Quantum Dot Display Science and Technology

Chapter 12Quantum Dots in Light-emitting Diodes for General Lighting

Benjamin Mangum, Juanita Kurtin

ams OSRAM, Munich, Germany

12.1 Benefits of Quantum Dots for Illumination

Broadly available commercial applications for quantum dots (QDs) have centered around technologies that can take advantage of the unique optical properties of QDs. The earliest commercial application for QDs was fluorescent labeling, where QDs replaced organic dyes with their superior robustness and by maintaining high absorption at a single wavelength while displaying tunable emission. Display technologies, the most common commercial application today, make use of the very narrow emission peaks of QDs, which are much narrower than the standard phosphors used in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for displays. The unique value of QDs for general lighting comes from a combination of these optical properties: high absorption at a blue wavelength that does not vary with emission, highly tunable emission, and narrow emission.

12.2 Illumination Landscape: The Need for Narrow Emitters

12.2.1 Background: Blackbody Emitters vs. LEDs

To understand why QDs are so beneficial for lighting, it is important to understand the ideal spectrum. Natural sunlight is the standard for lighting metrics. While there are several metrics to define the quality of light, they all use sunlight as a reference – more specifically, they use blackbody emitters as a basis for high-quality light. The Sun is a blackbody emitter with a ...