Reports from Korea suggest that Samsung Display has decided to resume its QD Nanorod Diode (QNED) technology development, that it has paused a few years ago.
SDC considers QNED to offer superior performance compared to the company's QD-OLED technology - mainly in terms of lifetime and brightness. According to the new report, SDC established a QNED R&D organization towards the end of 2025, to restart the R&D, bringing back its previous employees that were involved with QNED R&D.
After several years of R&D, and some exciting advances, Samsung halted its development as it did not manage to solve the challenges in this technology. But now the company apparently believe it can move QNED from prototype-phase to commercial-phase, even though it recognizes this will take some time. The company is said to have achieved a breakthrough in its QD nanorod arrangement technology.
Samsung's QNED technology, not to be confused with QD-EL or LG's QNED (LCD display tech) is based on blue emitting microLEDs, covered by QDs for color conversion. Samsung's Nanorod and QD deposition are both based on inkjet printing. Theoretically, this could be more cost-effective than the company's QD-OLED production process for large-area displays, and it seems as if SDC is considering relying on QD-EL for the next-generation large-area TV and monitor market. The company is also developing microLEDs, but that technology is still many years away from the consumer markets.
Samsung Display also developed QD-EL technology, which utilizes the QD electroluminescent effect to directly emit light without color conversion.