A new type of remote red quantum-dot (QD) component was designed and fabricated to improve the color-rendering properties of conventional white LED (light-emitting diode) lightings. Based on an optical simulation, the rectangular cavity-type QD cap was designed with an opening window on the top surface. Red QD caps were fabricated using a typical injection molding technique and CdSe/ZnS QDs with a core/shell structure whose average size was ~6 nm. Red QD caps were applied to conventional 6-inch, 15-W white LED downlighting consisting of 72 LEDs arrayed concentrically. The red QD caps placed over white LEDs enhanced the red components in the long-wavelength range resulting in the increase of the color rendering index (CRI) from 82.9 to 94.5. The correlated color temperature was tuned easily in a wide range by adopting various configurations consisting of different QD caps. The spatial and angular homogeneities were secured on the emitting area because QD caps placed over the white LEDs did not exhibit any substantial optical path length difference. The present study demonstrates that adopting QD caps in conventional LED lightings provides a flexible and efficient method to realize a high color-rendering property and to adjust correlated color temperature appropriately for a specific application.
Keywords: LED; color rendering index; quantum dot; quantum-dot cap; remote.