US Patent 7264527 - Q-dot light source using primary and secondary light

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7264527.html

This patent seems to present some fairly basic claims to a method of formed quantum dot light sources in a host matrix. In has a fairly early priority date (Apr. 1 1998) and provides an alternative to epitaxal growth of the quantum dots on a semiconductor layer. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of producing a light-emitting device, comprising steps of: (a) providing a population of quantum dots (QDs) and a host matrix, wherein each QD of the population comprises a core of an independently selected size and composition, the population comprises a selected size distribution of QDs, and the QDs have a surface adapted to allow the QDs to be dispersed in the host matrix; (b) dispersing the QDs in the host matrix; and (c) providing a light source in optical communication with the host matrix with QDs dispersed therein, wherein the light source emits primary light and when used to illuminate the QDs dispersed in the host matrix causes the QDs to photoluminesce secondary light, and wherein the matrix is disposed to allow both the primary light emitted by the light source and the secondary light emitted by the QDs to pass therethrough, thereby causing the light-emitting device to emit light comprising a mixture of primary and secondary light.