MicroLED-Info.com: the Micro-LED experts

In January 2019 Aixtron and PlayNitride signed a joint-collaboration agreement to accelerate Micro-LED development and PlayNitride ordered an AIX G5+ C MOCVD system. Aixtron announced that the AIX G5+ C system is now fully qualified for production - and Playnitride placed a follow-up order for a second such system.

Aixtron says that the G5+ C is an advanced advanced production tool that offers market leading wavelength uniformity to meet the tightened Micro LED market specifications in a batch reactor high-throughput environment. The system allows for the lowest defect and particle level in the industry due to an effective in-situ cleaning technology and the cassette-to-cassette handler which is essential for high yields. The G5+ C MOCVD was also recently ordered by Plessey for its own GaN-on-Silicon Micro-LED development and production.

Taiwan-based PMOLED display maker RiTDisplay announced that it plans to launch its first MicroLED displays in 2020. RiTDisplay aims to mass produce wearable displays and hopes for receive meaningful revenues already in 2020.

In May 2019 RiTDisplay announced a strategic partnership and share swap with MicroLED developer PlayNitride. In June 2019 it was reported that a US-based smartwatch brand will start a design process in Q3 2019 using a micro-LED display that was co-developed by RiTDisplay and PlayNitride. RiT was reportedly to start shipping samples in Q4 2019.

UK-based GaN-On-Si MicroLED microdisplay developer Plessey Semiconductor announced that it has successfully developed the world’s first GaN on Silicon-based Red LED.

Red LEDs are typically based on AlInGaP materia, or are color-converted from blue LEDs. These red LEDs limit the efficiency and the ability to create ultra-fine pitch sub pixels. Plessey says that InGaN red LEDs will also offer lower manufacturing costs, scalability to larger 200 mm or 300 mm wafers and better hot/cold factor over incumbent AlInGaP-based Red.

Japan Display announced that it is developing micro-LED display technologies, and the company will unveil its first prototype at FINTECH Japan 2019 in early December. JDI will show a 1.6" 300x300 (256 PPI) display that is based on the company's own LTPS backplane with microLED chips developed by Glo.

The new display provides a wide viewing angle of 178 degress and offers very high brightness (3,000 nits).

According to a new report, China's LED producer Sanan Optoelectronics developed 10x20 micron LED devices (micro-LEDs) and is offering sample chips and testing data for microLED display makers. San'an aims to start producing these micro-LED chips on 6" wafers in Q4 2019.

Most microLED displays use chips produced on 4" wafers, and the move to 6" will enable lower production costs.

In June 2019 Micro-LED developer Glo announced a partnership with Japan-based display maker Kyocera to demonstrate a 1.8" Micro-LED display. Here's Kyocera's booth at CEATEC 2019 that features this display (03:00):

The Glo microLED display features a resolution of 256x256 (200 PPI), a peak luminance of 3,000 nits and a color gamut of 81% Rec.2020. The display's frame rate is 240Hz and the response time is 7 usec or less. For this demonstration panel, Kyocera provided the LTPS backplane and driving technology while glo provided its InGaN RGB micro-LEDs and its transfer technology.

UK-based GaN-On-Si MicroLED microdisplay developer Plessey Semiconductor announced that it has entered into a partnership with microdisplay system developer Compound Photonics to co-develop a Full-HD (1920x1080) 0.26-inch microLED display solution. The two companies expect to start offering samples in mid-year 2020 (not clear if these will be monochrome or full-color).

For this display system, Plessey will bond its micro-LED array wafer on Compound Photonics' backplane silicon wafer. The display module itself will be based on Compound Photonics’ NOVA digital drive architecture with MIPI input.

US-based AV integration company Just One Touch Video&Audio Center reports that it recently completed the first US residential installation of Samsung's The Wall Professional MicroLED TV.

The 146" 4K installation, done for a client in Los Angeles, was completed in three days. Just One Touch says that Samsung sent its own personnel to assist with this project. Just One Touch has already secured three more installations - in a hotel lobby, in a luxury mega-yacht and at a home of a "Hollywood Star".

Market analysts at Yole Developpement say that microLED shipments will reach over 125 million panels by 2027. In their aggressive scenario, shipments will reach almost 450 million.

Yole says that microLED technologies are advancing rapidly - and on all fronts, but there are still many challenges to overcome before mass production arrives. MicroLED makes a strong case for the AR, smartwatch and automotive market. For the smartphones and TV markets it is less clear whether MicroLEDs could succeed.

UK-based GaN-On-Si MicroLED microdisplay developer Plessey Semiconductor announced that it managed to deposit native blue and green microLEDs on the same wafer. Plessey’s new patented process forms microLEDs that exhibit high current density operation and long operational lifetime.

Plessey said that to achieve this important milestone they had to overcome several challenges - including a magnesium memory effect, diffusion from the p-type cladding of the lower junction into the upper junction and the requirement for the precise tuning of the thermal budget during the growth of the second junction to prevent indium phase separation in the blue active region.