Unique oxide overcoating of CuInS2/ZnS core/shell quantum dots with ZnGa2O4 for fabrication of white light-emitting diode with improved operational stability

CuInS2 quantum dots (QDs) have been recently highlighted as blue-to-yellow color converters for the demonstration of QD-based white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) owing to their advantageous fluorescent attributes including a broadband yellow emission and exceptional quantum yield. Similar to other types of elaborate core/shell structured QDs, however, core/shell QDs of CuInS2/ZnS are also susceptible to the photo-induced degradation, rendering them inappropriate for the practical application to high operational stability white LED. In this study, CuInS2/ZnS QDs are overcoated with the unprecedented oxide phase of ZnGa2O4 to enhance their photostability, and the resulting CuInS2/ZnS/ZnGa2O4 QDs are characterized with X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope. The operational stability test of CuInS2/ZnS/ZnGa2O4 QD-based white LED is performed and compared with that of uncoated CuInS2/ZnS QD-based one, and the efficacy of ZnGa2O4 overlayer is proved in mitigating the photodegradation of QDs and thus improving the device stability.