Cadmium-free quantum dot display manufacturer Nanoco Group PLC has acquired the intellectual property (IP) patents from Eastman Kodak Company for quantum dots in electroluminescent displays (QLEDs).
These QLEDs are a future display technology where quantum dots are used to replace the current materials found in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. The move expands Nanoco’s IP portfolio in the realm of QLED displays using quantum dots and continues the company’s strategy of acquiring quantum dot patents through both organic growth and acquisition.
While OLEDs are still in their infancy, the demand for the displays is growing rapidly and will skyrocket with rumors that Apple Inc. is going to include the display in the next iteration of its iPhone. Nanoco says that QLEDs could be used in many future applications after OLEDs become the dominant display technology, and the company has been researching and acquiring patents into this technology for the past 10 years.
While the current leader in displays, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), is expected to remain in the dominant position in the near-term, OLED demand is rising and is expected to challenge LCDs in the coming years.
“The vast majority of current displays are based on LCD technology, and we expect LCDs to dominate display sales in the near- and medium-term,” says Michael Edelman, CEO of Nanoco. “In the longer-term, QLEDs displays could challenge current OLED displays, and we aim to have a strong competitive position in this space in preparation for any market change.”
The terms of the patent acquisition were not disclosed.
