lasers

We’re pleased to feature ETRI, Korea's national research institute conducting advanced R&D across ICT, semiconductors, AI, and digital technologies, in our latest MicroLED Industry Association spotlight series.

Among its diverse research areas, ETRI is advancing microLED displays through SITRAB (Simultaneous Transfer and Bonding), a laser-assisted technology enabling high-throughput, precise, and scalable MicroLED integration.

We spoke with Dr. Kwang-Seong Choi, Assistant Vice President and principal researcher at ETRI.

Tianma has demonstrated a 108-inch 4K tiled microLED display, that it says was produced with an all-laser mass transfer process - which probably means it utilizes both a LIFT and an LLO process. The company also says that this display features zero visible bezels, ultra-high brightness (it did not specify it, though), and exceptional contrast.

This is the first time that Tianma is showing a large-area tiled microLED. It has showed single modules before for example the 5.04" 480x320 (222 micron LEDs) it has shown in 2021. In 2024, it has demonstrated a 7.5-inch module that features a brightness of 600 nits.  

Researchers from Fuzhou University, in collaboration with researchers from Sweden's Chalmers University of Technology, report on improvement in laser lift off (LLO) process for mass transfer of microLED chips, finding the optimal conditions for successful processes - both the LLO itself and the preparatory process.

The researchers started by studying current LLO processes, and identifying the issues of chip damage and missing LEDs during the laser transfer process. The researchers then analyzed the underlying causes of these problems, and continued to discover the optimal process conditions.

MicroLED-Connect 2025 is set to be the industry’s premier event for 2025, with a world-class agenda, exhibition and networking opportunities. In this article we will introduce some of our speakers and themes in the event. You can explore the full agenda and event details here.

Mass transfer – lasers, fluids and chip-first processing

The first theme we will discuss is mass transfer. In most MicroLED production platforms, there is at least one transfer process – from epiwafer to final display, and usually at least two such processes are involved: from epiwafer to an interposer substrate (temporary holder)  and then from interposer to final display. Performing this transfer in a cost-efficient and reliable manner is still one of the major challenges the industry is facing.

This is a sponsored post by Coherent

The Society for Information Display's Mid-Europe Chapter (SID-MEC) is hosting its annual conference on November 3 and 4, 2025 in Göttingen, Germany. Coherent is the host of this year's event, which is themed “Emissive Displays: OLED, microLED, and beyond - Technology, devices, markets”. The conference aims to bring together leading researchers, engineers and industry experts to explore advances in emissive display technology. 

Coherent is a well-established partner to major display manufacturers worldwide, delivering reliable systems with high throughput, exceptional performance, and unmatched value. Coherent in Goettingen has a significant contribution of lasers and optical systems for OLED and microLED display manufacturing. 

Tianma Microelectronics announced that it has developed a new side wiring technology that enables completely seamless tiled microLED displays. The new technology is based on a new process that is much more cost effective compared to other processes, in fact Tianma says it can reduce the cost of side wiring deposition by up to three times.

Tianma shared some details about its first tiled microLED displays. These offer a very small pixel pitch of 0.4 mm, and are based on an LTPS backplane. Tianma also revealed that it is using a laser-based transfer process. The company is now running trial production, and it hopes to improve the yields and production efficiency in 2025, and then move to small batch mass production.

This is a sponsored post by Coherent

Excimer-based laser induced forward transfer (LIFT) is a practical mass transfer process for today and tomorrow

MicroLEDs stand at the forefront of next generation display technologies because they offer superior brightness, efficiency, and longevity over other panel types. In fact, the advantages of microLEDs are so significant that they promise transformative applications ranging from advanced smartwatches to expansive AR/VR experiences.

However, the display industry faced a significant setback when tech giant Apple abandoned its ambitious microLED project after years of heavy investment (estimated at over US$3 billion since 2014). Apple hasn’t publicly announced their reasoning for this move.

MicroLED-Connect is the world's first dedicated MicroLED conference and exhibition. The event, organized by TechBlick and the MicroLED Association, will take place at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, also known as "the smartest square kilometer in all of Europe", and will include an excellent conference program, masterclasses, tours - with a special emphasis on social/professional gatherings and networking opportunities. Register now and enjoy a discounted rate (until August 16).

A major challenge for microLED production lies at the mass transfer process, in which LEDs have to be transferred from the processed epiwafer to the final display substrate. A good mass transfer process has to be quick, efficient, and accurate - not an easy feat to achieve. MicroLED-Connect will present ample opportunities to learn more about transfer technologies, the challenges, the different processes and the latest innovations.

US-based Terecircuits develops technologies and manufacturing processes for microassembly based on a new class of photo-chemical polymers. The company focuses on the development of a microLED photo-chemical mass transfer process. The company's CEO, Wayne Rickard, will give a talk at the upcoming MicroLED-Connect startup showcase event later this week, and he was kind enough to send us a short update on the company's technology and status, and his views on the microLED industry and market.

Hello Wayne, thank you for your time. Can you tell us a bit about Terecircuits, your technology and current status?

Terecircuits is a Materials Company with leading-edge know-how in synthesis, characterization, and delivery of proprietary encapsulants, polymers, and thin film coatings for the semiconductor and display industries. 

In general, our materials address the unique advanced packaging challenges of precision assembly: die-on-die, heterogeneous integration, 3D stacking, chiplets, SiC die attach, and – as it relates to displays - MicroLED mass transfer.

MicroLED-Connect is an upcoming hybrid event series, a year-long program of virtual and onsite events, all focused on the microLED industry. The first MicroLED Connect virtual event is coming up later this month, a 2-day virtual event that will be focused on microLED (and also miniLED) technologies. The event will include over 25 lectures from leading companies, researchers and market analysts. The series is organized by the MicroLED Industry Association together with TechBlick.

In this post we share three online presentations, taken from last year's online microLED event (November 2022). The first video, above, is from the SSLEEC group (led by Prof. Denbaars and Prof. Nakamura) at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that discusses the latest microLED research performed at this world-renowned group.