Rayleigh Vision was established in 2023 in Hong Kong, to developed stacked microLED microdisplay technologies. The company's technology enables the stacking of LEDs on top of each other, to create high-density displays. The company's founder and CEO, Prof. Jr-Hau HE, will give a talk at the upcoming MicroLED-Connect startup showcase event on February 2024, and was kind enough to answer a few questions we had regarding the company's status, technology, and his views on the microLED industry and market.
Hello Prof. Jr-Hau, Can you tell us a bit your company, and technology, and your next steps?
Rayleigh Vision is a company that specializes in disruptive MicroLED technology, with a focus on solutions for full-color microdisplays. Our team includes pioneers in MicroLED technology, who have over a decade of experience in this field.
Although we've seen significant advancements in MicroLED technology, challenges remain. These include developing a full-color solution for microdisplays, improving mass transfer efficiency, and enhancing process yields. From the perspective of microdisplays, achieving a full-color display with a high Field of View (FOV) and Pixels per Degree (PPD) is crucial for an immersive Extended Reality (XR) experience. However, no product currently on the market meets these specifications.
At such a small scale, we view the microdisplay not just as a nominal LED but as a delicate chip. By adopting advanced packaging technologies, we vertically stack three-color MicroLEDs, achieving significantly higher resolution than traditional 2D structures. We've developed a prototype microdisplay using this technology, and our immediate goal is to reduce each pixel's size to a few micrometers, which will revolutionize the current XR market.
Additionally, we are focusing on enhancing mass transfer processes, which are time- consuming and costly. Our efforts include MicroLED-in-package and AI-assisted processes for inspection and repair, which we expect to significantly reduce overall manufacturing times.
Our technology and products have garnered interest from various companies in the MicroLED industry, underscoring the importance of our work and dynamism of MicroLED technologies.
However, the industry must acknowledge that commercializing MicroLED technology is still a work in progress. This transition from MiniLED to MicroLED requires new equipment and standards. With the prospect of managing hundreds of millions of pixels in an 8K display (doubled or tripled if redundancy pixels are needed), it is a extremely time-consuming process. Despite advancements like laser-based mass transfer, which is significantly faster than stamping methods, progress in mass inspection and repair lags. Thus, new processes and ideas are essential to
overcome current bottlenecks.
What are your thoughts regarding the microLED industry at this stage? How close are we to commercialized microLED displays?
We are nearing the MicroLED era, but market penetration remains limited. Despite industry claims that MicroLED will supplant all display technologies, its current application is mainly in high-priced TVs. MicroLED smartwatches are expected to enter the high-end market within 2-3 years. Other applications, such as microdisplays for XR, automotive displays, and smart front lights, are actively being developed but are likely 3-5 years from market introduction.
From a different viewpoint, MicroLED technology marks a significant upgrade in the industry, with distinct changes in materials, device architecture, manufacturing equipment, and processes. And this one of the reasons why progresses of MicroLED is slow, Rayleigh Vision's role, as a startup company, is more than a supplier of MicroLED devices. We are actively collaborating with suppliers and customers on innovative technologies beneficial to all parties, a trend we believe is replicated industry-wide.
In conclusion, the MicroLED industry faces many challenges, but we are confident they will be resolved in the near future. Rayleigh Vision is excited to be at the forefront of the MicroLED era.
Thank you Prof. Jr-Hau, looking forward to hearing your lecture in February!