MicroLED Industry Association

The MicroLED Industry Association (MIA) welcomes new members Applied Materials, Corning, WEVE, and XPANCEO, joining over 40 existing members (including large corporations, startup companies, research institutes and more). The MIA aims to accelerate the adoption of microLED display technologies, bringing together companies, researchers and organizations active in the MicroLED industry and providing an ideal forum for solving common technology issues, fostering cooperation and sharing relevant information, resources and tools.

The recently joined members commented:

"Applied has developed and demonstrated a novel path to manufacturing microLED displays. We also bring decades of experience in scaling breakthrough technologies for our customers. We are glad to join microLED Association and look forward to engaging with potential partners and customers."

"Corning has joined the MicroLED Industry Association to help advance this promising display technology. Several key customers have already designed in Corning’s display glass substrates for the backplane in tiled MicroLED TVs. Besides this contribution, we are closely collaborating with key players on other opportunities that may help address the challenges of MicroLED production such as such as glass carriers for efficient MicroLED transfer, wrap-around electrode designs for seamless tiling, and glass solutions for improved light extraction."

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.

One of the themes to be highlighted at the event is AR/VR, which is perceived as one of the key markets for microLED display makers thanks to the high-brightness and efficiency of microLEDs - making them an excellent candidate to drive future AR and VR headsets and products.

We're happy to interview Tobias Steinel Ph.D., works as a product manager at Instrument Systems GmbH, as part of our series of interviews with MicroLED Industry Association members. Germany based Instrument Systems manufacturers high-precision spectrometers, complex systems and software solutions for spectral light measurements.

Tobias is responsible for Instrument Systems’ measurement portfolio in the field of microLED optical testing and AR/VR/MR applications.

Can you please introduce your company and technology? 

With facilities in Munich and Berlin, Germany, Instrument Systems develops and produces high-end light measurement technology for flat panel displays, micro-displays, near-to-eye displays, automotive lighting, VCSEL systems and LED/SSL modules. Our color and light measurement solutions are used in display production sites worldwide. In addition to the manufacture of measuring equipment, our core competence is that our accredited test laboratory guarantees independent, reliable and comparable measurement results for every measuring device purchased. These can be traced back directly to the reference standards of national metrology institutes.

We're happy to interview Valentyn S. Volkov, PhD, co-founder and Scientific Partner at XPANCEO, as part of our series of interviews with MicroLED Industry Association members. Dubai-based XPANCEO develops eXtended Computing (XC) contact lenses, a next generation computing category - based on microLED microdisplays.

Valentyn S. Volkov, PhD, co-founder and Scientific Partner at XPANCEO, is an internationally renowned expert in the field of nanophotonics and advanced materials, with 20 years of experience at leading universities and research centers.

Q: Can you introduce your company and technology?

XPANCEO is a deep tech company specializing in advanced technology, working to evolve the next generation of computing through the development of an imperceptible and weightless smart contact lens that seamlessly integrates with the wearer's natural vision. This innovative lens revolutionizes the entire concept of human-technology interaction, reshaping the way individuals engage with both the physical and digital realms, encompassing social media, content consumption, and gaming. By consolidating all personal devices into a single entity, the lens metamorphoses daily activities into an expansive Extended Reality (XR) encounter, featuring sophisticated real-time health monitoring, comprehensive practical suggestions, capabilities such as night vision and zoom, and state-of-the-art privacy and security protocols.

We're happy to introduce WEVE , a South Korean microLED inspection solution developer. The company collaborates with Korea’s largest display manufacturers, and is now approaching the global markets with its systems and solutions.

Can you introduce your company and technology?

WEVE is based in South Korea, and we specialize in Micro LED inspection solutions. Our technology is trusted by the biggest display manufacturers in Korea. We closely cooperate with industry-leading companies from Taiwan, Europe, and China. As a key technological partner of leading manufacturers, we have had to keep our operations out of the light for some time, which is why there is not much information about us available yet.

We do simultaneous AOI, PL, and Color difference analysis (xyY) of CoW, Epi-Wafers, and panels. We provide highly accurate, stable, and reliable solutions that can withstand high-volume inspections and the hardships of 24/7 heavy operations. I believe that WEVE is among the world's top companies by the total number of Micro LED wafers inspected thanks to our partners and customers who on one hand required us to keep things low but on the other, opened rare opportunities to sharpen our technology. Significant Inspection volumes provided valuable insights and experience needed to be at the frontier of the inspection field.

The MicroLED Industry Association released a new internal market note, detailing its member views on the current goals and direction the industry should take. The market note includes analysis into the current industry situation, future projections and display segmentation based on members’ opinions, and also includes a market/industry sentiment review.

Following Apple’s decision to cancel its main microLED wearable display project, many in  the industry feel that there is a strong need for the microLED industry to align its strategy to make sure the industry moves in the right direction and manages to achieve a successful market introduction of microLED display technologies.

As you can see in the graph above, most microLED association members believe that the first goal of the industry should be to target niche applications, as it is highly challenging to target the display industry’s main segments (TVs, smartphones, wearables and IT devices). Targeting niche applications may be easier as the volume requirements are lower, the price pressure may be lower and such applications could benefit from the performance gains enables by microLED displays. 

The MicroLED Association's meeting took place on Monday, May 13th, at the McEnery conference center in San Jose, where SID's DisplayWeek event is currently underway. This meeting marked the second time in which MIA members gathered to network, exchange opinions and strengthen relationships within the Association.

The meeting was joined by almost 40 representatives of Association members, and was a laid-back event with an informal atmosphere, which enabled open conversation and friendly networking.

The Association's founder, Ron Mertens, gave a short speech that recounted the achievements and projects of the last year, and shared plans for future endeavors. A professional discussion followed, on a range of topics including cost reduction, target applications, microLED roadmaps, collaborations and recent shifts in the display industry.

The MicroLED Industry Association has announced that in less than 18 months, there have been over 6,000 downloads of its white papers, roadmap and library documents.

The MicroLED Association has published four white papers, and towards the end of 2023 it published its first industry roadmap. The display industry is highly interested in microLED solutions, and this has created much interest in the Association’s papers, as evident by the large number of downloads.

In addition to its own white papers, a year ago the MicroLED Industry Association launched the MicroLED Library, an extensive compilation of MicroLED presentations, white papers, brochures and more. A year after the MicroLED Library was announced, the association reports over 1,000 downloads for the documents in the library, further enhancing the reach of its members and helping to educate display professionals with the latest microLED technologies, processes and topics.

SID's DisplayWeek is the world's leading display conference, gathering display professionals from all over the world. DisplayWeek will also host the 2024 annual meeting of the MicroLED Industry Association, where members will get together to share updates, connect with colleagues and launch new business relationships in a pleasant and welcoming setting.

Last year's DisplayWeek event marked the first MIA meeting, bringing together over 40 display professionals. We look forward to seeing our members soon!