Quantum Dots developer Nanosys announced that it acquired 3D Nanowire microLED display developer Glo. The financial details were not disclosed.
Glo has been developing GaN microLED displays on both LTPS and CMOS (microdisplay) backplane. The company, founded in 2003, has invested (according to Nanosys) over $200 million in its technology - which includes epitaxial LED growth, transfer technology and chip processing.
Tianma demonstrated several new microLED display prototypes at SID Displayweek 2021. First up is a 7.56" 720x480 (114 PPI) flexible MicroLED display, developed in collaboration with PlayNitride. The display is driven by an LTPS backplane and achieves a brightness of over 600 nits. The bending radius is 50 mm.
The second display is a tiled display that combines two 5.04" 480x320 (114 PPI) LTPS microLED displays. This one was develop again in collaboration with PlayNitride. The border (bezel) of the panel is less than 0.03 mm - although looking carefully at the display you can see a black line separating the two panels.
AUO Optronics will demonstrate several new MicroLED display prototypes at Touch Taiwan 2021. AUO now brands its microLED displays as ALED displays.
The first display, which you see above,is a 1.39-inch 472x472 (338 PPI) full-circle microLED display. AUO says that this is the highest-density MicroLED display ever developed. AUO did not disclose more about this display (which was developed together with PlayNitride) but the company says that it offers ultra-wide viewing angles and high brightness.
Laser equipment maker Coherent says that it saw a "significant increase" in the level of investment and bookings related to MicroLED displays. These tools are going to be used for process development, as a precursor to mass production.
Coherent reveals that its MicroLED customer base includes almost all current OLED and LCD manufacturers and many well-known MicroLED specific startups and display industry integrators. Coherent is offering multiple UV solutions for four separate MicroLED processes - CLA for high performance low power consumption back planes, laser lift-off for customers using sapphire carrier, laser transfer and laser repair.
This article is the second article in a short series of articles that discuss the efficiency of microLED displays. Our previous article discussed the quantum efficiency of microLED chips - with a conclusion that these can be quite efficient.
This article will look at the entire microLED display, and also compare it to current LCD and OLED displays. After all one of the main advantages of microLED displays is the increased efficiency (and brightness) compared to current displays. Most people assume that indeed microLEDs are much more efficient than OLEDs and LCDs.
PlayNitride introduced several new display technologies at SID DisplayWeek 2020. First up we have the PixeLED Matrix, which is a tiled microLED display module based display, each produced on its own PCB.
Each PixeLED module is made from 16 pixels (4X4), and can reach pitches of 0.3-0.4 mm. PlayNitride says that this technology can compete with mini LED displays, and says that it achieves a superior contrast and can also be fitted on curved surfaces. PixeLED displays can be used for TV displays, for commercial signage displays and also for automotive lighting. The display can currently achieve a maximum brightness of 2,000 nits.
AU Optronics and PlayNitride announced that the two companies have developed a 9.4" 228 PPI flexible microLED display. The new display is driven by an LTPS backplane and the two companies say it delivers a large color gamut, is weather resistance and it is suitable for automotive applications.
AUO and PlayNitride has been collaborating on microLED display technologies for many years. In early 2019, AUO announce it plans to accelerate its development of Micro-LED products. The company previous prototype was a 12.1" 1920x720 (169 PPI) panel. In September 2019 AUO's president said that he expects Micro-LED displays to enter the market within 1-2 years, starting with large-area signage and small-sized VR displays.
USA-based eLux was established in 2016 as a spin-off from Sharp Labs of America, to commercialize a unique MicroLED production technology. The company was in stealth mode for a few years, and is now finally discussing its technology and business. We talked to the company's president and CEO Jong-Jan Lee, who explains the company's technology, status and plans.
eLux's technology is based on a unique approach that moves microLEDs from wafer to the target substrate without the need of a pick-and-place process. The so-called fluidic process uses microLEDs dispersed in liquid and wells built onto the substrate. The microLED dispersion is spread over the substrate and the LEDs simply fall into place - a sort of self-assembly process, which can be seen in the video above.