Yole Développement (Yole) says that the microdisplay market is set for impressive growth in the next few years. By 2025, the total market will reach $4.2 billion in revenues (CAGR from 2020 to 2025 at 100%), while microdisplays for AR headsets will generate $1.8 billion.
This optimistic forecast has a warning though - it all depends whether next-generation display technologies will deliver on their promises - and whether actual use-cases will be found and commercialized.
According to Digitimes, Foxconn is developing its own AR glasses product, which it hopes to launch in 2022. The report says that Foxconn will first target smart retail, factories and medical care for its AR system.
Digitimes also says that these AR glasses will be based on microLED microdipslays, which are being developed by EOSRL (part of ITRI). EOSRL apprantly developed its own blue-light 5-micron LED technology with QD color conversion that enable it to produce 2000 PPI displays. First displays are expected to be produced in Q1 2021.
Vuzix announced that it is developing its next-generation Smart Glasses, that will be powered by microLED microdisplays and other advanced technologies. The first such glasses are expected to become available in 2021.
Vuzix is developing a wide range of devices, ranging from "reasonably priced consumer-facing product" to a higher end enterprise version with built-in cellular connectivity. Vuzix says that the new advanced waveguide optics and binocular displays will enable a larger field of view and an enhanced user experience. Vuzix is developing solutions based on both monochrome and full-color microLEDs.
According to reports from Japan's Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Sharp is developing MicroLED microdisplays, with an aim to mass produce such panels in 2023 or 2024 for AR and VR applications.
Sharp apparently already developed two prototypes, including a 0.38" 1053 PPI color one and a 0.13" 3000 PPI blue display. The color display uses blue microLEDs with Sharp's own proprietary color conversion QD technology.
UK-based GaN-On-Si MicroLED microdisplay developer Plessey Semiconductor announced a partnership with Facebook - in fact Plessey will dedicated all of its manufacturing operations to support Facebook with its own product development.
Plesssey says that its displays will be used to support Facebook's prototypes, and the company will develop new microLED technologies to future AR/VR applications.
Canada-based VueReal is a startup company that develop Micro-LED based microdisplays. The company's Continuous Pixelation micro-printing technology offers high density displays, high production yields and a simple design.
VueReal's founder and CEO, Reza Chaji, was kind enough to answer a few questions we had on the company's technology and business.
Reza, thank you for your time. Can you explain VueReal's micro-printing process and technology?
VueReal’s solution is a true printing process where you do not need to pick LEDs for each transfer. It is based on a cartridge design by VueReal that releases the LEDs selectively into the substrate.
In October 2019 MicroLED microdisplay developer Plessey Semiconductor announced a partnership with Compound Photonics to co-develop microLED display modules. The two companies announced today that the first fully addressable microLED display module was produced and tested.
Plessey says that this first functioning microLED prototype validates the successful bonding of Plessey’s GaN-on-Si microLED array wafer to CP's high-performance 3.015 micron pixel 1080p backplane wafer. The module that was produced (shown above) is a 0.26" FHD monochrome native-green display.
UK-based GaN-On-Si MicroLED microdisplay developer Plessey Semiconductor announced a new partnership with waveguide designer WaveOptics to develop new optical modules for next-generation smart glasses.
The module will incorporate Plessey's high brightness green Full-HD microLED displays with WaveOptics' Katana waveguide technology and projector design. Plessey says that this module will be the smallest and lowest mass AR display module available on the market.