Electronic displays using optically pumped luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals
View Patent ↗A multicolor electronic display is based on an array of luminescent semiconductor nanocrystals. Nanocrystals which emit tight of different colors are grouped into pixels. The nanocrystals are optically pumped to produce a multicolor display. Different sized nanocrystals are used to produce the different colors. A variety of pixel addressing systems can be used.
1. A method for making a multicolor display apparatus, the method comprising:
forming a pixel array of semiconductor nanocrystals, wherein the pixel array comprises a plurality of pixels of different colors, wherein the sizes of the nanocrystals in each of the plurality of pixels determine the colors;
providing a pixel addressing system adjacent to the pixel array and
providing an optical pumping in source that selectively optically excites the nanocrystals to produce a luminescent color pattern of pixels.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:
providing a liquid crystal modulator positioned between the optical pumping source and the pixel array.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising providing an analyzer between the pixel array and the liquid crystal modulator.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pixels are configured to produce red, green, and blue light.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the pixel array comprises depositing the semiconductor nanocrystals on a glass substrate.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a long pass filter adjacent to the pixel array.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor nanocrystals comprise core-shell nanocrystals.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein forming the pixel array comprises depositing the semiconductor nanocrystals in microwells on a glass substrate.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the pixel array comprises depositing the semiconductor nanocrystals in microwells on a glass substrate.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein fonning the pixel array comprises depositing the semiconductor nanocrystals dissolved in liquid in microwells on a glass substrate.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the pixel array comprises depositing the semiconductor nanocrystals dissolved in liquid on a glass substrate using a direct printing process.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the direct printing process is an ink-jet printing process.
13. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the optical pumping source adjacent to the pixel array.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical pumping source comprises a source of ultraviolet or blue light.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical pumping source comprises a waveguide.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the waveguide is end pumped by a pump source that emits light along a lateral side of the pump source.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the optical pumping source comprises one or more blue LED's.