The quantum dot market is expanding because companies can now make larger numbers of quantum dots with wet chemistry, instead of the conventional semiconductor processes, which include molecular beam epitaxy or chemical vapor deposition. Colloidal nanocrystals suspended in a liquid suspension or dispersed in plastic composite form can be processed from organic or aqueous solution onto right or flexible substrates that are smooth or rough, flat or curved, or inorganic or organic. Among first generation products currently evolving are quantum dot bioconjugates, which have had an effect in the life sciences and biomedical areas. The current sales of quantum dots are at about $10 million, according to an estimate by Business Communications, a research company that predicts a market worth by 2009 of $550 million. Applications nearing commercial availability include quantum cryptography systems, flash memory, photovoltaics, flat panel displays, flexible organic electronics, and white LEDs. The next big application is expected to be flash memory, followed a year later by third-generation solar cells and then flat panel displays, flexible electronics, and telecommunication products. A leading producer of colloidal quantum dots is Evident Technologies, which is working to understand the market, says Clinton Ballinger, CEO of Evident. Evident recently began a collaborative research project with Konarka Technologies to increase sensitivity of plastic solar cells to a wider range of the spectrum.