Market Trends and Innovations in Quantum Dot Technology for Displays and Lighting

By Owais AliReviewed by Lexie CornerApr 17 2024

Quantum dot technology is revolutionizing the display and lighting industries, offering customizable color emission and enhanced brightness for high-quality visuals and energy-efficient illumination.

Image Credit: Yurchanka Siarhei/Shutterstock.com

This article offers an overview of QD technology, its applications, global and regional market insights, and future prospects.

Quantum Dot Technology Overview

A quantum dot (QD) is an artificial semiconductor nanoparticle, typically ranging from 2 to 10 nanometers. At this scale, semiconductor particles exhibit quantum size effects, limiting the energy levels available to electrons and holes. This directly influences their optical properties, enabling precise tuning of color emission by controlling the QD size.

As a result, larger QDs emit longer wavelengths, such as red light, due to their larger band gaps, while smaller QDs emit shorter wavelengths, like blue light, owing to their smaller band gaps. This allows the production of high-quality, vibrant color displays and energy-efficient lighting solutions.¹

While early production costs hindered the widespread adoption of QD technology, advancements in cost-effective manufacturing methods are enhancing its affordability. For example, the "nanocrystal factory" manufacturing technique proposed by North Carolina State University researchers can reduce production costs by at least 50 % while maintaining or improving quality.²

These advancements will make QD technology more accessible across various applications.

Application in Displays and Lighting

Improving color volume is crucial for accurately depicting a wide range of colors. However, many current displays fail to maintain color accuracy at higher brightness levels, resulting in washed-out colors.

To address this issue, leading market players like Samsung have integrated a new QD material into their LED displays, enhancing luminous efficiency.³

QDs' narrow emission linewidth (<30 nm versus >60 nm for LEDs) ensures exceptional color purity, vital for meeting Rec. 2100 color gamut specifications and achieving high-fidelity color reproduction in next-generation display technologies.¹ It also increases the color gamut on LCDs by up to 50 %, enabling more saturated and vivid colors that "pop" on the screen.⁴

Beyond displays, QD technology is also transforming the lighting industry. Traditional white LEDs often have a narrow and uneven color spectrum, resulting in dull or unnatural lighting. QDs offer a solution by widening the color spectrum with red and green QDs, increasing CRI to over 90.

QDs minimize energy loss by emitting light at narrower wavelengths, reducing reabsorption and heat generation. They also enhance LED efficiency by converting more blue light into visible light, improving overall luminous efficacy (CRI).⁵

Global Market Analysis and Growth Trends

The QD market is projected to experience substantial growth, with the global market size estimated to reach USD 12.34 billion by 2029 at a CAGR of 17.40 %. This growth is driven by the increasing demand for high-quality display devices and energy-efficient lighting solutions across various industries.⁶

Key players in the QDs Market, such as Samsung Electronics, Nanoco Group, Nanosys, Smartkem, Crystal US Corporation, and Merck Group, actively pursue strategic collaborations to enhance their market position and profitability. This reflects a highly competitive market landscape focused on innovation and expansion in QD technology.⁷

For instance, Nanosys and Smartkem recently announced a joint development agreement to produce advanced, cost-effective displays, leveraging Smartkem's specialized materials and Nanosys's technologies to create energy-efficient, flexible displays for various devices.⁸

However, maintaining the quality, uniformity, and preserving the optical and electrical properties of all QDs is quite challenging in mass production. QDs are also sensitive to environmental factors like chemicals, light, and heat during production and their use in products, which adds to their complexity in handling and integration.

Despite these challenges, the QD technology market holds significant potential, particularly in transforming display technology. Their superior light absorption and emission properties make them ideal for LEDs, medical imaging, solar cells, and display applications.

QDs also find applications in emerging fields like quantum computing, potentially becoming a substantial market in the future.⁹

Regional Insights

The Asia Pacific region is anticipated to lead the QD technology market, holding a dominant share of 47.1 % and experiencing the highest CAGR of 22.71 % in 2024.

This growth is fueled by the presence of global semiconductor powerhouses such as Samsung (South Korea) and TSMC (Taiwan), renowned for their excellence in semiconductor manufacturing and widespread application of QDs across diverse sectors.

Government support through R&D investments and favorable policies, coupled with strategic industry partnerships, further catalyze the market's expansion in the region, establishing it as a global innovation hub for QD technology.¹⁰

North America held the largest market share at 33.2 % in 2022 and is expected to contribute 38 % to the global market growth, driven by its strong technological infrastructure, significant R&D investments, mature consumer electronics market, and the presence of major technology companies like Nanosys integrating QDs into displays and lighting technologies.^11,12

Europe is emerging as a significant player in this landscape, driven by active research and development efforts and increasing interest in applications like healthcare, solar energy, and displays.

The EU region boasts numerous research and development centers dedicated to advancing QD technology.⁷ For example, Spanish researchers recently developed nontoxic colloidal QDs, retaining the beneficial properties of heavy-metal counterparts, and applied them in high-performance SWIR photodetectors and image sensors.¹³

Future Perspectives and Impact

As QD technology progresses, it promises significant advancements in electronic devices and smart lighting solutions.

Researchers are exploring innovative applications of QDs, including integrating them into flexible displays, quantum computing, and energy storage systems. They are also optimizing their use in smart lighting for energy efficiency and adaptability, considering impacts on human health and environmental sustainability.

Alongside these exciting advancements, the industry is also addressing the environmental considerations of QD technology. Efforts are underway to develop sustainable, nontoxic alternatives to the commonly used cadmium-based QDs, ensuring an eco-friendly future for this transformative technology.¹

With growing accessibility, QDs are set to revolutionize displays and lighting, ushering in a new era of illumination and visual excellence.

More from AZoOptics: Illuminating the Future: The Evolution and Impact of Photonic Integrated Circuits

References and Further Reading

1. García de Arquer, FP., Talapin, DV., Klimov, VI., Arakawa, Y., Bayer, M., Sargent, EH. (2021). Semiconductor quantum dots: Technological progress and future challenges. Science. doi.org/10.1126/science.aaz8541
2. Shipman, M. (2019). Nanocrystal' Factory' Could Revolutionize Quantum Dot Manufacturing. [Online] NC State University. Available at: https://news.ncsu.edu/2019/03/nanocrystal-factory-could-revolutionize-quantum-dot-manufacturing/
3. Samsung. (2017). How QLED Achieves Excellence in Picture Quality? [Online] Samsung. Available at: https://news.samsung.com/global/how-qled-achieves-excellence-in-picture-quality
4. Haynes, D. (2021). What is Quantum Dot display technology? [Online] Samsung. Available at: https://insights.samsung.com/2021/12/29/what-is-quantum-dot-display-technology/
5. Lee, GJ., Hong, SC., Lee, JG., Ko, JH., Park, T., Ko, YW., Lushnikov, S. (2022). Substantial Improvement of Color-Rendering Properties of Conventional White LEDs Using Remote-Type Red Quantum-Dot Caps. Nanomaterials. doi.org/10.3390/nano12071097
6. Mordor Intelligence. (2024). Quantum Dots Market Size & Share Analysis - Growth Trends & Forecasts (2024 - 2029). [Online] Mordor Intelligence. Available at: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/quantum-dots-market-industry
7. Dhapte, A. (2024). Quantum Dots Market Research Report Information By Material, By Product (Displays, Other Products, By Vertical, By Production, and By Region– Industry Size, Share and Forecast 2032. [Online] MarketResearchFuture. Available at: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/quantum-dots-market-8708
8. Nanosys. (2022). Purpose to bring low-cost manufacturing of flexible microLED and nanoLED displays to market. [Online] Nanosys. Available at: https://nanosys.com/press-releases/nanosys-smartkem-jda
9. Markets and Markets. (2021). Quantum Dot Market Size, Share, Statistics and Industry Growth Analysis Report by Material, Vertical, and Geography - Global Growth Driver and Industry Forecast to 2026. [Online] Markets and Markets. Available at: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/quantum-dots-qd-market-694.html
10. Coherent Market Insights. (2024). Quantum dots market size and share analysis - growth trends and forecasts (2024-2031). [Online] Coherent Market Insights. Available at: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/industry-reports/quantum-dots-market
11. Technavio. (2024). Quantum Dots (QD) Market Analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, South America - US, Canada, China, Germany, UK - Size and Forecast 2024-2028. [Online] Technavio. Available at: https://www.technavio.com/report/quantum-dots-market-analysis
12. Congruence Market Insights. (2023). Quantum Dots (QD) Market Size, Trends, Share, Growth, and Opportunity Forecast, 2023 2030 Global Industry Analysis By Nano Quantum Dot Type, By Application, By End-Use Industry, and By Geography. [Online] Congruence Market Insights. Available at: https://www.congruencemarketinsights.com/report/quantum-dots-(qd)-market
13.  Johnson, SC. (2024). Nontoxic colloidal quantum dots enable SWIR photodetectors, image sensors. [Online] LaserFocusWorld. https://www.laserfocusworld.com/lasers-sources/article/14303466/nontoxic-colloidal-quantum-dots-enable-swir-photodetectors-image-sensors

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