Touring a Quantum Dot Factory – CNET [CNET]
![nanosys-tour-opener](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/910c756ffa3d6cba71c2b66437e2955887d2cef8/hub/2023/02/27/b19e29e9-6da6-4742-844b-32c6ce4019e0/nanosys-tour-opener.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
1 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
For more info about our special tour, check out Where Quantum Dots Are Made.
![nanosys-factory-tour-1-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/ac62c28fa339784df2c2f7653b4434cf499e5056/hub/2023/02/27/4ce7909d-eec3-4136-9cde-8d710737ba41/nanosys-factory-tour-1-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
2 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Our tour starts in one of the research and testing areas. This big ball is called an integrating sphere. The inside is hollow and coated with a diffuse white coating. It lets engineers measure the light output of an object in ways that are difficult or impossible with other methods.
![nanosys-factory-tour-2-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/677b969f31ced315f1b37d27e058c704ba92f9b3/hub/2023/02/27/11467ca6-70de-4f39-b6fe-253228beff55/nanosys-factory-tour-2-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
3 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Can’t have a lab without microscopes. I wonder if they have any larger ones…
![nanosys-factory-tour-3-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/feaca31352ab21cbd879816db2377d71552eb7f9/hub/2023/02/27/bffe1f3e-3bc0-4e62-abca-cd1c1b4e3113/nanosys-factory-tour-3-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
4 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
![nanosys-factory-tour-4-of-38-edit.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/d48cfca52ba0c54b6f6f9f21d7a8096454172bc2/hub/2023/03/01/33c91b7b-bace-4bd2-bdab-4e4451182f78/nanosys-factory-tour-4-of-38-edit.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
5 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Lots of whirrs and hums. This must be a testing lab.
![nanosys-factory-tour-10-of-38-edit.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/0621dacb5685a203ceed35a8d18d20e3fef7193d/hub/2023/03/01/fa215f5c-ed39-4c64-91a8-f8e269b86ec1/nanosys-factory-tour-10-of-38-edit.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
6 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
The big devices that look like refrigerators are actually test chambers that can vary the temperature. One of the ways to more rapidly test something’s longevity or performance over time is to crank up the heat. This is why I avoid the sun.
![nanosys-factory-tour-7-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/60feccf4b5be1f11a220ae2dd5974b6b4a487b86/hub/2023/02/27/0aaa44b8-7b3c-43db-b29c-ce030bdf2fc2/nanosys-factory-tour-7-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
7 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Test chambers can maintain a high or low temperature depending on what needs to be tested. They can also rapidly cycle through both.
![nanosys-factory-tour-8-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/e7885b1da9bbd5ba3468603d26b7b423a8d68d5c/hub/2023/02/27/d5f05e2d-7ca8-499c-a30c-770af4174340/nanosys-factory-tour-8-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
8 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Here are some prototypes in enclosures finishing up a round of testing.
![nanosys-factory-tour-9-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/1d393c69310d9e00f8404c89bfd53ed668e23285/hub/2023/02/27/7eec7ac3-5720-4b21-9602-081044de7f93/nanosys-factory-tour-9-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
9 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Sometimes room temperature will do, and there were multiple shelves with prototypes glowing brightly.
![nanosys-factory-tour-11-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/5b70870139b874ee348d9ee76cde0e554cf3bee3/hub/2023/02/27/e072f5ff-cb5d-4292-835b-0eaf1141e5a5/nanosys-factory-tour-11-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
10 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
This is the main room of the factory, where more testing and the actual creation of the quantum dots takes place.
![nanosys-factory-tour-24-of-38-edit.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/5e379401404ba8a0d46b810a833f3dfd732f7152/hub/2023/03/01/c031082c-9457-4b80-8652-9fb069e5d24b/nanosys-factory-tour-24-of-38-edit.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
11 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Nanosys uses these pressurized chambers, quite simply called glove boxes, to keep dust and other contaminants out of the chemicals used for the creation process. Even exposure to normal air can degrade some of the chemicals used. The circle in between the two chambers is the door of an airlock.
![nanosys-factory-tour-16-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/781bb62b1205a1f745a8c782b505421040574881/hub/2023/02/27/859f6ed0-c902-4b5e-b319-51c34a72ef59/nanosys-factory-tour-16-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
12 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
This is a small-scale setup to test different formulations and methods. The main production tanks you’ll see in a moment.
![nanosys-factory-tour-15-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/b6da040b8e75f137e06e621bc12acae9eb05293a/hub/2023/02/27/7edb86b0-cb43-499d-9523-9fd9a2d1fe98/nanosys-factory-tour-15-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
13 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
![nanosys-factory-tour-25-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/465aba6e0efd7c6e813fc0b5bc2dc5826a4abf34/hub/2023/02/27/722a86a6-b4f0-4798-9a98-bdc252b924ea/nanosys-factory-tour-25-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
14 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Nanosys’ quantum dots are nontoxic. I asked what would happen if I got some on my hands, and they said they’d just glow for a while. The dots are hard to get off but won’t do any harm.
OK, fair, glowing hands aren’t harmful. Creepy, but not harmful.
![nanosys-factory-tour-13-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/96590ca9ea5c699942244639e4e6a6279c11de7d/hub/2023/02/27/e655df30-1d44-4186-b504-e13b42fd1d36/nanosys-factory-tour-13-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
15 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Check out that glow! The best way I can describe quantum dots is, think of them as microscopic Wiffle balls with crystals inside that glow when exposed to energy. Here, Nanosys president Jason Hartlove shines a UV flashlight on two vials that have quantum dots at different stages of the manufacturing process.
![nanosys-factory-tour-14-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/7b1f2665dc171ced0435202379df3684b93568a9/hub/2023/02/27/40f223ff-3237-4477-bd22-8e28e3a43bf2/nanosys-factory-tour-14-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
16 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
The process for making quantum dots is multistage. First, they grow the crystals using a variety of chemicals that of course I can’t share. At a specific point, the growth is stopped using other chemicals. Size is crucial with quantum dots, as that’s what determines what color they glow.
![nanosys-factory-tour-26-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/ccb1ac1e3c75e69f2962ba196eafb0daf0d096ce/hub/2023/02/27/76382e17-268b-418e-a92d-fc1574e71c96/nanosys-factory-tour-26-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
17 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
After the crystal growth is stopped, another chemical is mixed in that creates a shell around the crystals. The Wiffle ball, if you will. This protects the crystals, but still lets in the photons or electrons that give the crystal the energy needed to emit its light.
![nanosys-factory-tour-27-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/3e5a51ec16fc589c18aff91d1f1b62fd1c448717/hub/2023/02/27/d34453e8-1aed-43d2-adcb-03ddc0760a70/nanosys-factory-tour-27-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
18 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
This should give you a better idea how bright these vials are. All cameras have a limited dynamic range, so I’ve exposed to the vials, not the ambient light.
![nanosys-factory-tour-18-of-38-edit-2.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/12a26547087df8f70c5ac3cfbb4a12e902d2c1dd/hub/2023/03/03/f80b3d65-ffc5-4396-813c-a5767184f1a5/nanosys-factory-tour-18-of-38-edit-2.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
19 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Believe it or not, this is it. Billions of quantum dots are made in this small room. In the far corner is a large stainless steel vat called a reactor that does all the mixing of the various chemicals. All the pipes bring in, or remove, the chemicals at specific times.
![nanosys-factory-tour-20-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/e50c57a5a809f99900df88a33e8c516b9cce7642/hub/2023/02/27/33074f33-f540-471b-af40-a392c13cc284/nanosys-factory-tour-20-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
20 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Outside that room are the pumps and tanks to make it all function.
![nanosys-factory-tour-23-of-38-edit.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/7ff1cbe89aec85564203b21bf809b204e14547d7/hub/2023/03/01/2a80fe53-9d7a-4a0d-bbfc-456d1adf49c5/nanosys-factory-tour-23-of-38-edit.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
21 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Some storage tanks for the various chemicals.
![nanosys-factory-tour-22-of-38-edit.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/e4a992827166af81f1f1f3880319c8412b08e7d1/hub/2023/03/01/7aa5903b-7c5c-486e-8bbd-b7aa133dca59/nanosys-factory-tour-22-of-38-edit.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
22 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
What does all that get you? Small barrels of many, many, many quantum dots. Depending on the manufacturer, one of these barrels could last several months.
![nanosys-factory-tour-36-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/f7f15eefa030f82e7dae8e5bc3c70b06228d4dc0/hub/2023/02/27/b68a553a-d27b-4951-ad39-b75eee61f3b7/nanosys-factory-tour-36-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
23 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Down the hall is one of the research labs. Here, they’re working on electroluminescent quantum dots.
![nanosys-factory-tour-28-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/cf9f62a196be8c213220dee306c7ddb9f2b0228a/hub/2023/02/27/8918c65c-0679-457c-9ee6-ead018063b52/nanosys-factory-tour-28-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
24 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
High five! Or, I guess, side five?
![nanosys-factory-tour-31-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/fbc10bd12170ac67c45c5b355481792bb4bae49d/hub/2023/02/27/49cc8369-1389-4ae8-b050-559928eae27d/nanosys-factory-tour-31-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
25 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
An electroluminescent quantum dot testing chip. The purple rectangles in the middle are the quantum dots; the metallic triangles are the contacts to supply the electricity.
![nanosys-factory-tour-32-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/0f1fc66a1593ee406c4af9236c26088f5e5fa0db/hub/2023/02/27/1b6eac7f-e0a7-41da-ad88-1a1397f5849d/nanosys-factory-tour-32-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
26 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Interestingly, electroluminescent quantum dots are very similar to, and in some ways the same as, photoluminescent quantum dots, as you can see here as they luminesce with a UV light.
![nanosys-factory-tour-33-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/c36b9ea90f38fcbf1c9a9d4ad146ba01c45d41ed/hub/2023/02/27/8e13ca6d-ef2f-4a23-98c4-d45da07d0f08/nanosys-factory-tour-33-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
27 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
Vials of a few additional colors undergoing testing.
![nanosys-factory-tour-29-of-38-edit.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/b9bfa781a90a135e6342c2255a06dd535a0b5de8/hub/2023/03/01/af149527-6143-452c-ad5b-2e0b7c15d8b9/nanosys-factory-tour-29-of-38-edit.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
28 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
For testing, it’s good to have some small-scale manufacturing capabilities. This is one end of a machine that runs the entire length of the room that prints quantum dot films like you’d find in many LCDs. Nanosys uses this rig to help train manufacturers to make their own QD films using Nanosys’ QDs.
![nanosys-factory-tour-38-of-38.jpg](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/bfb94085a59de6fb00f1ddb83b2f190181de3f8a/hub/2023/02/27/e9b23da0-d445-4de1-bfde-1d28cdd7c015/nanosys-factory-tour-38-of-38.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
29 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
A closeup of the subject of a custom testing rig. A photospectrometer above measures the precise light spectrum created by different QD designs.
![A hand-built box showing a rainbow of pixels lit by electroluminescent quantum dots.](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/4a69e5200c2b32a947abc6243fe7478f79dac7dd/hub/2023/01/07/44edabef-4fc7-4735-a4af-5bcbb67116b4/el-qd-proof-of-concept.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
30 of 31 Nanosys
A “proof of concept” demo box for electroluminescent quantum dot.
![Some electronics and a blurred out screen of the first electroluminescent quantum dot prototype.](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/138c4ed54ce6fee433d1b5076bfb30a15f957e15/hub/2023/01/07/747b491b-a2df-4c1d-b1d2-0bc0c2c00395/opener-top-secret.jpg?resize=800%2C450&ssl=1)
31 of 31 Geoffrey Morrison/CNET
This is the top secret electroluminescent quantum dot prototype we saw at CES 2023. So secret, we had to blur it.
For more about quantum dots, Nanosys and our special behind-the-scenes tour, check out Where Quantum Dots Are Made.