Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Overcoming the efficiency limitation of semiconductor quantum dot-based light-emitting diodes

Project description

Quantum dots brighten the future of flat panel displays

Colloidal quantum dots are typically between 2 and 10 nm in diameter with applications in thin-film devices such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). They have profound implications for flat-panel displays, promising to improve efficiency and power consumption with enhanced brightness and colour saturation. Despite their first appearing almost 40 years ago, colloidal quantum dots have yet to make significant headway in next-generation displays due to their low external quantum efficiency. The EU-funded CQWLED project will address this efficiency limitation with LEDs based on hybrid lead halide perovskites. Their unrivalled photophysical properties offer great potential for high-efficiency and long-lifetime in LED technology to produce displays that can fulfil the Rec. 2020 colour gamut, a milestone no company has been able to achieve.

Objective

The colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) are an emerging class of light-emitting compounds for solution-processed optoelectronics such as the light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Compared to the state-of-the-art compound semiconductors and organic light emitting diodes (OLED), the CQD-based LEDs possess extremely high color purity and low materials cost, representing the only feasible materials solution towards realization of the newly-defined Rec. 2020 standard for the next-generation displays. However, the theoretical upper limit of the device external quantum efficiency (EQE) is only ~20%, considerably lower than those in OLEDs and InGaN LEDs. The fundamental bottleneck is that it is not yet possible to control the emission directionality perpendicular to the substrate plane in the CQD superlattices, without compromising the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY). As a result, a lot of photons are wasted due to the total internal reflection (TIR) at the air/glass interface, as well as exciton quenching during interparticle energy transfer.
In order to overcome the efficiency limitation, my research group pioneers synthesis, physics, and LED device of layer-controlled colloidal quantum wells (CQWs) of organic-inorganic hybrid lead halide perovskites (OIHPs), the two-dimensional nanocrystals of OIHP in colloidal solution. Our results have suggested that the materials system might be the ultimate solution for the quantum-dot based LEDs. We found that the CQWs possess: (i) the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) characteristics, boosting the film PLQY up to 97%, and (ii) the emission directionality (ED) perpendicular to the substrate plane in their self-assembled superlattices. Based on the new photophysical properties that have never been found in any other CQD systems, in this proposal, we aim to optimally utilize the characteristics of the AIE and ED, in order to realize high-efficiency and long-lifetime LED technology that can fulfill 100% Rec. 2020 color gamut.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-STG - Starting Grant

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) ERC-2019-STG

See all projects funded under this call

Host institution

EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 498 515,00
Address
Raemistrasse 101
8092 Zuerich
Switzerland

See on map

Region
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 498 515,00

Beneficiaries (1)

My booklet 0 0