Nanosys shows off next-gen electroluminescent quantum dot display technology

[Daniel Sims]

Why it matters: Manufacturers have included quantum dots in LED displays for a while now, but they're working on screens that exclusively use them. The technology could become efficient and cheap enough to succeed LCD and OLED while expanding the range of applications for digital displays.

At CES 2023, Nanosys held a "top-secret" demonstration for its latest work on electroluminescent quantum dots – a candidate for the next mainline display technology. Nanosys couldn't publish any pictures of its CES demo, but the potential on hand could be wide reaching.

Considered extremely efficient because they emit almost all the light they absorb, quantum dots produce light when fed energy and give off different colors depending on their size. Screen manufacturers just use red, blue, and green quantum dots, but other colors are possible.

Quantum dots already make up the "Q" in QLED and "QD" in QD-OLED displays. So far, those photoluminescent quantum dots, which receive energy from light, have only played second-fiddle to more mature display technologies.

Nanosys' electroluminescent quantum dot screens would only use quantum dots powered by electricity. They could significantly reduce energy consumption and lower manufacturing costs while at least matching the picture quality and brightness of QD-OLED.

The CES prototype was only a six-inch screen attached to a complex set of wires, but electroluminescent quantum dot displays could scale to a variety of sizes. Manufacturers could use them for big-screen TVs, smartphone displays, VR headsets, and more.

Furthermore, the efficiency and low-cost nature of electroluminescent quantum dots could make them viable for a wide variety of surfaces that don't normally incorporate screens. Nanosys thinks the technology could significantly advance augmented reality by working with transparent objects.

The Nanosys website contains artwork envisioning heads-up displays, advertisements, and other information on windows, car windshields, and other glass materials. CNET speculates that electroluminescent quantum dot displays could show drivers important information on their windshields without drawing their eyes away from the road, or create AR experiences on otherwise ordinary glasses.

The company admits direct-view electroluminescent quantum dot displays are probably still several years away. The format they first appear in will depend on which screen manufacturers will be willing to adopt the technology first: TVs, phones, VR, or something else.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/97291-nanosys-demonstrates-electroluminescent-quantum-dot-display-technology-ces.html

 

[Endymio]

Manufacturers have included quantum dots in LED displays for a while now, but they're working on screens that exclusively use them.

Truly that lead-in sentence deserves a face-palm. It also may be worth pointing out that it's almost exactly four years since the date that Nanosys first presented electroluminescent quantum dots as the "next great display technology", back at Display Week 2019. It seems they're experiencing substantially more trouble bringing the technology to market than they originally thought.

 

[ddferrari]

Truly that lead-in sentence deserves a face-palm. It also may be worth pointing out that it's almost exactly four years since the date that Nanosys first presented electroluminescent quantum dots as the "next great display technology", back at Display Week 2019. It seems they're experiencing substantially more trouble bringing the technology to market than they originally thought.

"Truly that lead-in sentence deserves a face-palm."

How so?

Also, I can't praise my Alienware QD-OLED enough. The color range and contrast are stunning. I hope they eventually become more mainstream so that everyone can enjoy a display like this. Goodbye, IPS glow and washed out colors!

 

[Mr Majestyk]

Truly that lead-in sentence deserves a face-palm. It also may be worth pointing out that it's almost exactly four years since the date that Nanosys first presented electroluminescent quantum dots as the "next great display technology", back at Display Week 2019. It seems they're experiencing substantially more trouble bringing the technology to market than they originally thought.

Explain!
Currently qd are used only to produce better colours and brightness for the lcd tv. It repalces the standard colour filter array with a thin sheet of qd's. Those qd's are photoluminescent. They abosrb light and re-emit it at another wavelength and that depends on the size of the qd. Larger dots emit longer wavelengths. Howeve only the red and green use qd's, the blue light is provided by blue light led's

This new technology would see the actual pixels made from qd's and they provide light by electricity, hence the electroluminescence title. No blue leds, no lcd, no microleds, no oleds.

 

[Endymio]

Explain!

Besides being cumbersome and poorly structured, that sentence admits to at least two alternate, ambiguous interpretations.

Currently qd are used only to produce better colours and brightness for the lcd tv.

And some OLED TVs as well.

This new technology would see the actual pixels made from qd's and they provide light by electricity....No blue leds, no lcd, no microleds, no oleds.

Technically speaking, electroluminescent quantum dots are diodes, and when they emit led, they're LEDs.

 

[Timoo]

CNET speculates that electroluminescent quantum dot displays could show drivers important information on their windshields without drawing their eyes away from the road

Oh god. What could possibly go wrong?
I imagine the first car accidents accredited to people watching a movie on-screen, while in semi-autonomous mode...

 

[ID10T]

I just wanted to pop in and say how much I appreciate TECHSPOT's "Why it matters" synopsis.