We're happy to introduce Innovation Semiconductor, a US-based company that develops a patented monolithic vertical architecture for the production of MicroLED microdisplays, based on a 3D nanowire structure, a single material system and a straightforward and conventional integration between LEDs and GaN transistor. We’re excited to feature Matthew Hartensveld, PhD, CTO and co-founder of Innovation Semiconductor, specializing in GaN micro-LEDs, transistors, and semiconductor device innovation, who shares his insights and vision in this exclusive Q&A:
Fabricated sub-pixel circuit with vertical LED-driver transistor, pass transistor, and charge storage capacitor.
Can you introduce your company and technology?
Innovation Semiconductor is a startup dedicated to advancing monolithic solutions for microLED displays. We recognize that one of the main barriers to large-scale microLED production has been the difficulty of integrating separate components into a unified, scalable solution. As such this has been our focus, where we are pioneering LED-FET technologies pairing GaN MOSFETs with LEDs to address the issue of controlling logic, smarter flip-chip bonding with NMOS circuitry offered by independent cathodes, and color tunable LEDs to have a single LED act as a complete pixel emitting native color. Notably, each of these technologies can operate independently and are designed to be fabricated using only standard semiconductor toolsets, ensuring compatibility with existing manufacturing infrastructure.
Can you say why you joined the MicroLED Association and what you hope to achieve?
We joined the MicroLED Association to strengthen our connections within the industry and collaborate with others who are shaping the future of this exciting technology. Through our involvement, we aim to gain meaningful collaborations, contribute to defining key industry practices, and help accelerate the adoption and advancement of microLED innovations.
What is your biggest challenge, and success to date in the microLED industry?
One of the biggest challenges we faced early on was the lack of smaller, domestic semiconductor fabrication partners who could support microLED device development. While large foundries often prioritize high-volume, mature technologies, R&D for microLEDs demand process development, flexibility, and tight integration between design and fabrication, particularly when exploring novel architectures like monolithically integrated GaN transistor-LEDs or color-tunable InGaN LEDs.
Rather than letting this constraint limit our innovation, we turned it into an opportunity: we strategically built up our own internal fabrication capabilities and established targeted partnerships with select partners that were willing to co-develop processes alongside us. This approach not only gave us greater control over device iteration and process optimization but also allowed us to push the boundaries of what’s possible.
Our greatest success to date has been the development and demonstration of these novel monolithic microLED solutions that address two of the field’s major bottlenecks: integration complexity and full-color emission.
On the integration front, we pioneered a monolithic GaN-based approach where transistors are integrated directly beneath microLEDs, eliminating the need for separate backplane fabrication, complex bonding techniques, or multiple transfer steps. This results in dramatically improved yield, reduced cost, and a streamlined manufacturing flow that is compatible with existing silicon foundry infrastructure, a game changer especially for high-density applications like AR.
On the color side, we solved the long-standing challenge of achieving full-color emission from InGaN by leveraging V-groove structures to enable color tunability across the entire visible spectrum. This eliminates the need for separate red, green, and blue dies, opening the door to single-pixel, tunable microLEDs that simplify manufacturing while expanding display performance beyond traditional sRGB spaces. Together, these innovations help us push forward microLED technology, enabling displays that are brighter, more efficient, and more manufacturable than ever before.
Near-field emission from the color tunable Micro-LEDs
Can you detail your latest prototype/demonstration?
We are currently focusing our efforts on further refining our color-tunable microLED technology and developing more scaled and integrated prototypes for display applications. These efforts build upon our earlier success in developing single microLED pixels capable of spanning the entire visible spectrum, critically including efficient red emission, which has historically been a major challenge for the InGaN material system.
By leveraging advanced crystal engineering techniques, particularly through the use of V-groove structures and semi-polar facets, we have been able to tailor the Indium distribution laterally within the device. This novel approach enables high-efficiency red emission without the conventional drawbacks of defect formation and surface recombination seen in traditional material systems like AlInGaP.
Our latest work demonstrates dynamic color tunability, where the emission color can be shifted smoothly from red to blue simply by adjusting the current density. This allows a single microLED pixel to effectively cover and even extend beyond the conventional sRGB color space, offering exciting opportunities for next-generation displays that require vibrant, tunable color with fewer discrete components.
Looking ahead, we are introducing a more advanced structure for broader color tunability. These will be demonstrated in devices with larger arrays and integrating them into passive and active matrix architectures. This positions us to deliver prototypes that solve issues in both driver transistors and lack of color on a single wafer platform, paving the way for highly compact, high-resolution, and manufacturable display solutions.
How do you see microLEDs changing the display industry in the next 5–10 years?
MicroLEDs represent the future of display technology, offering unmatched advantages in efficiency, scalability, lifetime, and brightness. Virtually every major display manufacturer, along with leading tech companies like Google and Meta, has shown strong interest in advancing microLEDs.
However, the central challenge has long been how to integrate separately fabricated components, such as transistor backplanes, color converters, and the microLEDs themselves, into a low-cost, scalable package. For years, many players in the field pursued so-called “mass transfer” approaches, which sit outside the realm of conventional semiconductor manufacturing and have fundamental limitations that ultimately proved too difficult to overcome.
Today, the industry is shifting toward more integrated, monolithic solutions, driven by the “holy grail” application of next-generation augmented reality (AR) headsets. These emerging approaches focus on wafer-to-wafer bonding and advanced 3D LED architectures, enabling nano-scale device designs that not only improve efficiency but also allow precise control over light emission patterns.
As the industry moves forward, the key factors shaping the future of microLEDs will be manufacturability, scalability, and device performance. With these next-generation architectures, microLEDs are well positioned to deliver transformative advances across AR, wearables, mobile devices, and large-format displays — making the next 5–10 years an incredibly exciting and pivotal time for the display industry.
Thank you Matthew, good luck to you and Innovation Semiconductor!