Quantum Dot Film Backlighting Unit Color Purity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional lighting devices suffer from limited light color characteristics and poor lighting efficiency, lacking cost-effective methods for achieving high color purity and high efficiency, particularly in display applications like LCDs where precise color control and tunability are necessary.

Innovation Solution

The development of quantum dot (QD) film backlighting units (BLUs) that incorporate a QD down-conversion layer, utilizing blue light-emitting diodes and QD phosphor materials to efficiently recycle blue light, reduce QD concentration, and enhance optical path length, allowing for precise control of light color and brightness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If conventional lighting devices are used, then device simplicity is maintained, but light color characteristics are limited and lighting efficiency is poor

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelight color characteristicsVSAvoiddevice structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses quantum dot composite materials embedded in a polymer matrix to create a phosphor layer that converts blue LED light into multiple wavelengths. This composite approach enables superior color characteristics compared to conventional single-material phosphors, achieving high color purity and tunability while maintaining a relatively simple device structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The patent exploits the size-dependent optical properties of quantum dots by varying particle size to tune emission wavelengths. This parameter change approach allows precise control over light color characteristics without changing the fundamental device structure, enabling high efficiency and color purity through quantum confinement effects.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Illumination intensity

If quantum dot concentration is increased to improve color purity, then light color characteristics improve, but manufacturing cost and material quantity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor purityVSAvoidquantum dot concentration
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent achieves high color purity by optimizing quantum dot size parameters rather than simply increasing concentration. By controlling particle size to match specific emission wavelengths and using size-distributed quantum dots, the system achieves superior color characteristics with reduced material quantity compared to conventional phosphors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates local optimization of quantum dot properties by using specific size distributions in different regions of the phosphor layer. This local quality approach ensures that each region contributes optimally to the desired color output, achieving high color purity with minimized overall quantum dot concentration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If quantum dot concentration is reduced to lower cost, then manufacturing cost decreases, but light color characteristics and efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidcolor purity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent maintains color purity at reduced quantum dot concentrations by optimizing size distribution parameters. The quantum confinement effect becomes more pronounced at specific size ranges, providing enhanced absorption cross-sections and quantum yields that compensate for lower material quantities, thus maintaining color purity while reducing cost.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite polymer matrices with optimized optical properties to enhance quantum dot performance. The polymer composition is tailored to improve light extraction efficiency and reduce reabsorption losses, allowing lower quantum dot concentrations to achieve the same color purity and efficiency as higher concentrations would provide alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

4Productivity

If blue light recycling is implemented to increase efficiency, then lighting efficiency improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting efficiencyVSAvoidoptical path structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple functions into the quantum dot phosphor layer: wavelength conversion, light scattering, and optical path extension. By integrating these functions into a single composite material layer rather than separate components, the system achieves high lighting efficiency through blue light recycling while avoiding the complexity of multiple discrete optical elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses the polymer matrix as an intermediary medium that facilitates blue light recycling. The matrix provides controlled scattering and extended optical paths, enabling efficient light management without requiring complex mirror systems or additional optical components. This intermediary approach simplifies the overall device structure while maintaining high efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The QD BLUs achieve high color purity, tunability, and increased efficiency by reducing the quantity of QDs required, leading to improved brightness, longer lifetimes, and cost-effectiveness, while maintaining mechanical integrity and ease of integration in display devices.

Implementation Method 1

The QD film can convert portions of sunlight to lower-energy light which can be absorbed by an active layer of a solar cell, wherein the converted wavelengths of light could not have been absorbed and converted to electricity by the active layer without such down-conversion by the quantum dot film

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotoluminescence: Photoluminescence

Implementation Method 2

In certain embodiments, the QD film is a light filter, wherein the QDs absorb light having a certain wavelength or wavelength range

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight absorption: Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentEP3540300B1Quantum dot films, lighting devices, and lighting methods
Publication Date: 2024.05.08 SHOEI CHEM IND CO LTD
  • EP3540300B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3540300B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3540300B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Light-emitting quantum dot films, quantum dot lighting devices, and quantum dot-based backlight units are provided. Related compositions, components, and methods are also described. Improved quantum dot encapsulation and matrix materials are provided. Quantum dot films with protective barriers are described. High-efficiency, high brightness, and high-color purity quantum dot-based lighting devices are also included, as well as methods for improving efficiency and optical characteristics in quantum dot-based lighting devices.