Coming soon the QD TV, say
British scientists who have developed a technology which they claim could be
used to produce TV that can be rolled up and carried in a pocket. It is bound
to replace liquid crystal displays, LCDs in near future, including the desktop
and notebook computer spaces and televisions.
A team at Manchester University
has actually developed a new form of light-emitting crystals, known as quantum
dots, QD, which can be used to produce ultra-thin televisions. The tiny
crystals, which are 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, can
be printed onto flexible plastic sheets to produce a paper-thin display which can
be easily carried around, or even onto wallpaper to create giant room-size
screens, say the scientists.
They hope the first quantum dot
televisions like current flat-screen TVs, but with improved colour and thinner
displays will be available in shops by end of next year; a flexible version is
expected to take at least three years to reach the market.
Michael Edelman, Chief Executive
of Nanoco, a spin out company set up by the scientists behind the technology at
Manchester University, said: "We are working with some major Asian
electronics companies. The first products we are expecting to come to market
using quantum dots will be the next generation of flat-screen televisions.
"The real advantage provided
by quantum dots, however, is that they can be printed on to a plastic sheet
that can rolled up. It's likely these will be small personal devices. Although
Edelman was unable to reveal which companies Nanoco are working with due to
commercial agreements, it is believed that electronics giants Sony, Sharp, Samsung
and LG are all working on quantum dot television technology.