PALO ALTO, Calif. & ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nanosys Inc. and the Optical Systems Division of 3M Company are joining
technologies to provide wide color gamut technology for consumer
electronic displays, allowing Liquid Crystal Displays (“LCDs”) to
display 50 percent more color.
3M and Nanosys will work together to commercialize Nanosys’ Quantum Dot
Enhancement Film™ (“QDEF”) technology. QDEF is a drop-in film that LCD
manufacturers can integrate with existing production processes. It
utilizes the light emitting properties of quantum dots to create an
ideal backlight for LCDs -- one of the most critical factors in the
color and efficiency performance of LCDs.
“Combining the world class-technology and materials expertise of Nanosys
with the engineering, design and supply chain capabilities of 3M will
unlock a powerful new color viewing experience for consumers,” said Jim
Bauman, Vice President of the Optical Systems Division at 3M.
Over the years, 3M technologies have enabled better LCD performance.
However, color performance of LCD’s has gone largely unchanged. Current
LCDs are limited to displaying 35 percent or less of the visible color
spectrum. This means the viewing experience on an LCD is vastly
different than what a person sees in the real world. Wide color gamut
displays will allow consumers to enjoy more visceral, more immersive and
truer to life color.
“We are working together to improve an area of display performance that
has been largely neglected for the last decade,” said Jason Hartlove,
President and CEO of Nanosys. “Improving color performance for LCDs with
drop-in solutions will bring a stunning new visual experience to the
consumer and a competitive advantage to the LCD manufacturer against new
display technologies such as OLED. Working together with 3M and
utilizing their outstanding design and supply chain capabilities will
allow our QDEF technology to be widely deployed across all product
segments and will ensure availability to all customers.”
A quantum dot, which is 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human
hair, can emit light at a very precise wavelength. The ability to
control the spectral output of a quantum dot allows QDEF to create an
ideal white backlight specifically designed for LCDs. Trillions of these
quantum dots are packaged into a thin film that fits inside an LCD
backlight unit. QDEF replaces a similar film already found inside LCD
backlights, which means that adding QDEF to manufacturing processes
requires no new equipment or process changes for the LCD manufacturer.
About Nanosys, Inc.
Nanosys, Inc. is an advanced material
architect, harnessing the fundamental properties of inorganic materials
into process ready systems that can integrate into existing
manufacturing to produce vastly superior products in lighting,
electronic displays, and energy storage. For more information, visit www.nanosysinc.com.
About 3M
3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms
them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative
collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies
that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops
inventing. With $30 billion in sales, 3M employs about 84,000 people
worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more
information, visit www.3M.com or
follow @3MNews on Twitter.
