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.

Micro LED, a strong contender to mainstream LCD and OLED display technologies, is regarded as the next generation of display technology and has gained worldwide attention. As manufacturers continue to pour resources into developing related technologies, Wu Jin-rong, General Manager of Taiwan-based IC manufacturer Explore Microelectronics, estimated that commercial applications of Micro LED will appear in 2018. The first major move will be Apple switching to Micro LED display for its next Apple Watch model.

Mikro Mesa Technology, a Micro LED startup from Taiwan, is reported to set up a Micro LED laboratory in Chongqing City, China. It is a collaboration between Mikro Mesa and Chinese Chongqing HKC Optoelectronics Technology, a local TFT-LCD panels maker.

Taiwanese IC driver manufacturer Macroblock recently announced its collaboration with Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to develop ultra-small pitch LED (Micro LED) digital display module. The company's board of directors has approved the decision.

LEDinside, a division of the global market research company TrendForce, has recently published the report 1Q17 Micro LED Next Generation Display Industry Trend, in which trenchant insights and analyses regarding the Micro LED market will be illustrated in depth.

Apple’s next-generation iPhone is not the only thing that the market is excited about. The Apple Watch 3 is reportedly coming out later this year and is expected to have major upgrades.

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2017, the renowned international display technology fair, took place in Amsterdam, Netherland, on 7-10th February. Last year, ISE 2016 already caught the world’s attention by gathering more than 1,000 exhibitors to attract up to 69,000 people.  Three highlights of ISE 2017 in Netherland includes: 1) fine pitch LED display and total solutions, 2) Micro LED/QLED/ OLED display, and 3) the wide adoption of laser source by global major manufacturers as a beachhead strategy to penetrate the high end projector market.

First revealed by AppleInsider, Apple has been awarded a US patent on Tuesday, suggesting that the company is exploring display technology that embeds Micro LEDs and an IR diode to read users’ fingerprints without a dedicated Touch ID sensor. This new design feature may shed lights on its iPhone 8.

According to the latest ‘ 1Q17 Micro LED Next Generation Display Industry Member Report’ by LEDinside, Micro LED key technology development cover four sectors, including epi wafer and chip, transfer, bonding, and color conversion.

Nepcon Japan 2017, dashingly large and vibrant, hosted expositions regarding diverse technology of up to 15 fields that are intertwined with one another. Considered as the biggest trade show ever hosted, it invited 2,270 manufacturers, both international and local Japanese companies, for the showcase of R&D and electronics manufacturing technologies. Apart from Nepcon Japan 2017, the longest-running main show consisting of 6 expositions, LED/OLED Lighting Technology Expo –Light-Tech–, WEARABLE Expo, RoboDEX Expo and Smart Automotive Factory Expo are also the highlights of this year. The AUTOMOTIVE WORLD covers the most-discussed automotive technologies, including car electronics, EV/HEV/FCV technology, connected car technology, lightweight techniques, and processing. 

The latest analysis “1Q17 Micro LED Next Generation Display Industry” by LEDinside, a division of TrendForce, make a further analysis on the Micro LED industry. Judging by current technology, how to transfer Micro LED will be the biggest challenge. In addition, according to current players, the technology value chain is coming into existence. Four key technologies include: the production of epi wafer for micron-size chips, the bonding of the chips, the transferring of micro-LEDs to panel substrates, and color conversion. 

The 13th China International Forum on Solid State Lighting (SSLCHINA 2016) and 3th International Forum on Wide Bandgap Semiconductors China（IFWS）were held in Beijing International Convention Center from November 15 to 18, 2016. The forums and conferences realized China’s 13th Five- Year Plan by providing strategic highlights of electronic material projects. LEDinside has summarized talks of professionals and experts in each area, including Micro LED, Laser lighting, VCSEL, Li-Fi Communication, smart lighitng and well-being lighting.

Micro-LED a light emitting diode driven by electric currents, similar to traditional LEDs in display applications it can be driven using passive matrix or active matrix. A third current driving method is the new semi-active matrix driver, which uses a completely different method compared to existing models. Below we will introduce three different circuit designs and their basic theories.