Due to its excellent features of ultra-high resolution, high brightness, ultra-power saving and fast response, Micro LED is considered by many companies to open a new chapter for display technology. Not only mainland China, Taiwanese companies are actively investing in Micro LED, but also attracting heavyweight Apple, Sony, Facebook, LuxVue, X-Celeprint and other overseas manufacturers.
Land-based LED chip leader Sanan Optoelectronics once said in the panoramic roadshow world interaction, Micro LED as a key development direction in the future, the company began research and development a year or two ago. BOE, the largest display manufacturer in China, also said that the company has already carried out technical research on Micro LED and made some progress.
Compared with land-based manufacturers, Taiwanese manufacturers have been rushing into Micro LED production research. In 2009, Taiwan Institute of Technology took the lead in investing in Micro LED development. It is building a micro LED trial production from accumulated process technology and experience. Line, as soon as the third quarter of this year, there will be products that can be handed over to VR manufacturers. In the manufacture of Micro LEDs, the Taiwan Institute of Technology is expected to take the lead. Other important companies such as Jingdian, AUO, Innolux, Yuchuang, and Accumulation have also actively invested in the development of Micro LED related technologies.
Looking at Europe and the United States, the United States also has developers working with Chinese Taiwanese companies, taking Apple as an example. Because of the bottleneck in the huge transfer, Apple and TSMC have jointly developed a silicon-based backplane-based panel, and Apple has also got a folding mobile phone. Patented for the implantation of Micro LED display sheets. After being acquired by Hon Hai, eLux also cooperated with Rongchuang of Taiwan, China, to develop technologies that can transfer Micro LED chips smaller than 50 microns.
Other US startups such as VueReal and Lumiode are targeting smaller displays such as AR devices, projectors, HUDs, etc. VueReal also hopes to use the product inspections this year to apply technology to larger displays such as mobile phones and televisions. On the other hand, Rohinni expects to successfully implant their microscopic LEDs (250 microns long, 125 microns wide, 80 microns high) for computer keyboards and automotive lighting.
European semiconductor companies and equipment suppliers have joined the R&D. Allos Semiconductors and Veeco have jointly demonstrated new technologies: 200mm blue-green Micro LED silicon-based GaN wafers, CEO of Allos Semiconductors and technical director of Plessey Semiconductor Silicon is considered to be superior to sapphire in the use of micro-LED products. They argue that the use of silicon-based gallium nitride will be the only solution, and that silicon is also superior in thermal conductivity to sapphire.
France's Soitec has invented a new substrate, InGaNOX, in the production of indium gallium nitride high-brightness blue LEDs, which can crystallize simultaneously on the substrate. Under the same substrate material, the three primary color Micro LEDs can be driven and controlled with the same voltage.
European and American companies have also worked together. In July last year, Google invested $15 million in Glo in Sweden, focusing on the development of Micro LEDs for mobile phones and smart watches. Glo is currently very tight-lipped about these developments, but AIXTRON revealed In order to produce Micro LEDs, glō has purchased MOCVD systems.