14 DAY TRIAL // You'd think that liquid crystal displays are already fine screens, but some disagree, or at least feel LCDs could be much better at color rendering than they are today.
Nanosys and the Optical Systems Division of 3M are two of the IT players that want to give LCDs a greater color reproduction ability.
3M doesn't have the solution to make this goal happen, but they do have experience in design, as well as a strong supply chain.
Meanwhile, though Nanosys has less to brag about on those two fronts, it does have a certain technology the world has been showing interest in: Quantum Dots.
A quantum dot is 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair and can emit light at a very precise wavelength.
Nanosys' technology is called Quantum Dot Enhancement Film ("QDEF") and controls the spectral output of quantum dots, thus creating a white backlight specifically designed for LCDs.
Trillions of dots are packed in a single sheet of very thin film. Said film can easily be used instead of the ones normally found in LCD backlights.
Long story short, the Nanosys QDEF technology allows existing manufacturing processes to create LCDs with 50% more color.
"We are working together to improve an area of display performance that has been largely neglected for the last decade. Improving color performance for LCDs with drop-in solutions will bring a stunning new visual experience to the consumer and a competitive advantage to the LCD manufacturer against new display technologies such as OLED," said Jason Hartlove, president and CEO of Nanosys.
"Combining the world class-technology and materials expertise of Nanosys with the engineering, design and supply chain capabilities of 3M will unlock a powerful new color viewing experience for consumers," said Jim Bauman, vice president of the Optical Systems Division at 3M.