SCIENCE

Quantum Materials and the Access2Flow Consortium of the Netherlands announce that continuous production of Tetrapod Quantum Dots has been achieved using its proprietary micro reactor technology. Processes for producing quantum dots and tetrapod-shaped quantum dots of various sizes delivers on the promise of this technology to tailor-make material at commercial quantities for a variety of emerging applications such as Solterra Renewable Technologies' solar panels, displays, lighting, and medical diagnostics.

Currently, one of the lab scale reactors is capable of producing approximately 10 grams of quantum dots per week. Commercially relevant, the inherent design now allows for large-scale parallel modules to achieve target production rates of multiple kilograms per day, in a regulated, optimized system. This breakthrough in production process not only enables the low cost, high volume production of quantum dots, but also provides flexibility in the choice of materials used to produce the quantum dots including heavy metal free (Cadmium Free) quantum dots and other biologically inert materials.

Quantum dots have been widely recognized for their potential in next generation display technologies, solar cells, LED's, OLED's, computer memory, printed electronics and a vast array of security, medical and energy storage applications. According to research group BCC Research, the 2010 global market for quantum dots was estimated $67 million in revenues, and is projected to grow quickly over the next 5 years at greater than 50% per year reaching almost $670 million by 2015.

Quantum Materials now offers that it is possible for manufacturers to realistically test the advantages of quantum dots to establish higher performance benchmarks across a number of industries and product applications. Many discoveries have literally been held back by the difficulty in manufacturing quantum dots, the lack of quality and uniformity of quantum dots, and the corresponding high cost, with the current average cost of quantum dots running being between $2500 and $6000/gram. This technology removes the roadblock from widespread adoption of the quantum dot as a basic building block of technology and services much like the silicon chip that has ubiquitously advanced corporate function and consumer lifestyles worldwide.

"Our goal from the onset has been to achieve a production rate of 100kg per day with a 95% or greater yield," according to Stephen Squires, Founder and CEO of Quantum Materials Corporation. He added that with this breakthrough QMC has coupled two disruptive technologies resulting in the potential to now achieve that goal."

According to QMC's Chief Technical Officer, Dr. Bob Glass "Besides the scalability indicated, in my opinion, the truly remarkable accomplishment in this breakthrough is its adaptability to other inorganic metals and elements, including cadmium-free Quantum Dots."