MSU Technologies

Nanocluster Based Light Emitting Device

Executive Summary

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that in 2015, about 10% of total U.S. electricity consumption were used for lighting by the commercial sector and the residential sector. State of the art white organic light emitting devices (WOLEDs) are currently poised to reduce the consumption rate for lighting as they demonstrate greater power efficiencies than fluorescent lighting. However, WOLEDs are limited by high external quantum efficiencies at low overall brightness and are reliant on high-cost precious metal materials. Researchers at Michigan State University have addressed these deficiencies by developing a next-generation inorganic light emitting device (LED) that generates higher brightness at a greater level of efficiency, has a longer lifetime, and does not contain precious metals, which lowers the production cost substantially.

Description of Technology

This technology is a new type of inorganic LED structure that utilizes phosphorescent hexanuclear metal halide nanoclusters to emit light at a higher efficiency and increased brightness over other LEDs and fluorescents, without the use of precious metals such as platinum and iridium. Also, depending on the assembly method, this nanocluster based LED can produce either white light or near-infrared (NIR) light, making this lighting method suitable for a wide range of applications.

Key Benefits

High efficiency: exhibits a quantum yield greater than 75%
Free of Precious Metals: lower production cost and no more resource limitations
Increased Lifetime: inorganic nanoclusters do not have surface states, increasing their lifetime in comparison to traditional OLEDS
Safe technology: potentially harmful materials such as cadmium or lead are not required

Applications