The first Micro LED product is Crystal LED Display that Sony showcased at CES 2012. Outwardly similar to a regular TV, it was an ultimate combination of the most state-of-the-art technologies back then. However, Sony, after its first success, had gone silent for quite a while until 2016.

2017-2018 is a pivotal period for the display industry. Companies are scrambling for new display technologies to bring better user experience with devices that sport them. Micro LED display technology is believed to combine the LED and display industries together to create a supply chain rolling out screen products more appealing, power-saving, and refined. This chain is even anticipated to replace a part of the current LCD chain worth USD 30-40 billion in the future (see here). The Korean Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) revealed two months ago a refined roll-transfer technology which enables a successful mass Micro LED transfer onto flexible target substrates.

AIXTRON announced that it has received an order for an AIX G5+ platform from Swedish-American company glō-USA, Inc. The group focuses on the commercialization of Micro-LED products based on their proprietary defect-free GaN nanowires technology. Such 3D structures enable the growth of Micro LEDs while maintaining the reliability of an inorganic material system. AIXTRON’s AIX G5+ Planetary Reactor® system was selected in the scope of glō’s strategic expansion and will be delivered with an 8x150 mm configuration in the course of Q4/2017.

At Semicon Taiwan 2017, PlayNitride showcased both single-color and multi-color transparent Micro LED displays for wearable devices and game consoles. With a transparency level up to 50%, those displays, once upsized, can be used on more applications, which possibly leads the market of Micro LED to enlarge. On the other, in response to clients’ needs for fine-pitch LED displays, PlayNitride also gets Mini LED under development. Its Mini LED displays as of now are able to reach P 0.75 (0.75 mm per pixel pitch). The company attempts to develop Micro LED displays of larger sizes and anticipates to roll out its innovations in 2018 at the earliest.

Taiwan-based LED chip giant Epistar’s revenue in August stood at NTD 2.332 billion (USD 77.59 million), with a rise of 3.7% MoM (5.3% YoY). It has hit a new high in the past 28 months. The company explained the fully-utilized capacity for blue LED manufacturing and the AlInGaP demand driver from the horticultural lighting market accounted for the growth, despite an overall slide of 0.3% YoY in the consolidated revenue of 2017 (accumulated until the end of August).

Japan-based Yano Research Institute issued on 4th September a research report projecting the market value of Micro LED in 2017 to be USD 7 million following Sony’s launch of CLEDIS display that features Micro LED technology. The market is slowly shaping up. 

Google Inc has invested 15 million USD for a 13 percent stake in Glo, a university spin-out focused on creating nanowire-based LED-displays for mobile phones and smart watches as well as AR- and VR-applications.

Earlier in May, the world’s highest PPI emissive Micro LED display was announced. The whole industry was left baffled with knowing that it came out from a young Canadian startup- VueReal. When other companies- some of them are major in other application sectors-are still moping over poor yields and technological difficulties during Micro LED’s manufacturing processes, the launch already spoke for the company’s competency.

Technology giants such as Apple and Sharp have been actively running a series of research and development on Micro LED technology. PCB manufacturers are also eager to seize the related business opportunities. Unimicron has invested in related advanced manufacturing processes. It will start a small batch production in 2018 at the earliest and plans to mass produce PCBs for Micro LED applications in 2019. The rest of PCB makers intend to follow suit, which is expected to drive the growth of the PCB market to a new high. 

Organized at the Langham, Shenzhen, on 19th July, Macroblock LED Display Conference 2017, gathering makers of displays and LED light sources worldwide, ended on a high note as it always did for the past 12 years. At this high-profile annual event, Macroblock’s chairman Dr. Li Chang Yang stated that display technology has been more widely used for various applications in different ways, such as displays in retail spaces, theaters, restaurants with immersive AR technology, and interactive applications.

Organized at the Langham, Shenzhen, on 19th July, Macroblock LED Display Conference 2017, gathering makers of displays and LED light sources worldwide, ended on a high note as it always did for the past 12 years. At this high-profile annual event, Macroblock’s chairman Dr. Li Chang Yang stated that display technology has been more widely used for various applications in different ways, such as displays in retail spaces, theaters, restaurants with immersive AR technology, and interactive applications. 

The Korean Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) announced on 24th July that it developed a new technology to possibly facilitate the mass transfer process of Micro LED manufacturing, as Business Korea carried in its report.

Monocrystal, a global leader in synthetic sapphire growing and processing, celebrates the shipment of its 150-millionth two-inch equivalent product.

The LED industry had quite a peaceful time in 1H17. Apart from a few M&As, the most-discussed technology would be Micro LED. Lots of high-tech giants worldwide have already started a series of R&D and the number of participants is getting bigger. The supply chain of Micro LED, although of limited mature technologies, is slowly shaping up. Here, LEDinside lists out major events and milestones made on the path of developing Micro LED in the first half of 2017.

A major bottleneck in the commercialization of Micro LED displays is the mass transfer of micron-size LEDs to a display backplane. Research by LEDinside, a division of TrendForce, reveals that many companies across industries worldwide have entered the Micro LED market and are in a race to develop methods for the mass transfer process. However, their solutions have yet to meet the standard for commercialization in terms of production output (in unit per hour, UPH), transfer yield and size of LED chips (i.e. Micro LED is technically defined as LEDs that are smaller than 100 microns).

The China LED chip industry is highly concentrated at this point. It is undergoing an reshuffle and slowly transitioning to a dynamic where LED chip and package behemoths San’an Opto and HC SemiTek pretty much lead and even control the pack. In the face of upcoming capacity expansion from major manufacturers, is there really a way for other SMEs to sail through such turbulent waters?

According to the latest report from LEDinside, a division of the market research firm TrendForce, 3017 Micro LED Next Generation Display Industry Market Report- Micro LED Transfer Technology and Inspection Method Analysis, Mass transfer is a critical technology for Micro LED manufacturing, transferring Micro LED to a target backplane quickly and accurately will be one of the topics that manufacturers need to work on the most as well as on improving UPH and yield.  

Epistar on 21st June announced its financial results, reporting a fully utilized capacity of blue LED as well as a sustained production of AlInGaP LED despite subtle growth in both the output of light sources and the orders for LED backlighting and little possibility to raise prices of its products. The company estimated a 15% QoQ rise that could possibly push up 2Q17’s revenue close to the number in 2Q16. Epistar also expected a decent financial performance in 3Q17 supported by the chip production for LED lighting, AlInGaP LED and infrared LED.

It is inevitable to find some exhibitors keep harping on the same old products at a tremendous lighting exposition as GILE 2017 (of course it is for they were there to trade), but it is also fairly reasonable to spot something new, let alone when walking around in the hall of LED chips and packages (of which the market is now a deep red ocean in China).

Micro-displays in wearables, whether Augmented Reality (AR), Smartwatches, Smartphones or other applications of the near future are not bright enough to readily see images on a bright, sunlit day, nor efficient enough to give mobile devices much loiter time – better technology is needed, particularly as pixel sizes shrink in next gen micro-displays

Apple has been attracting a lot of media attention lately as rumors regarding its next-generation iPhone, new MacBook and AR glasses continue to swirl. A recent thread appeared on Reddit from supposed Foxconn insiders revealed some interesting details about the upcoming products, just days before the tech giant’s annual WWDC kicks off on Monday (June 5, 2017).

To develop Micro LED display technology, which is often regarded as the most promising display technology after OLED, Taiwan’s contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, recently announced that it will invest around US$10 million to acquire U.S. startup eLux through subsidiaries including CyberNet. After completing the acquisition, CyberNet will hold a 45.45% share in eLux; Innolux 13.64%, and Advanced Optoelectronic Technology 9.09%. Foxconn group companies will become the largest shareholder of eLux.

Following in the footsteps of Apple and Samsung, Taiwan’s contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry, better known as Foxconn, announced that Sharp and other Foxconn group companies will acquire an U.S. startup to develop Micro LED display technology.

Micro LED, the next generation display technology, has lighten up a new path for the LED industry. As global key players continue to jump on the Micro LED bandwagon, a whole supply chain has gradually taken shape. The development process of related applications has been ramped up, making possible an earlier than expected volume production for Micro LED-based large screen TVs. However, there are still many challenges lying ahead of commercial developments. Among them, two key elements play a pivotal role.

2017 marks an important year for Apple as it plans to release its new Apple Watch alongside the highly-anticipated next generation iPhone to celebrate its tenth anniversary. Although the tech giant has kept a low profile regarding the innovations it will bring to the market, there have been numerous rumors circulating around the devices already.

VueReal, a Canada-based specialist in micro-LED display technologies, announced that its Continuous Pixelation(TM) technology has led to development of a 4K micro-LED array at 6000 ppi which is the record highest pixel-per-inch emissive display.

Micro LED has become an obvious technology trend that even Samsung has started to eagerly tap into. According to international OLED publication OLED-info, Samsung is rumored to acquire Taiwan-based Micro LED manufacturer PlayNitride for up to US$150 million. Samsung would use the next generation display technology for VR applications and TVs in the future, the report said.

Apple is said to start producing a small amount of Micro LED displays from a plant in northern Taiwan by the end of 2017 and use them on its new Apple Watch, according to a recent report published by Taiwan’s Taipei Times. 

 

The Swiss semiconductor equipment provider Evatec is renowned for its state-of-the-art solutions used for advanced packaging, power semiconductor manufacture, wireless communication, MEMS, and optoelectronic semiconductor manufacture. In 2009, Evatec started gaining popularity by introducing to the LED industry RADIANCE, an automated sputter tool offering thin-film deposition with ITO damage free quality. Evatec mainly partners with Tier 1 LED manufacturers from a multitude of regions including Europe, China, Taiwan, Korea, and the United States. LEDinside was hounored to have an interview with Henfy Su, Evatec’s General Manager for Greater China.