Nano technology promises to deliver performance improvements to HDTV LED LCD displays through breakthrough quantum dot technology by QD Vision, an MIT spin off. Quantum dots are nano size semiconductor crystals capable of emitting pure red, green and blue light. QD Vision founder, Coev Sullivan, claims the technology will deliver to LED LCD displays; 40 percent efficiency improvement, a color gamut over 100% NTSC, improved contrast and lower prices through reduced manufacturing costs. He believes the technology will be sold to three of the five major LCD manufacturers and integrated into consumer LED LCD displays by 2011.

QD Vision’s quantum dot technology has already achieved recognition, carrying away a Wall Street Journal 2009 Technology Innovation Award. Importantly, QD Vision has just raised $10 Million in financing for continued research and development.

A fascinating aspect of quantum dot technology is that the color of the light produced by excited quantum dot electrons can be tuned simply by varying the size of the dots used. For example, a six nanometer wide cadmium selenide quantum dot produces red light; four nanometers – green light and two nanometers – blue light. No other current materials technology can be designed to similarly emit any color of light across the entire visible spectrum. Good news for manufacturers is that quantum dots can be easily deposited on a substrate through widely used coating and printing technologies.

As well as being useful for producing more efficient area lighting, quantum dot technology will be used to build on the performance advantages LED LCD displays have already achieved over traditional fluorescent backlit LCD displays. Currently, manufacturers of edge lit LED LCD use white LED, which are actually blue LED tipped with a yellow phosphor coating to add the necessary red and green color spectrum components. QD Vision’s quantum dot technology will be integrated as an optic placed between blue edge lighting LED and the light guide which distributes light evenly over the back of the liquid crystal display. The optic, containing red and green quantum dots, will convert blue light to a tri-chromatic white light with pure RGB components.

Manufacturers are predicted to save on the number of edge lighting LED required as well as the purchase of less sophisticated blue LED. Because the low spectral quality of the red and green light produced by current phosphor coated LED, filters to separate the red, green and blue components must have a broad spectrum to pass sufficient brightness through to the display. With the new quantum dot technology, the filters will have a narrower spectrum making possible the previously mentioned improved in display color gamut.