A research team at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), Taiwan, recently announced the development of a new quantum dot material that provides more realistic color and is more stable.

(Image: NTHU)

Led by Professor Hsueh-Shih (Sean) Chen at Taiwan’s National Tsing Hua University, the research team developed a “shield” of approximately 1-nanometer at the crystal facets of each quantum dot to overcome the current technology difficulty of quantum dot which is unstable and easily damaged. The team has already applied for patents for the new material and has established HsinLight, a spin-off company of NTHU. to produce it on a commercial scale. It is expected that the first display product applying the new quantum dot will begin production in 2020.

Quantum dots help to improve the color performance of displays. However, since quantum dots are spherical crystals of about three nanometers in size, they are easily damaged by water and oxygeny molecules, leading to luminosity diminished. Currently, major manufacturers like Samsung control this problem by sandwiching the quantum dots in a layer of protective film, but the method is not cost-effective and the protective function can lose easily if there is a small pin hole.

Chen and his research team were inspired by Captain America and developed “shields” for quantum dots. These shields are about one nanometer and can effectively resists water and oxidation to improve material stability and the lifespan of displays. In addition, the new quantum dots can be precisely controlled in a size variety of 0.5 nanometers. Plus the shields, the technology enable accurate emission of colors. According to Chen, the technology can help display producers to manufacture quantum dot technology based screens with lower cost.