SEP Better Quantum Dots
Welcome to our blog. Ten years ago, I joined Nanoco to help bring the company and its quantum dot technology out of the lab and to the manufacturing floor where, once produced at scale, it had the potential to revolutionize many an industry. The marvel of these tiny semiconductor particles lies not only in their size – just 1/10,000 the width of a human hair – but in their ability to serve as a true platform technology with applications as diverse as display, LED lighting, solar and bio-imaging.
We’re incredibly excited about all of them but our enthusiasm is unbridled for the role of quantum dots in display. That’s because life-like color is the next big development for devices – whether they be phones, tablets or televisions – with color accuracy and brilliance guiding the next wave of consumers’ purchasing decisions. We are at the beginning of a new era in display: one that doesn’t require manufacturers to replace entire manufacturing lines or neglect consumer demand for innovation and design.
While display manufacturers have made tremendous advancements in resolution and color, the human eye and brain are remarkable in distinguishing the life-like from the unnatural. So while today’s displays are remarkable feats of engineering, they are unable to capture the full color gamut…and the human eye knows it. For the viewer, a red rose of any other color is not nearly as sweet. With the next generation of quantum dots displays, reds are richer and greens are brighter, the entire color palette is depicted with unprecedented vividness, bringing the world on the screen to life. Now the roses are red, the violets are blue and the color is, well, true.
But not all quantum dots are created equal. To date, the few quantum dot products seeding the market have used cadmium-based quantum dots. Cadmium is a heavy metal and its use is restricted under European and other environmental legislation due to the threat it presents to both human health and the environment. No doubt, cadmium has hindered the adoption of quantum dots in devices, keeping display manufacturers from realizing the benefits of the technology and products out of consumers’ hands. That’s where we come in. Nanoco is the only company in the world able to produce commercial quantities of cadmium-free quantum dots.
I believe that we have the right technology at the right time with the right partners. With the market behind us, we’re so very close.
Check back here frequently. We’ll be blogging about the role of quantum dots beyond display, sharing insights about the business and the science, and our thoughts on what’s ahead for the industry.
Author: Michael Edelman, CEO
