MicroLED technology is a next-generation emissive display technology that promises highly efficient and bright displays that offer superior image quality with infinite contrast and a wide color gamut. MicroLEDs are an excellent fit for microdisplays - as it can offer extremely bright and efficient displays with very fine pixel pitches.
Microdisplays are very small displays (usually under 1-inch) used in near-eye applications such as AR glasses, camera view finders and rifle sights. Most microdisplays on the market are either LCoS or OLED displays.
MicroLED Microdisplays
Many companies are developing high-end MicroLED microdisplays, and some of these are already offering initial products on the market. Some examples of such companies include Plessey (owned by Facebook), Jade Bird Display and Lumiode. MicroLED microdisplays are not in mass production, although some companies are already sampling simple monochrome displays.
Microdisplays use a high-end silicon backplane, and microLED microdisplays can be produced using a monolithic process - which means that the LEDs can be fabricated directly on the silicon wafer, or transferred to it in a process that is simpler compared to a TFT-glass transfer process.
The MicroLED and OLED Microdisplays Market Report
Our MicroLED and OLED Microdisplays provides a great introduction to both MicroLED and OLED microdisplays, and covers everything you need to know about next-generation microdisplays. This is a great guide if you're considering to adopt microdisplays in your product and if you want to understand this industry better.
This market report covers everything you need to know about next-generation microdisplays. This is a great guide if you're considering to adopt microdisplays in your product and if you want to understand this industry better. Read more here!
The latest MicroLED Microdisplays news:
Lumens developed a monolithic stacked RGB microLED epiwafer technology
Specialized Korea-based LED developer Lumens announced that it has developed a Monolithic RGB epitaxial wafers for micro-LED display production. The new technology stacks the three color LEDs on on top of the other on the wafer.
A comparison between Lumen's stacked RGB transfer process (bottom) and the standard process (top)
A stacked microLED architecture improves the performance, while also making the transfer process more productive. The company says that its design will offer a dramatic reduction in the production costs - especially the transfer process, which is reduced to a third (in terms of number of transfer steps), while also doing all the process from a single wafer.
Sundiode and Soft-EPI successfully grew a monolithic all-InGaN stacked-RGB LED structure
Stacked-RGB microLED microdisplay developed Sundiode announced that it has achieved the successful growth of a monolithic, all-InGaN RGB LED structure on a single sapphire wafer. This structure was developed in collaboration with Soft-EPI.
Sundiode's epitaxial technology enables stacked-RGB LEDs with multiple junctions, capable of emitting RGB colors independently. This structure makes it easier to produce ultra-high density microdisplays.
TCL demonstrates a new microLED AR smart glasses, the RayNeo X2
TCL announced and demonstrated its latest AR smart-glasses, the RayNeo X2, which features a full color microLED display engine.
We do not have any information on the microLED display, but other specifications include a Snapdragon XR2 chipset and a wearable ring controller. The RayNeo 2 will ship to developers in Q1 2023, and TCL hopes to launch it as a commercial product later on.
Mojo Vision changes its focus to develop its microLED display technology, lays off 75% of its work force
AR developer Mojo Vision announced that as it finds it challenging to raise more funds, it is changing its focus to develop its microLED technology and "decelerating" its work on the smart contact lens system.
According to reports, Mojo Vision has laid off 75% of its employees - it is estimated that the company laid off around 100 employees (it had around 150 employees before the change). The company's CEO says that the its microLED display technology has "is significant near-term market potential".
MICLEDI demonstrates AlInGaP "Ferrari" red microLED devices
Belgium-based microLED microdisplay developer MICLEDI demonstrated a "Ferrari" red microLEDs on aluminium indium gallium phosphide (AlInGaP) starting material. The company says that these red microLED devices are produced using a CMOS-compatible flow, free of arsenide.
MICLEDI says that it uses advanced photolithography available in 300mm wafer fabs. The company's first red microLED on GaN is solidly in the red range with wavelength centered at 620nm and good full-width half-maximum (FWHM) of <50nm. This newest announcement of red on AlInGaP achieves 653nm wavelength at extremely narrow FWHM of <9nm.
The MicroLED Industry Association to host an AR microLED technology webinar
On February 7th the MicroLED Industry Association will host a private webinar on microLED technologies for the AR market. The AR market is a very good segment for microLED developers, as it offers high performance requirements, relative microLED maturity and an excellent horizon.
The upcoming Seminar will feature four world-leading speakers, and will also be open to a Q&A session, to help increase microLED developers knowledge and involvement in the AR industry:
- Karl Guttag: a display systems engineer, one of the most respected experts on near eye displays and HMD designs
- Assaf Levy-Beeri: CEO at JoyaTeam, an optical design team focusing on AR solutions
- Soon-gi Park: AR specialist at LetinAR, a Korea-based AR optical system developer
- Reza Chaji: CEO at microLED microdisplay developer VueReal (and a microLED association member)
Reports suggest that Meta is in talks with Samsung and LG regarding the future supply of microLED microdispaly
In August 2022, we posted that both Samsung Display and LG Display started to develop microLED microdisplay technologies. According to a new report from Korea, Meta is in talks with both Korean companies regarding the future supply of both OLED and MicroLED microdisplays.
It is said that Samsung targets AR devices with its microLED microdisplay technology, while it targets VR devices with its OLED microdisplays. Samsung's microLED displays will achieve a resolution of 6,000 to 7,000 PPI (higher than its OLED devices).
ITRI announces new microLED microdisplay technology for AR applications
Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), is introducing its latest microLED microdisplay technologies, and unveils its latest microdisplay prototype.
The 0.5" display offers full-color images (using blue LEDs and quantum-dots based color conversion), high resolution (over 2,000 PPI) and high brightness (over 20,000 nits). The display offers high power efficiency - ITRI says it consumes less than half the energy of current solutions (likely compared to OLED microdisplays).
DSSC sees the microLED market growing to $1.3 billion in 2027, led by wearable displays and microdisplays
DSSC says that microLED display revenues will grow from around $40 million in 2023 to over $1.3 billion in 2027. While this is fast growth, it means that DSCC does not believe microLED will penetrate large display markets at least until 2028, and indeed the analysts say that lowering production costs will be necessary before microLEDs can become competitive against OLEDs and LCDs.
DSSC sees microLED microdisplay, produced using a monolithic process, taking up about 25% of the microLED display market. The largest segment for microdisplays will be smartwatches or wearable displays - as the low pixel size (relative to other display segments, at least) means that microLED technologies is relatively mature for that segment.
MICLEDI announced a high-performance native-red GaN microLED device
Belgium-based microLED microdisplay developer MICLEDI has demonstrated 630nm wavelength red GaN with a full-width-half-max (FWHM) in the range of 50nm. New red microdisplay samples are projected to be available to customers before the end of the year.
MICLEDI says that its red GaN device is compatible with the company's proprietary CMOS-fab technology and it follows the identical process recipe of the company’s blue and green arrays for consistency. The new red device is tailored for 300 mm processes for high-volume mass production.
