Apple has filed for a new patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office entitled “Quantum dot-enhanced display having diachronic filter” for enhancement of color accuracy in displays. This patent shows the company’s eagerness in researching next-generation screen technology to keep their products on the cutting edge.

Souce: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Quantum dots (QDs) are nanocrystals made from semiconductor material. What makes them so attractive to display makers is their ability to produce highly accurate and vivid colors. The materials can be manufactured to emit very narrow spectrums of light, reports AppleInsider.

QDs are smaller in size than nanocrystals that are currently used in displays. They are able to change size which can emit various shades of light. Larger QDs emit colors with longer wavelengths such as red and smaller QDs emit light with shorter wavelength such as blue and violet. QDs are therefore able to cover a wider spectrum of light than traditional phosphor LEDs.

One problem with QD technology is that the contents are toxic. The company has found several solutions to alleviate this problem including the use of cadmium free QDs and heavy metal-free QDs. “The filter itself would help in transmitting red light and a green light while reflecting most of a blue light, so that white light can be produced and ultimately benefit color accuracy as a whole,” reports MacRumors.

The technology is hoped to enhance current Retina displays used in apple products. It remains unclear when Apple will integrate this new technology into their products as the patent was originally filed in 2012.