A look at some of the quantum dots producers currently driving the market for this fascinating nanomaterial. Quantum dots are fluorescent nanoparticles of semiconducting material. The colour of light that they emit varies with the size of the dot, shifting toward the blue end of the spectrum as they get smaller. Main applications for quantum dots are in LED lighting, electronic displays, bio-imaging and solar power. Other applications include security and anti-counterfeiting, “functional decoration” and printing.
Prices for quantum dots range from US$3,000 to $10,000 per gram. The market has mainly catered to specialized applications, with a small number of companies selling dots directly to researchers, using the particles to develop their own products or licensing their technologies to partners. Nanoco has a partnership with a major Japanese LED manufacturer to produce LEDs for the general lighting and LCD backlight market.
Nanoco is currently charging $5000 per gram for its materials, but expects this to decrease to $500 per gram in the near future. Samsung has produced a 4inch full-color quantum dot panel as a potential replacement for LCD and OLED. When compared to LCD, quantum dots use one fifth of the power. In comparison to OLEDs, quantum dots are brighter, will eventually have a longer lifespan, and cost half as much to make. LG is currently working with QD Vision to produce quantum dot displays.
Main quantum dot producers and developers are American Dye Source, Inc., American Elements, Bayer Technology Services Gmbh, Evident Technologies, Hanwha Nanotech Corporation, Innovalight, Inc., Life Technologies Corporation, Nanosys, Inc., Nanoco Technologies, Ltd., Nanosquare Company Ltd., n-labs, Llc, Ocean Nanotech Llc, Plasmachem Gmbh, Qd Solutions, Reade Advanced Materials, Lab21 Inc., Vive Nano, Inc. and Voxtel Inc.
Evident
www.evidenttech.com
THE COMPANY
Evident Technologies was the first company in the world to commercialize quantum dot LEDs with products launched in 2007.
TECHNOLOGY
Evident’s proprietary EviDots™ are high performance semiconductor nanocrystals active throughout the visible spectrum and into the near–infrared. The company’s technology is licensed by Samsung for LED production. This agreement grants Samsung worldwide access to Evident’s patent portfolio for all products related to quantum dot LEDs from manufacture of the quantum dot nanomaterials to final LED production. The company has also introduced EviComposites(TM) – quantum dots integrated into a series of common resins and polymer matrix materials.
Markets
The company’s quantum dots find application in life sciences, solid state lighting, energy, security, telecommunications and they have recently started focusing on next-generation thermoelectric applications.
Bayer
www.bayertechnology.com
THE COMPANY
Bayer Technology Services GmbH (BTS) is a Bayer subsidiary employsing over 2,600 people worldwide. 2009 sales totaled approx. EUR 380 million.
TECHNOLOGY
Bayer Technology Services GmbH (BTS) is actively pursuing the development of nanomaterials such as Baytubes®, Baydots®, Bayink®, metallic and metal oxide nanoparticles (or nanorods, nanoshells, etc.). The company’s Baydot® quantum dots are in the range of 1-20nm. Their main application is in organic photovoltaic films.
Markets
Bayer is mainly focused on the optoelectronics, medical, catalytic, photovoltaics, security labelling and functional polymer composites sectors.
Nanoco
www.nanocotechnologies.com
THE COMPANY
Nanoco was founded in 2001 as a spin-out company from Manchester University’s Chemistry Department. The company currently operates facilities in the UK and Japan. Nanoco partners major R&D and blue-chip industrial organizations in the development of applications incorporating quantum dots.
TECHNOLOGY
Nanoco manufactures large quantities of quantum dots. The company’s molecular seeding process for the bespoke manufacture of these quantum dots on a commercial scale is protected by worldwide patents. Nanoco Technologies is presently able to supply production quantities of quantum dots which do not use a regulated heavy metal. The company has signed an agreement with a large lighting company to incorporate their quantum dots into LEDs.
Markets
Lighting, solar cells, and biological imaging. The company’s quantum dots can be combined into a wide range of materials including liquids, polymers and glass.
Ocean NanoTech
http://oceannanotech.com
THE COMPANY
The company’s product line includes quantum dots, core shell quantum dots in organic solvents, nanocrystals for LEDs and solar cells, water soluble biocompatible nanocrystals, reaction buffers for conjugating nanocrystals to biomolecules and conjugation kits. The company was founded in 2004 and is based in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
TECHNOLOGY
The company offers quantum dot powders, and quantum dots in organic solvents and water, as well as NIR quantum dots in water; metal nanocrystal powders and metal nanocrystals in water; and iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles in organic solvents and water. The company provides custom synthesis, contract research, and joint product development services.
Markets
Main application areas are fluorescent biolabeling and optoelectronics and displays.
Lab21, Inc.
www.lab21.com
THE COMPANY
Lab21 Inc. was formerly known as Selah Technologies, LLC. As a result of acquisition of Selah Technologies, LLC by Lab21 Ltd. and Nexus Medical Partners, Selah Technologies, LLC’s name was changed in December 2009. The company was founded in 2006 and is based in Pendleton, South Carolina. As of December 17, 2009, Lab21 Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Lab21 Ltd.
TECHNOLOGY
Lab21 Inc. engages in developing and commercializing nanotechnology-enabled products for the biomedical industry. It offers Selah Dots, which are bio-sensing and bio-imaging contrast agents that replace fluorescent dyes/microbeads/heavy metal based quantum dots.
Markets
Selah Dots are used in security inks, as well as authenticity and anti-counterfeiting taggants.
NN-Labs
www.nn-labs.com
THE COMPANY
NN-Labs LLC is a developer of advanced functional materials including semiconductor, noble metal and magnetic metal oxide nanocrystals.
TECHNOLOGY
The company produces indium phosphide-based quantum dots as a new environmentally-friendly, heavy metal-free, high performance alternative to cadmium selenide-based (CdSe) quantum dots. NN-Labs is offering InP/ZnS core-shell quantum dots in kits of five emission colors: Green (530 nm), Yellow (570 nm), Orange (600 nm), Red (630 nm), and Deep Red (650 nm). D-dots™ are doped semiconductor nanocrystals without the presence of any heavy metal ions, such as cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), or lead (Pb).
Markets
Biological and imagiing applications. The company also license their technology to NNCrystal for use in the lighting industry.
Nanosys, Inc.
www.nanosysinc.com
THE COMPANY
Based in Palo Alto, California and privately held, Nanosys collaborates with industry to develop QD products for computing, optoelectronics, communications, renewable energy, defense and the life sciences.
TECHNOLOGY
Currently, Nanosys is focused on commercializing its quantum dot and silicon composite anode materials for the LED LCD and lithium ion battery industries. QDEF™ and QuantumRail™ are composed of Nanosys’ proprietary, high efficiency quantum dot phosphors. They find application in LED displays. Nanosys Quantum Dot Enhancement Film, or QDEF, is an optical film component for LED driven LCD displays. Based on Nanosys’ proprietary high efficiency Quantum Dot Phosphors, QDEF enables a new level of LCD display performance by providing a high quality, tri-color white light from a standard blue LED light source.
Markets
LED backlighting, LED general lighting, power (batteries and fuel cells), medical applications, next generation NAND Flash memories, Solar, and Flat Panel Display driver transistors.
