This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will provide an inexpensive, highly-scaleable process technology to create high-brightness, short wavelength, silicon-based LEDs (light emitting diodes) and laser diodes. We will utilize a biological template technology, developed at the University of Colorado, combined with proprietary Astralux expertise to prepare an array of silicon nanoparticles (quantum dots) that will emit visible light. In Phase I, we will demonstrate the feasibility of creating the device structure . This device will have the advantage of being compatible with on-chip silicon processing. <br/><br/>These devices can be used in optical storage (such as read/write compact disks), printing applications (laser printers), full-color displays (laptop computer screens) and indicators (traffic lights), medical applications, and white light emitting diodes for replacing incandescent light bulbs.