Packaging

Quantum Dots: The future in security, brand protection and much more?

Thursday 15. February 2018 - IQDEMYs Quantum Dots technology provides for long-lasting, unique authentication as well as many applications beyond the printing world.

IQDEMY Quantum Technology SA, a company of IQDEMY Holdings, has recently announced and displayed its Quantum Dots (QD) technology at InPrint 2017. Among others, it can provide for unique, individualized and non-breakable authentication of brand products as well as security applications.
What is a Quantum Dot (QD)?
Basically a Quantum Dot is a tiny little compound semiconductor particle that is only about 2-10 nm in size, or in other words 10-50 atoms. These particles have been achieved by treating semiconductor nanocrystals in a certain way, so that artificially synthesized nanocrystals are produced. Nanocrystal semiconductor particles differ in optical and electronic properties from that of larger particles.
Depending on the treatment of the nanocrystals, many different types of quantum dots can be achieved. In case of IQDEMY’s Quantum Dots, for example, when UV light or electricity is applied to a quantum dot, it will emit light in a certain visible spectrum. The color of light depends again on the size of the quantum dot. The smallest particles will emit violet color, the bigger the particles are, the light spectrum from violet to blue, green, yellow and red is covered. As the size of the Quantum Dots can be precisely determined in shape, size and material, different color frequencies are achieved. This opens up a host of applications in the security printing, brand protection industry and many other fields.
Possible applications
Security printing, brand protection and authentication is a vast area whereby it is estimated that 1.5 trillon US$ are lost yearly due to counterfeits. IQDEMY’s Quantum Dots Ink, available for UV as well as aqueous applications, enables printers and brand owners to secure and protect their investments. Counterfeits can be easily detected. Moreover, as there are 4.3 billion variants within the four color process, not one formulae is identical to another. IQDEMY’s Quantum Dots Ink composites cannot be broken by any digital or other methods, making it probably the most unique and counterfeit-secure solution in the market.
Medical and biochemistry applications will benefit greatly from IQDEMY’s Quantum Dots technology. Highly sensitive cellular imaging, anatomical control systems, diagnosis of cancers, severe virus, in vitro imaging of pre-labeled cells as well as future applications such as imaging of single-cell migration in real time are applicable.
Production of printing compounds to increase solar batteries efficiency in consumer and aerospace industries is another application where IQDEMY’s Quantum Dot technology can be applied.
Within the display market, production of nanocrystals for LED displays for television, mobile phones, transistors for computers, tablets, etc. is possible. Also, generation of components for semiconductor lasers can be executed.
Within the oil exploration industry, Quantum Dots can be used for the production of oil additives (tracers), so that wells can be drilled strategically as the optimal location for oil and gas field development can be pinpointed.
Quantum dots enable production of sensors for radioactive ions, explosives and biological poison identification that is very usable in confronting terrorism and other security breaches.
Within the agro industry it is possible to produce light-converting coatings that in turn will increase yield and speed of fruit plants ripening in greenhouses.
Future outlook
Currently Quantum Dot technology market distribution is applied to the phone and TV market with an approximate share of 36%, solar energy (26%), security printing (20%) and biochemistry, films etc (18%). In 2017 only ten companies produced Quantum Dots worldwide. Market research companies such as Research and Markets evaluate Quantum Dot technology with a growth up to 7.8 bn US$ by 2022 and forecast its growth to 20 bn US$ till 2027 resulting in a growth factor up 46.4% (CAGR).
“IQDEMY’s Quantum Dot technology enables us to help our customers in protecting their brands and enable a highly secure solution for printing applications, that is photostable, lightness resistant and unique to each”, states Vladimir Mirchev, CEO IQDEMY Holding. “In addition, our unique technology enables us to enter new markets beyond our traditional leading involvement the printing industry thus increasing business opportunities.

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