Quantum Dots: The Next Generation of Display Innovation

Quantum dots are ultra-fine semiconductor particles that are tens of thousands of times thinner than a human hair. Since inception, their physical characteristics that allow them to provide the highest level of color accuracy and brightness among existing materials had them positioned to revolutionize display technology.

When used in displays, quantum dots support a wide color gamut that closely matches colors perceived by the human eye and facilitate pixel-level light adjustment for more accurate black levels. Emitting light in all directions, quantum dots deliver uniform luminance and consistent color from any viewing angle while minimizing blue light exposure for a more comfortable viewing experience.

What Sets Quantum Dot TVs Apart: Content, Film Quality and No-Cadmium Technology

The TV industry continues research and development into the commercialization of quantum dots as the material becomes a game-changer in display technology. For that reason, a variety of quantum dot TVs have hit the market recently — offering a wide range of options to customers.

However, key differences in quantum dot TVs lie in how the technology is implemented and the overall quality of the display. To ensure a premium viewing experience, factors such as the amount of quantum dot content, the quality of quantum dot film and the use of no-cadmium materials must be considered.

Quantum Dot Content

The true quality of a quantum dot TV is defined by its quantum dot content. The quantum dot film requires a minimum of 3,000 parts per million (ppm) of the material to achieve the vivid, rich picture quality and color expression that only quantum dots can deliver.

Quantum Dot Film

Samsung QLEDs eliminate the need for a separate phosphor layer, enhancing light and energy efficiency while delivering more vivid colors. A quantum dot OLED (QD-OLED), which consists of a thin-film transistor (TFT) layer,¹ a self-emitting light source and a quantum dot film that uses the light emitted from the light source, takes a step further enhancing picture quality. In either case, a dedicated quantum dot film that contains sufficient quantum dots is key in delivering top-class picture quality and longevity.

No Cadmium

In the early stages of developing quantum dot TVs, cadmium was essential to achieving the key benefits of quantum dots such as color reproduction and contrast ratio. At the time, cadmium was considered the most efficient material for producing quantum dots.

However, cadmium’s toxicity became a significant obstacle to the commercialization of quantum dot technology. The element posed serious threats to the environment — making its widespread use difficult despite being the most suitable material for implementing quantum dot technology.

In response to this challenge, Samsung developed the world’s first no-cadmium quantum dot material in 2014 and successfully commercialized quantum dot technology with its SUHD TVs in the following year to open a new era of quantum dot TVs.

10 Years of Quantum Dot Innovation and Leadership

Samsung has quickly recognized the potential of quantum dot technology and led innovation in the global display market over the past decade through continuous research and investment.

Samsung began researching and developing quantum dot technology in 2001 — at a time when there was limited research on non-cadmium materials. Achieving vivid colors required making the nano-sized particles uniform, but the lack of technology and research made mass production extremely challenging.

Despite these obstacles, Samsung succeeded in creating a no-cadmium nanocrystal material in 2014. Since then, the company has accumulated extensive expertise — registering more than 150 patents — and continuously worked on advancing the technology. Samsung’s long-standing commitment culminated in 2015 when the company unveiled the world’s first SUHD TVs with no-cadmium quantum dot technology.

Samsung’s QLED lineup was revealed in 2017, setting a new standard for premium TVs that overcame the limitations of OLED TVs. By applying metal quantum dot technology, Samsung achieved the Digital Cinema Initiative’s color standard DCI-P3 and achieved 100% color volume for the first time in the world — thereby presenting unparalleled color expression. Notably, the use of inorganic quantum dot technology protected the screens from burn-in² to ensure consistent picture quality over time.

Following its success in developing a red light-emitting element for displays in 2019, the company enhanced the luminous efficiency of blue self-emitting QLEDs — considered the most challenging to implement among the three primary QLED colors³ — to an industry-leading 20.2%.

“Discovering a blue material for self-emitting QLEDs and demonstrating industry-leading performance at the device level were significant achievements of this research,” said Dr. Eunjoo Chang, a fellow at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology. “Samsung’s distinctive quantum dot technology has once again overcome technical barriers.”

This cutting-edge advancements led to the launch of the QD-OLED TVs, making history at CES 2022 by winning the Best of Innovation award for integrating quantum dot technology and OLED displays.

Samsung remains dedicated to advancing quantum dot technology through continuous innovation. The company continues to invest in leading display technology — from SUHD to Neo QLED — by offering high brightness, color accuracy and frequency. Driven by Samsung’s unrivaled quantum dot innovations, the future of display technology is brighter than ever.

¹ An electronic circuit that adjusts and controls the light-emitting layers
² Occurs when a static image is displayed for too long, causing color distortions or ghost images to remain on screen
³ Red, green and blue

When it comes to the state of the current TV market, it’s clear that consumers are after larger screens, a trend driven by rising income levels and changing consumer expectations. Recent years have seen the standard for what constitutes a large screen TV change. Whereas previously, large screen TVs were classified as measuring 55-inch. Now, that classification has crept up to TVs over 65- or 75- inch in size, with the super large category also now a category in its own right.

Rapid Growth of Large-sized TV Market

While growth in the overall global TV market has plateaued, sales of larger screen TVs 65-inch and over has grown by more than 30 percent in recent years. According to research firm IHS Markit, the market volume of 65-inch and over TVs was 8 million in 2016 and increased to 11.4 million in 2017. This year, market volume is expected to reach 16 million units.

The market for extra-large, or above 75-inch, TVs is expected to experience even more pronounced growth of 47% this year, a key reason why Samsung has made this segment a core focus area. In the first quarter of this year, the company’s global sales of 65-inch and larger TVs increased over 35% year over year. In the same period, sales of Samsung TVs in the South American market spiked nearly four times, and the demand for large-sized Samsung TVs almost doubled in Korea.

Almost Half of 75-inch TVs Sold Worldwide Made by Samsung

In 2017, Samsung Electronics maintained its top ranking in the worldwide TV market for the 12th consecutive year, with more than 20% market share last year.

Samsung’s presence is even more noticeable in the fast-growing, large-sized TV market. The company is leading the worldwide market of 65-inch and over TVs, with 31.1% share of total number of units sold and 34.1% share for total sales last year, according to IHS Markit.

The share is even higher for 75-inch and larger TVs, reaching up to 47.4% share based on number of units sold. This means that one out of every two extra-large TVs sold worldwide is a Samsung TV. The popularity of Samsung TVs is particularly noteworthy in Europe and Latin America, where the company holds almost 60% of market share.

For the overall 75-inch and larger TV market, there was almost three times sales growth in the first half of this year, as compared to the same period last year. To meet and hone in on the growing customer demand in this segment, Samsung has strengthened its 75-inch and larger TV lineup in the four series lines (Q6F, Q7F, Q8C, Q9F) of the 2018 QLED TV portfolio.

QLED Leads Larger TV Market with Aims to Double its Growth

Samsung’s 2018 QLED TV lineup has received strong reception since its global launch in March this year, for example experiencing a sevenfold increase in number of units sold in the first four weeks following launch in the United States compared to last year. In China and South Korea, sales volume doubled in the first quarter of 2018, compared to the fourth quarter of last year.

Samsung will continue its growth in both sales and innovation involving QLED TV.  Samsung’s 2018 QLED TV lineup has incorporated various additional functions to optimize high-resolution content for a very large screen, delivering a mesmerizing, immersive experience. Among other standout features, Samsung’s QLED TV is the world’s only TV delivering 100% color volume, and has been upgraded with technologies such as ‘Anti-reflection’ so users can enjoy pure blacks without reflection. ‘HDR 2000’ enhances the level of brightness and expressed detail, and 4K Q Engine, automatically upscales content to 4K resolution, optimizing the content for the big screen.

Samsung QLED TV has also been designed with convenience in mind and reflecting consumer needs with features such as artificial intelligence based on Bixby and SmartThings App, the One Invisible Connection that combines complex connection lines into a single cable, and Ambient mode which enables the TV to depict images and information, even when the TV is off.

“With the very full major sporting events line up this year, including 2018 World Cup Russia and the Asian Games, we expect the demand for large-sized TVs to grow rapidly,” said Jongsuk Chu, Senior Vice President of Visual Display Business, Samsung Electronics. “This year, for QLED TVs, we aim to double growth, as well as continue our leadership in the global TV market by driving the ultra-large TV market.”

In 2006, the beginning of Samsung’s market-leading run, the company laid the foundation for a new era of TV design with the unveiling of the Bordeaux, an LCD display with an elegant, wine glass-inspired form. Since then, Samsung TVs have become synonymous for pairing refined designs, like the Bordeaux’s, with first-of-their-kind innovations that take the viewing experience to new heights.

For example, in 2009, Samsung launched the world’s first edge-lit LED TV, which, in addition to being incredibly thin, introduced consumers to a new level of picture quality. That groundbreaking development was followed up, in 2010, by the world’s first 3D LED TV, which opened the door to a world of immersive 3D entertainment. That same year, Samsung unveiled the world’s first smart TV app store, and in 2011, the company launched Smart Hub, its intuitive smart TV user interface.

Other pioneering developments that demonstrate Samsung’s position ahead of the curve include the launches of the world’s first OLED TV, in 2013, and the first curved and bendable UHD TVs, in 2014.

Samsung’s new QLED TVs represent the pinnacle of this innovative history. The TVs’ combination of premium aesthetics and lifelike visuals has prompted many consumers to rethink how they assess a TV’s immersive qualities.

Featuring new Bixby integration and powered by quantum dot technology, QLED TVs offer a viewing experience defined by seamless controls and immersive visuals. The TVs’ ability to provide 100 percent color volume enables them to produce much brighter and deeper colors, allowing content to be displayed in the manner that producers intended.

QLED TV’s engrossing visuals are complemented by a minimalist design that eliminates distractions to enable users to be utterly immersed in their content. This aspect of the design is bolstered by both the One Invisible Connection, which seamlessly combines the AV and power cords, as well as those of peripheral devices, into a single, transparent cable, and the new Ambient Mode, which allows the TVs to display ambient images that enable them to seamlessly blend in with their surroundings.

Going forward, Samsung will continue to innovate with exciting TV technologies that will foster even more enriching and immersive viewing experiences. These include quantum dots, as well as the self-emitting MicroLED modules that the company debuted at CES 2018. Look forward to more updates on that milestone development in the latter half of this year.

Check out the infographic below to learn more about Samsung’s recent landmark TV technologies.

Samsung Electronics has announced that it will support YouTube’s global HDR playback on television for the first time, through an expanded version of the YouTube application. The YouTube Application is available on all 2016 Samsung Quantum dot TVs and UHD TVs and will launch progressively throughout the world from December.

YouTube will support High Dynamic Range (HDR) video streaming, offering a wide range of HDR content. Launched through an automatic software update, consumers who use all 2016 Samsung Quantum dot TV and UHD TVs can access HDR content simply by visiting the HDR category within the YouTube application on YouTube’s 4K channel, providing an easy way to navigate and enjoy premium content.

“With the global availability of YouTube’s HDR, we at Samsung are thrilled to support the best HDR viewing experience and a wide range of HDR content for users to enjoy,” said Seline Han, Vice President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics. “We are confident that our TVs will bring to life an immersive HDR viewing experience — all from the comfort of our users’ homes.”

To coincide with the launch, the YouTube application will feature new HDR videos from popular YouTube content creators, such as MysteryGuitarMan and Jacob + Katie Schwarz. To ensure the proliferation of new HDR content, additional YouTube creators will be able to utilize the YouTube Spaces LA and NYC, which provide HDR production resources to content creators.

With a growing number of HDR content providers, as well as the numerous creators already producing HDR video content, YouTube’s HDR support is expected to introduce more genre offerings in the coming year and satisfy user demand for a true-to-life viewing experience on the content they enjoy the most.

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of HDR support on Samsung’s Quantum dot TVs,” said Heather Thompson Rivera, Director of Product Partnerships at YouTube. “By combining Samsung’s commitment to picture quality and our desire to offer the best content available, we will work together to build a strong ecosystem that improves HDR content creation and allows users to enjoy more diverse content in the best quality possible.”

Emerging as one of the most sought after display technologies in the last few years, HDR is an image reproduction technology that analyzes the contrast ratio of a video to help express even the most subtle differences in shades and tones of color. Paired with Samsung’s Quantum dot TV, the picture that is produced appears more realistic and life-like on screen. In addition, Samsung’s Quantum dot TVs have the capacity to generate peak brightness of 1,000 nits, optimized for the most ideal HDR viewing experience.

Some of the improvements came through upgraded industry standards. For example, the entertainment industry has gradually increased screen resolution to make clearer images; from Standard Definition (SD) to High Definition (HD) and now Ultra High Definition (UHD). Another recent advancement is High Dynamic Range (HDR), which allows production studios, content distributors, and TV manufacturers to offer brighter and more colorful video.

Some of the improvements come from innovations provided by each company. For example, when Samsung first introduced the LED TV, consumers were able to enjoy images several times brighter than conventional LCD TVs.

In 2015, Samsung started to apply quantum dot technology to its flagship SUHD TVs. Now with more and more industry partners gearing towards HDR, the marriage between Quantum Dot technology and HDR offers viewers a whole new era of home entertainment.

HDR1000: Jack It Up to 1,000 Nits

Although there are many devices that can show HDR content, not all HDRs are equal. Colors are perceived by light; and with the wider range of both luminance and colors for HDR, it is important that the TV can cover the brighter side of the spectrum. HDR1000 means the device is capable of showing at least 1,000 nits* at peak brightness. This intensity of luminance is considered an industry-top level.

Dealing with higher brightness levels poses challenges as it normally means the display device consumes more energy. Higher brightness levels can also cause the device to generate more heat and without proper measures, excessive heat could pose a threat on the product’s lifespan.

With SUHD TVs that feature Quantum dot technology, however, Samsung has an answer that allows TV sets to hit those brightness levels of up to 1,000 nits without the pain points. This is in part thanks to the photo-active property of quantum dots, which makes them very energy-efficient. Samsung was actually able to improve the overall energy efficiency of its 2016 SUHD TVs while enabling the set to hit 1,000 nits.

One Billion Colors

Quantum dots also emit a very pure color, which helps quantum dot displays show much more accurate colors. And by using these accurate reds, greens, and blues, it is able to display broader range of colors. On the other hand, light from conventional fluorescents tend to get mixed with adjacent colors, dropping the range of colors conventional TVs can show. In fact, Samsung’s 2016 SUHD TVs with Quantum Dot technology are able to show up to one billion colors – 64 times more color than the average TV.

This broad range of colors, along with the level of brightness quantum dot allows SUHD TVs to show, allows Samsung to offer richer pictures – closer to the real world than ever. These videos show how SUHD TVs with Quantum Dot technology help show more colors in bright and dark situations:

Recent innovations in display technology offer us an exciting new era of home entertainment. Before you go looking for your next TV set, check where the industry is going and make sure your TV is best-suited for the upcoming wave of UHD and HDR content.

For more information about HDR, Quantum Dot technology, and SUHD, visit: www.samsung.com/global/tv/quantum-dot-display.

* A nit is a standard unit of luminance, frequently used in measuring the brightness of display devices. One nit is the luminous intensity of a candle lighting an area of one square meter.

What Is ‘Quantum Dot?’

Quantum dots are nano-sized crystals made of semiconductor materials. A nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter, which means these extra-small particles are smaller than 1/10,000 of a single strand of human hair.*

Quantum dots can be made of different kinds of elements, but when regulated down to a size small enough, the quantum dot possesses physical properties that make it suitable for many different applications. For example, quantum dots are very efficient in absorbing and then emitting light. Based on this quality, quantum dot technology is being researched in areas such as solar panels, bioimaging, and, of course, display.

Why Is Quantum Dot Technology Good For TVs?

<Quantum Dot Demonstration>

Quantum dots are photo-active; they absorb, and then emit light. And when they do, even if the dots are made of the same material, the light each quantum dot emits is a specific color (or wavelength) depending on the size of its core. For example, a quantum dot with a core of 2nm will emit a blue light while one with a 6~7nm core will emit red.

The color of light each quantum dot gives off is also very stable and pure. Quantum dots can show precise colors while the light from conventional materials ends up getting mixed with adjacent colors. This is because the spectral line width (width of each peak in the graph below) of the light from quantum dots is much narrower than that from conventional materials.

As a result, the 3 primary colors can be more clearly distinguished in comparison to conventional TVs, which helps the quantum dot display show a wide range of colors more accurately.

Another advantage of these light-emitting quantum dots is that they’re very efficient. Compared to phosphors in conventional TVs, not only are they able to produce more colors, but the photo-active property allows for better light efficiency.

By leveraging this advantage, Samsung was able to jack up the peak brightness of its new SUHD TVs to 1,000 nits and higher, opposed to the previous 400 nits for conventional TVs– all the while further improving overall energy efficiency. Colors are perceived by light, and by offering more light along with more colors, Samsung SUHD TVs are great for HDR content.

What’s So Great About Samsung’s Quantum Dots?

Many previously developed quantum dot solutions were based on materials that involve cadmium, such as cadmium sulfide (CdS) or selenide (CdSe). Although these quantum dots share the same advantages as written above, they hold a deadly threat against the environment as toxic Cd2+ ions may be released through nanoparticle degradation.

Samsung’s quantum dots, however, are cadmium-free. They’re based on indium (In) instead. After much research and development, Samsung is currently the only company that produces cadmium-free quantum dot displays. Samsung started focusing on quantum dot technology in 2001, and has since registered over 150 patents on the subject.

Samsung’s quantum dots are also durable. Being an inorganic compound, quantum dots are more resistant to oxidation than organic substances. Samsung also applies a quad-layer coat to its quantum dots to ensure the quantum dot display is durable and kept stable over years of time. The result: a fantastic display that keeps its picture quality year after year.

For more information on Samsung’s SUHD TVs with Quantum Dot technology, please visit: www.samsung.com/global/tv/quantum-dot-display.

* Calculation based on assumption that an average human hair is about 100μm wide.