Quantum Materials Corporation a new microreactor and software controlled continuous flow process has been successfully developed and operated for delivery of mass produced quantum dots by Quantum Materials Corporation and the Access2Flow Consortium of The Netherlands.
This new quantum dot production process replaces batch synthesis and has potential for high improvement in both yield and conversion. Tetrapod Quantum Dots are used in a variety of emerging applications including solid state lighting, QLED displays, nanobio applications and for QMC's subsidiary, Solterra Renewable Technologies' solar cells and solar panels and are proven to have superior performance characteristics surpassing spherical nanoparticles.
The inherent design of the microreactor allows for commercial-scale 0 parallel modules to achieve large production rates in a regulated, optimized system. This breakthrough production process enables both the low cost, high volume production of quantum dots, and also provides flexibility in the choice of materials used to produce the quantum dots including heavy metal free (Cadmium Free) quantum dots and other biologically inert materials.
Quantum dots have been widely recognized for their potential in next generation display technologies, solar cells, LEDs, OLEDs, computer memory, printed electronics and a vast array of security, biomedical and energy storage applications. According to research group BCC Research, the 2010 global market for quantum dots was estimated $67 million in revenues, and is projected to grow quickly over the next 5 years at greater than 50% per year reaching almost $670 million by 2015.
Quantum Materials offers to manufacturers that it is now realistic to test the advantages of quantum dots to establish higher performance benchmarks across a number of industries and product applications. Many discoveries have literally been held back by the difficulty in manufacturing quantum dots, the lack of quality and uniformity of quantum dots, and the corresponding high cost, with the current average cost of quantum dots running being between $2500 and $6000/gram. This technology removes the roadblock from widespread adoption of the quantum dot as a basic building block of technology and services much like the silicon chip that has ubiquitously advanced corporate function and consumer lifestyles worldwide.
"Our goal from the onset has been to achieve a production rate of 100kg per day with a 95% or greater yield," according to Stephen Squires, Founder and CEO of Quantum Materials Corporation. He added that "with this breakthrough QMC has coupled two disruptive technologies resulting in the potential to now achieve that goal."
According to QMC's Chief Technical Officer, Dr. Bob Glass "Besides the scalability indicated, in my opinion, the truly remarkable accomplishment in this breakthrough is its adaptability to other inorganic metals and elements, including cadmium-free Quantum Dots."