Rachel_Sandford
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Last year, Sony presented the super thin OLED TV, which was essentially your typical LCD TV that uses LEDs, but much thinner than its counterparts. Now, scientists from Manchester University have announced that by the end of next year, they will be able to launch an even thinner TV screen, so thin that you can literally roll it up and put it in your pocket.
Developed because of the shortage of elements needed to make LEDs, scientists have found quantum dots, new light-emitting crystals that are cheaper to produce than LEDs. Made from semi-conducting materials that emit light when energised by electricity or ultraviolet light, quantum dots are around 100,000 times smaller than the width of human hair, the dots can be put onto flexible plastic sheets and/or wallpaper to create wall-sized screens.
Quantum dots can be put on top of regular LEDs to produce more natural colored light. However, the size of the crystals gives scientists the chance or option to manipulate color by changing the wavelength of the emission. Meaning the can produce any color imaginable.
“By altering the size of the crystals, we are able to change the color they produce,” said Professor Paul O'Brien of the University of Manchester. “It is rather like when you twang a ruler on a desk and the noise changes, the same is happening with the light produced by the quantum dots. As the colors are very bright and need little energy it has generated huge excitement in the electronics industry—the quality of display they can produce will be far superior to LCD televisions.”
The company working on this technology is Nanoco, a spin out company set up by the scientists from the university. According to their chief executive, Michael Edelman, the company is working with some major Asian electronics companies. Though he didn't reveal which ones, they are rumored to be LG, Samsung, Sharp, and Sony.
“The first products we are expecting to come to market using quantum dots will be the next generation of flat-screen televisions,” said Edelman. “The real advantage provided by quantum dots, however, is that they can be printed on to a plastic sheet that can be rolled up. It is likely these will be small personal devices to begin with. Something else we are looking at is reels of wallpaper or curtains made our of a material that has quantum dots printed on it. You can imagine displaying scenes of the sun rising over a beach as you wake up in the morning.”
Apart from quantum dots, Nanoco is also working on solar powered displays for quantum dots as well as new energy efficient light bulbs.
Developed because of the shortage of elements needed to make LEDs, scientists have found quantum dots, new light-emitting crystals that are cheaper to produce than LEDs. Made from semi-conducting materials that emit light when energised by electricity or ultraviolet light, quantum dots are around 100,000 times smaller than the width of human hair, the dots can be put onto flexible plastic sheets and/or wallpaper to create wall-sized screens.
Quantum dots can be put on top of regular LEDs to produce more natural colored light. However, the size of the crystals gives scientists the chance or option to manipulate color by changing the wavelength of the emission. Meaning the can produce any color imaginable.
“By altering the size of the crystals, we are able to change the color they produce,” said Professor Paul O'Brien of the University of Manchester. “It is rather like when you twang a ruler on a desk and the noise changes, the same is happening with the light produced by the quantum dots. As the colors are very bright and need little energy it has generated huge excitement in the electronics industry—the quality of display they can produce will be far superior to LCD televisions.”
The company working on this technology is Nanoco, a spin out company set up by the scientists from the university. According to their chief executive, Michael Edelman, the company is working with some major Asian electronics companies. Though he didn't reveal which ones, they are rumored to be LG, Samsung, Sharp, and Sony.
“The first products we are expecting to come to market using quantum dots will be the next generation of flat-screen televisions,” said Edelman. “The real advantage provided by quantum dots, however, is that they can be printed on to a plastic sheet that can be rolled up. It is likely these will be small personal devices to begin with. Something else we are looking at is reels of wallpaper or curtains made our of a material that has quantum dots printed on it. You can imagine displaying scenes of the sun rising over a beach as you wake up in the morning.”
Apart from quantum dots, Nanoco is also working on solar powered displays for quantum dots as well as new energy efficient light bulbs.
