Quantum Dots: Technical Status and Market Prospects

Highlights

This report:

• Thoroughly reviews the materials used to make QDs.
• Updates market and revenue forecasts by material, application, and economic sector.
• Analyzes the current state-of-the art in synthesizing QDs and provides int¥' l R&D update.
• Examines likely new applications over a five year planning horizon.
• Discusses technologies and factors influencing demand.
• Reviews the most active organizations, promising technical applications and developments.
• Profiles important manufacturers seeking to exploit QD behavior

The primary objective of this report is threefold: to assess the current state-of-the-art in synthesizing QDs; to identify the current market players seeking to exploit QD behavior; and to evaluate actual or potential markets in terms of application, type, and projected market revenues.

Since their parallel discovery in Russia and the U.S. almost 25 years ago, SC QDs, until quite recently, have resided exclusively in the domain of solid state physics, where they have been fabricated using expensive and sophisticated molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) or chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment. However, in a relatively short time frame this situation has changed dramatically with the recent commercial availability of colloidal QDs synthesized by less expensive wet-chemical processes. Practically, the availability of QDs in a colloidally dispersed form will help demystify these somewhat esoteric materials. Most importantly, colloidal-QDs now provide access to a much broader audience, which promises to further widen their potential market exploitation.

Current and future applications of QDs impact a broad range of industrial markets. These include, for example, biology and biomedicine; computing and memory; electronics and displays; optoelectronic devices such as LEDs, lighting, and lasers; optical components used in telecommunications; and security applications such as covert identification tagging or biowarfare detection sensors.

This report probes in considerable depth the early pioneers and champions in this field both in industry, government, and academic laboratories. The most active organizations, promising technical applications, and developments realizable within the next 5 years, will all be highlighted.

This report is primarily derived from the enormous amount of patent and technical literature relating to QDs disclosed in the public domain. In addition, complementary information has also been drawn from the business community, such as company investment news, company profiles, press releases, and personal telephone interviews with selected companies.