the ‘shell’ that is used to protect the quantum dot materials, a focus point. As ‘dots’ would imply spherical partials, that has been the typical shape for quantum dots but some have found a way to create a cube shell, which allows for more stable and more easily packed QDEL materials.
But there are still obstacles to overcome for EL QDs, and that tends to come down to the balance between material efficiency, the ability to convert as much of the electrical energy put into the material to light, and the lifetime of the material itself. Again similar to OLED materials, there is a balance with each new Quantum Dot structure that shows the relationship between applying additional voltage and the light output of the material. At a certain point, increasing the voltage produces little or no additional light, making the device actually less efficient, while also reducing the lifetime of the material, so QD EL developers are always looking toward developing new QD materials and structures that have a high efficiency and a long lifetime..
Thus far such materials are still in development, although red QD EL materials that have a lifetime and efficiency that can meet commercial specifications are becoming available from industry leader Nanosys (pvt), with a full stack (RGB) potentially available in 2024 and commercial production in 2025. While there are certainly a number of obstacles that need to be overcome before such materials can compete with other display modes, the progress seen in developing QD EL materials over the last few years leads us to believe that quantum dot EL materials will find a place in the display world alongside quantum dot applications used today, and can present another way in which displays might improve and become even more pervasive than today.
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