Shoei Chemical, a Japanese company, has recently acquired Nanosys, a US-based supplier of quantum dots for LCD and OLED displays. The acquisition aims to expedite the development of EL-QD displays.Quantum dots, initially introduced as enhancement films for LCD panels, have evolved to play a more integrated role in enabling QD-OLED displays, with the potential to enhance display performance significantly.
Nanosys, the leading supplier of quantum dot materials, has provided quantum dots for over 70 million LCD and OLED displays in televisions, tablets, and monitors. This acquisition by Shoei Chemical on September 6, 2023, demonstrates Shoei's confidence in the future of quantum dot technology in displays. Nanosys has been in a production partnership with Shoei since 2019, and the acquisition will provide Nanosys with increased capabilities and access to additional resources.
One of Nanosys' proposed advancements in quantum dot-enabled displays is QD-microLED, which entails using blue microLEDs with quantum dot color converters for red and green sub-pixels, similar to QD-OLED displays.
Additionally, Nanosys has introduced a more radical concept called NanoLED, previously known as QLED. NanoLED involves the direct excitation of quantum dots by electricity, eliminating the need for separate OLEDs or LEDs. This technology, also referred to as electroluminescent quantum dots (EL-QD) or quantum dot light emitting diodes (QD-LED, AMQLED), holds promise for superior performance in terms of brightness, color, contrast, and cost-effectiveness through solution processing. NanoLED displays offer the advantage of avoiding expensive evaporative steps and large vacuum chambers currently utilized in display manufacturing.
Shoei Chemical aims to accelerate the development of NanoLED displays following the acquisition of Nanosys, as stated by Jeff Yurek, VP Marketing for Nanosys, in an interview with Display Daily. Yurek emphasizes the potential of NanoLED technology and its proximity to commercialization. While Nanosys previously mentioned that NanoLED displays may not be ready until 2025/26, Shoei Chemical's commitment to quantum dot technology underscores their enthusiasm in advancing NanoLEDs.
