April 2023

In a new and interesting analysis, the Korea Times suggests that the US is considering adding display technologies, mostly next-gen displays OLEDs, to the list of restricted technologies and may ask Japan and Korea to stop selling materials and equipment to Chinese display makers. 

Apparently the US government is still debating over this decision. OLED displays are used in defense applications, but OLED displays, unlike semiconductors, can be replaced with LCDs without effecting performance much, which means that hurting China's OLED industry will not have a strategic effect on China outside of the display industry. China today is the world's leading display maker by volume, but Korea is still leading in OLED display production. This decision, if happens will have more economic implications than strategic ones. 

Korea-based Top Engineering developed and launched a new microLED chip inspection tool, offering non-contact EL inspection.

The equipment can analyze LED chips directly on the epiwafer, and inspect thousands of microLED chips at the same time. The tool can use non-contact EL inspection on vertical microLED chips.

SID Display Week is the display industry's premier display show and this year's event, which will take place on May 21-26, should be an excellent one.

Display Week covers all aspects of the display industry and the whole spectrum of display technologies. MicroLEDs are seen by many to be the next generation display technology, and there will indeed be an increased focus on microLED technologies and displays at the upcoming Display Week.

MicroLED developer VueReal says that it achieved a breakthrough in its MicroSolid Printing Platform, enabling it to go below 7um LED pitch (on the wafer) for full color microLED deposition. The company reports that its newest (and smallest) microLEDs show minimal impact on EQE, and this enables high-efficiency display production.

VueReal says that its new technology could soon compete on price with OLED displays while offering higher performance, and could be viable for many display segments - from wearables through smartphones to automotive and more. According to its current tests, its microLED displays will offer a brightness of 3,000 nits (and higher), while consuming around half the power compared to the latest AMOLED displays. In addition, its printing process is highly scalable and should not have a problem handling the demands of even the smartphone industry with hundreds of millions of displays per year.

Here are some recent and popular microLED display industry news that you may find of interest:

• AUO to convert one of its LCD fabs to microLED production by 2025
• Foxconn, Ennostar and Unikorn Semiconductor jointly develop microLED microdisplays
• AUO launches commercial wearable microLED displays
• KAIST researchers create microLEDs that are not sensitive to sidewall defects
• JBD announces a 750,000 nits red emitter, updates on its latest microLED projects
• LG shows a 272" 8K microLED MAGNIT TV
• Aixtron launches a new fully-automated 200 mm system for microLED mass production
• DSCC: LGD to build a microLED backplane line for Apple by the end of 2024
• Samsung looks to commercialize smartwatch microLED displays by the end of 2023
• Samsung announces new microLED CX TVs for 2023
• Apple to release a microLED display powered Watch in 2024, according to rumors
• DSSC sees the microLED market growing to $1.3 billion in 2027
• PlayNitride is now a public company, trades at the Taiwan Stock Exchange
• The MicroLED Industry Association is launched
• Epistar to invest $122 million USD to build 150 mm microLED epiwafer capacity
• Google acquires microLED microdisplay developer Raxium
• STRATACACHE CEO's details the company's upcoming US microLED fab

Taiwan's Innolux says that it is working with customers to jointly develop microLED displays. The company does not yet announce any commercialization plans, but it is considering converting one of its 5.5-Gen LCD fabs to microLED panel production.

A year ago Innolux demonstrated a 12.3" microLED tiled seamless display module prototype, based on an LTPS backplane. The display achieves a brightness of 700 nits and a resolution of 480x180 (40 PPI).

A few days ago, AUO announced that it has finalized the development of its wearable microLED display, and the company is now launching the 1.39" round smartwatch display commercially, with mass production expected in the second half of 2023.

Yesterday AUO announced that it plans to convert its LCD 5A fab in Taiwan's Longtan District into a microLED production line. The new line will begin microLED production in 2025 or 2026, targeting wearable displays, automotive displays, TVs and signage displays. 

AU Optronics is demonstrating several display at Touch Taiwan 2023, including an interesting new laptop microLED display. The display is a 14.6" 2560x1440 (QHD, 202 PPI) foldable panel, that can reach a brightness of over 1,000 and a bending radius of 4 mm.

In addition to this display AUO is showing its 17.3" transparent microLED prototype.

Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) has announced that it has developed a new microLED microdisplay, in collaboration with Ennostar and Unikorn Semiconductor (a part of Ennostar). The company is showcasing the display at Touch Taiwan 2023 - a monochrome blue 0.12" 6500 PPI 200,000 nits display.

Foxconn says that the companies have optimized the structure of the microLED chips in a join project, and developed a new thin film protection technology tat reduces surface defects, improves external quantum efficiency, and increases product reliability. Foxconn has also developed its own quantum dots based color conversion technology that enables it to convert the display to full-color (that achieved a PPI of 3,600).

The MicroLED Industry Association will host its first annual meeting during Displayweek 2023. The annual meeting will take place on the 22nd of May, at 4:00PM, at the Los Angeles convention center.

During the meeting, we will update on past activities and plans for the new year, and give association members an excellent chance to network and connect with fellow microLED industry professionals.