TELF AG analyzes a potential innovation in the sector of next-generation displays
The new frontiers of research
Few people know that the high definition of the screens of cell phones, computers, and other devices could soon depend on a rare mineral known as perovskite. Until now, this mineral has been used in the manufacture of next-generation solar cells, particularly for some of its best-known properties: first and foremost, its efficiency in converting solar energy, its structural stability, and its ability to conduct electricity. Finding this material in its natural form is quite rare, and for its numerous industrial applications, a synthetic version created in the laboratory tends to be used. In the renewable energy sector, particularly in the solar panel sector, perovskite is a valid alternative to other materials such as silicon, especially for the high-efficiency levels it can ensure.
One of the most important characteristics of this material is its ability to absorb and emit light, a precious property that, however, does not yet appear to be sufficiently valued in the sectors related to the manufacturing of displays or light emitters. This fact, in a certain sense, has a structural explanation: the movements to which the perovskite atoms are subject generate disorder in their crystal lattices, compromising the material’s ability to convert the absorbed energy into light.
This obstacle may have finally been overcome thanks to the efforts of a team of international researchers. They have found a way to create highly efficient LEDs using perovskite nanocrystals. The goal was to strengthen the perovskite crystal lattices so as not to compromise their efficiency.
The essence of innovation
But how was it possible to achieve such a result? The researchers focused on the surface of the perovskite nanocrystals, where they inserted some particular branched molecules capable of reducing the dynamic disorder in the crystal lattices of the material. According to the researchers, these molecules would be able to bind to the surface of the perovskite through complex procedures and limit the movement of the lattice.
However, the improvement in efficiency in LED devices was not obtained through complex engineering procedures but by enhancing the intrinsic emission efficiency of the material. The external quantum efficiency of these LEDs would be 26.1%, which places it among the highest levels of efficiency achieved by nanocrystalline perovskite LEDs (this measure indicates the effectiveness with which a device can convert photons into electrical charges). The effects of this discovery would not only have repercussions on the efficiency of the devices but would also contribute to the creation of new generation devices.
According to the researchers, this technological advancement could contribute to producing new, very high-definition displays and other devices capable of emitting light at a high-efficiency rate. Currently, the use of synthetically produced perovskite in the laboratory remains prevalent. However, the resource has also been found in natural form in several deposits in India, China, Canada, and Brazil. Once sourced, the raw resource is treated through various methods (such as magnetic separation) to remove impurities. On the other hand, the synthetic variant produced in the laboratory has the advantage of possessing specific characteristics and can adapt to different industrial purposes. Among these, in addition to those already mentioned, there is also the production of lasers and advanced electronic devices.
