Merck has announced its leadership role in a joint project entitled “Exploration of quantum materials – New paths to realising innovative optoelectronic components (ELQ-LED)”.
The aim of the project, which will receive total funding of €5.5 million ($6.9 million) from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), is to develop quantum materials for applications in the display and lighting industries. The total budget of the project amounts to €9.1 million ($11.4 million).
Modern light sources such as OLEDs must satisfy stringent requirements: high image quality and extremely slim, highly energy-efficient designs. With quantum materials as emitters, these advantages are now to be further exploited, while simultaneously reducing costs and optimising colour spectra. The resulting innovative component using the quantum materials is called an electroluminescent quantum materials-based light-emitting diode (ELQ-LED).
Quantum materials feature even greater colour intensity, which can be controlled by the particle size. The toxic metal cadmium is deliberately not being used in the development of materials in order to preserve the safety of OLEDs.
