MicroLED Microdisplays - Page 2

Polar Light Technologies – Building the Next Generation of MicroLED Displays

Polar Light Technologies (PLT) is a Swedish semiconductor company developing a new generation of MicroLED displays based on a unique pyramid-shaped GaN structure. We spoke with Oskar Fajerson, CEO of Polar Light Technologies, about their approach, progress, and vision for the industry.

1: Management team: Left to right: Per-Olof Holtz (Founder), Oskar Fajerson (CEO), Niklas Ojakangas (VP IP & Legal), Lisa Rullik (CTO), Ivan Martinovic (Co-Founder), Ashutosh Kumar (COO), Peter Tiberg (CPCO)

Can you introduce your company and technology?

Polar Light Technologies was founded with a clear ambition: to make microLED monolithic color display. Our proprietary technology is based on a pyramid-shaped GaN structure. This structure has several benefits that allows us to build a monolithic color display using microLEDs that can be less than 1 µm.

China-based Star Key Semiconductor has officially inaugurated its microLED production line in Wuhan. This line is based on 8-inch GaN-on-Silicon microLED wafers, and will produce microLED microdisplays. The yearly capacity is around 12,000 wafers.

Star Key started producing this new fab in October 2024, and managed to complete the fab construction and all equipment placement in eight months. The company produces the microLED wafers, and processes these to create AR microdisplays. The company's first products will be monochrome microLED displays, but it is also developing color microLED displays.

TCL CSOT is showing a new single-chip full-color microLED microdisplay at its Global Display Tech-Ecosystem Conference (DTC 2025) in Suzhou, China.

The display is a 0.28" 1280x720 panel (5131 PPI) which TCL says is the world's highest resolution single-chip full-color microLED microdisplay. It's not clear if TCL means that it's the world's highest-res single-panel full-color microLED display, or that the display is based on a blue microLED with QD color conversion (and hence single-chip).

Lenovo launched its AI Glasses V1, powered by microLED displays. The company did not detail any specification on these displays, beyond the brightness - 2,000 nits. 

The AI Glasses VI is based on Lenovo's own Tianxi assistant technology, weighs 38 grams, and is said to last up to 10 hours. The glasses are now available for pre-order in China for 3,999 yuan (around $550 USD). 

Magic Leap, during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) in Riyadh, announced a new strategic move into AR glasses development - and also a renewed three-year partnership with Google. 

As part of the event, Magic Leap also unveiled a new AR glasses prototype, powered by MicroLED displays developed by Google's Raxium. Magic Leap says that its optics and waveguide design enable it to provide superior clarity and stability compared to other solutions. 

China-based microLED microdisplay developer JBD has successfully completed its Series B2 financing round, raising $140 million USD (1 billion RMB). The round was led by Hundun Investment and CITIC Jingshi. Other VCs that participated include previous investors CITIC Securities, Lightspeed China Partners, Yinbai Investment, Zhiwei Capital, and more.

JBD says that it will use the funds to accelerate it's microLED microdisplay R&D, and commercialize its new technologies.

Jade Bird Display (JBD) launched its new microLED microdisplay platform, branded as Roadrunner, increasing the resolution to 10,160 PPI (pixel pitch of 2.5 micron). JBD says that it is progressing towards mass production of these new displays, with a phased market rollout expected in the second half of 2026.

JBD says that it managed to decrease the pixel pitch to 2.5 micron (down from 4 micron in their previous generation panels), through the use of chip processing innovation and a novel device architecture. This enabled an increase in microLED efficiency (the main challenge as die sizes decreases). The displays are produced on a new 22nm backplane, which further enabled power consumption reduction (JBD says that the backplane power is capped at 18mW).

Kopin announced that a tier-one aerospace company has placed orders worth about $3 million for microLED displays. Kopin says that this will be the first production order for microLEDs in combat aircraft.

Kopin says it will deliver the dispalys in the second half of 2026. The microLEDs will upgrade legacy Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) in fielded aircraft. Kopin says that these microLED displays will offer high-resolution imagery projected onto a screen directly in the line of sight, enhancing situational awareness, safety and mission effectiveness.

Kopin announced that it will raise $41 million in a private investment in public equity financing (PIPE agreement), from three companies - Theon International, Ondas Holdings and Unusual Machines.

Kopin says that the funds will be used to develop several new product lines and technologies, including its color microLED microdisplays.  

Vuzix announced a long-term partnership with TCL CSoT to co-develop and integrate microLED displays with waveguide optics, with an aim to deliver integration-friendly, scalable, and cost-effective optical solutions for the smart glasses industry. This new co-development project will utilize TCL CSoT's microLED microdisplays, and Vuzix's waveguides.

The two companies have already finalized a first integration of TCL CSoT's monochrome green microLEDs with Vuzix's waveguides, and have demonstrated a first prototype at a recent tradeshow in China. The two companies are now actively co-developing a full-color microLED and waveguide optical solution, with a planned release in early 2026.