Quantum Materials Corp today announced achieving a calculated 95% Quantum Yield (QY) for Green Tetrapod Quantum Dots (TQD) manufactured by QMC’s proprietary automated mass-production system. The Full-Width Half-Maximum achieved was a narrow 36 nanometers with tunable emission from 530 to 550nm. Potential clients are currently evaluating these high-performance TQD.
QMC is pleased to offer high quantum yield quantum dots with reproducible FWHM uniformity, reliable system redundancy, and the ability to scale production to any quantity necessary for industrial purposes with modest capital expense (CAPEX) and low ongoing manufacturing costs. QMC’s ability to achieve economies of scale with automated production is unmatched and offers supply security and dependable cost forecasting in joint ventures planning very large quantum dot product rollouts. QMC is planning additional capacity on the order of multi-kilograms per day to meet project needs that are being defined. QMC previously stated that capacity could be expanded sufficient to support the entire display industry converted to quantum dot 4K and 8K displays.
According to market researcher IHS, demand for QD-LCD displays is projected to jump to 87.3 million units by 2020 (a CAGR of 109% between 2013 and 2020) as QD prices decrease and a reliable and uniform quantum dot supply is assured for large production runs.
In solar photovoltaics, Solterra Renewable Technologies, a QMC wholly owned subsidiary, calculates just one Solterra Quantum Dot Solar Cells (QDSC) Plant can be scaled up to produce 1000 Megawatts per year of printed solar cells using its own dedicated production of QMC quantum dots. A Solterra QDSC facility would rely on low CAPEX for both the QD production as well as low startup costs for the solar cell equipment. Combined automated production of QD and QDSC allow a cost goal of under 12¢ per kWh, the present estimated residential electricity rate in the U.S. In comparison, the four largest solar projects in 2012 in the U.S. are planning to produce 1788Mw at a CAPEX of $11.5B ($6.5MM/MW) with Federal Subsidies of $5.7B and U.S. taxpayer liability in loan guarantees. Typically, due to the need to pay down the loan, a purchase agreement by a Public Utility or local government must require a higher rate to be paid than 12¢ per kWH, which is passed on to the public in the form of higher bills. Solterra’s goal is to establish regional or national QDSC plants at a fraction of the above CAPEX entirely by the private sector, without federal subsidies, and a cost goal of under 12¢ per kWh.