Apparatus for manufacturing quantum dot with a plurality of heating zones and method for manufacturing quantum dot
Disclosed is a technology of producing quantum dots that are nano-size semiconducting crystals. A quantum dot producing apparatus includes a mixer for mixing precursor solutions, and a heating furnace with a plurality of heating areas providing different temperature conditions to heat the precursor mixture. Between the heating areas, a buffer may be installed which provides a low-temperature condition to prevent addition nucleation. Through this configuration, nucleation is separated from nuclear growth, uniformity in particle size of quantum dots is improved, which enables the mass-production of quantum dots, rather than a quantum dot producing apparatus with a single heating area that provides a constant temperature condition.
1. An apparatus of producing quantum dots, comprising:
at least one pump to inject a plurality of precursor solutions in which different kinds of precursors are dissolved;
a mixer to mix the plurality of precursor solutions into a mixture solution, the mixer including a first input port diverging into a first plurality of first paths, a second input port diverging into a second plurality of second paths, and an output port having a third plurality of third paths collecting into the output port, wherein each of the first and second paths is connected to a third path;
a plurality of heating furnaces to pass the mixture solution therethrough under different temperature conditions, the plurality of heating furnaces including a first heating furnace to provide a first temperature condition for nucleation, and a second heating furnace to provide a second temperature condition for nuclear growth, and
a buffer disposed between the first heating furnace and the second heating furnace and passing the mixture solution through the buffer to provide a third temperature condition,
wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature, and the second temperature is higher than the third temperature.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first heating furnace is shorter than the second heating furnace such that a time period for which the mixture solution passes through the first heating furnace is shorter than a time period for which the mixture solution passes through the second heating furnace.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a cooling unit to cool the mixture solution discharged from the second heating furnace.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of heating furnaces has a temperature gradient in a direction in which the mixture solution passes therethrough.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a mixer heating unit surrounding the mixer to heat the mixer to a predetermined temperature.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first heating furnace acts as the mixer heating unit and the mixer is positioned in the first heating furnace.
7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the mixer heating unit has a temperature gradient in a direction in which the mixture solution passes therethrough.
8. A method of producing quantum dots, comprising:
pumping a plurality of precursor solutions in which different kinds of precursors are dissolved to supply the plurality of precursor solutions;
mixing the plurality of precursor solutions into a mixture solution, the mixer including a first input port diverging into a first plurality of first paths, a second input port diverging into a second plurality of second paths, and an output port having a third plurality of third paths collecting into the output port, wherein each of the first and second paths is connected to a third path;
heating the mixture solution by passing the mixture solution through a plurality of heating furnaces that provide different temperature conditions; and
passing the mixture solution through a third temperature condition
wherein the heating comprises:
heating the mixture solution to the first temperature while passing the mixture solution through a first heating furnace, thus creating a plurality of quantum dot nucleuses; and
heating the mixture solution to a second temperature while passing the mixture solution through a second heating furnace, thus growing the plurality of quantum dot nucleuses using precursors remaining in the mixture solution,
wherein the first temperature is higher than the second temperature, and the second temperature is higher than the third temperature.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the creating of the quantum dot nucleuses occurs in a shorter time than that of growing of the quantum dot nucleuses.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein in the heating of the mixture solution, the mixture solution has a temperature gradient in a direction in which the mixture solution passes through at least one of the plurality of heating furnaces.
11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising cooling the mixture solution after the heating of the mixture solution.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the mixing of the plurality of precursor solutions is performed while heating the plurality of precursor solutions to a predetermined temperature.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a cooling unit to cool the mixture solution discharged from the second heating furnace.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a mixer heating unit surrounding the mixer to heat the mixer to a predetermined temperature.
15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising cooling the mixture solution after the heating of the mixture solution.
16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising cooling the mixture solution after the heating of the mixture solution.