Macrocrystals of semiconductor nanocrystals for light emitting diodes

Abstract

Worldwide energy consumption is rapidly increasing and general lighting constitutes an important portion of it. By considering most of the lighting sources to rely on fluorescent lamps today, solid-state lighting has a great potential especially with recent advances on efficiency and color quality of white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). One of the most promising approaches for the current white LED technology is based on the use of color-conversion materials. In recent years semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots (NQDs) have arisen as an important class of color-convertors because of their tunable and superior optical properties and today there are various prototypes and commercial products. Recently, a new material system involving macrocrystals of NQDs has been introduced. In this thesis, different types of NQD macrocrystals are developed and studied for the white LED application. These macrocrystals of NQDs are produced by forming ionic salts in the presence of water soluble NQDs. This enhances the stability of NQDs wrapped in salt solids and allows for high integration capability in powder form to current LED technology employing commercial encapsulants. This thesis also includes a colorimetric study of white LEDs using such macrocrystals of NQDs to demonstrate high-quality white light with high color rendering index, low correlated color temperature, and high luminous efficacy of optical radiation.