News Article
QMC moving closer to mass production of QDs
The firm's tetrapod quantum dots could be integrated into LANL's 'Thick-Shell' technology. The aim is to develop a line of devices for displays and lighting units to enhance performance and life expectancy
Quantum Materials Corporation (QMC) has placed purchase orders for the equipment necessary to increase production of inorganic quantum dots.
The tools are scheduled for delivery and deployment in the third quarter of 2014.
Recently. QMC announced that it will obtain equipment funding and said that the Los Alamos National Laboratory's (LANL) Thick-Shell technology will be integrated with a variety of QMC's composite tetrapod quantum dots to develop a line of advanced high performance quantum dots.
QMC has now teamed up with LANL and they have jointly written and submitted a proposal for funding to the recent DOE EERE Funding Opportunity for Solid-State Lighting Advanced Technology R&D.
The venture aims to increase performance and market readiness of efficient LED lights incorporating improved quantum dots.
David Doderer, Vice President of Research and Development, comments, "Very meaningful quantum dot research is being conducted globally, and in particular at our national labs. We are glad to be able to adapt the thick-shell 'giant' QD technology developed by Los Alamos into an industrial process to provide the end consumer with a much better product. New electronics in displays and lighting continue to amaze, and while quantum dots might not be headliners, it is exciting for us to see great materials allow designs that seem to make the impossible a reality."
With the benefit of the scaled and controlled production, and enhanced quantum dot structure, QMC's goal is to resolve volume-manufacturing problems that date back to the discovery of quantum dots over twenty years ago. The high cost of manual production, the lack of batch uniformity, and the inability to ensure a reliable supply for industrial production have, until this point, restricted the broad commercialisation of consumer products that are enhanced by quantum dots.
QMC says its combination of thick-shell technology and tetrapod quantum dots is expected to deliver unsurpassed optoelectric brightness and colour purity leading to higher resolution and colour vitality, and as integrated into the manufacture of displays and lighting units, will enhance performance life expectancy.
For photovoltaics including solar cells, thermovoltaics, near infrared, MEMS, cameras, strain gauges and other sensor applications, the increased photon absorption by thick-shell tetrapod semiconductor nanocrystals correspond to increased sensitivity, nd higher efficiencies due to suppressing recombination.
QMC has initiated designs for even higher capacity equipment for future production, details of which the Company expects to announce later this year.
QMC aims to roll out both cadmium-core and cadmium-free non-heavy metal quantum dots and out new composite or hybrid quantum dots as they are developed.
