These did not use quantum dots, but had a number of features in common with them.
The idea of using quantum dot as a light source first developed in 1990s.
That's the whole point of using quantum dots in lasers.
Quantum dots also require very little power since they are not color filtered.
The coloration is directly related to the energy levels of the quantum dot.
That is, a large fraction of the atoms in the quantum dot are on the surface.
A blue quantum dot is just slightly above the minimum size, where red to green can be easily obtained.
The islands can be subsequently buried to form the quantum dot.
One system under investigation for this is quantum dots.
Quantum dots are in fact often referred to as artificial atoms.