LG Display

LG Electronics announced a strategic plan to focus on its Business Solutions division, with an aim to double its sales to $7.5 billion by 2030. The division is in charge of businss-to-business (B2B) and signage displays, commercial TVs, IT devices such as laptops and monitors, robots and EV chargers.

LG says that for its commercial and signage displays, it will focus on premium fine-pitch LED displays, which include its microLED Magnit models. Indeed LG says that "MAGNIT Micro LED display will be at the forefront of this expansion".  The company reveals that its annual MAGNIT sales grew almost 2X since introducing them in 2020 (though sales are still likely very low). LG plans to launch its next-generaiton AI-powered microLED TVs by the end of 2024. 

LG Display is showcasing its stretchable micrOLED displays at the Seoul Fashion Week, taking place at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). The company's stretchable displays are presented as part of clothing and bag concepts crafted by leading Korean designers Youn-Hee Park and Chung-Chung Lee.

The displays are 12" in size, and they can stretch up to 20% (14-inch, 40 um pixel pitch) while still showing full color images. The resolution is 100 PPI. These are the same displays the company demonstrated back in 2022. 

According to reports from Korea and Taiwan, both Samsung Display and LG Display have decided to slow down their microLED business plans. The main reasons behind this are the high production costs of microLEDs and high competition which is seen to lead to low profitability. 

Samsung Display will continue to invest in microLED R&D, but has delayed plans to expand production. LG Display has already reduced the size of its microLED R&D teams and is looking into deploying some of its microLED developers into the OLED side of its business.

LG Electronics launched a new MicroLED TV, the 118-inch 4K 120Hz LG MAGNIT (0.6 mm pixel pitch), targeting residential applications. Interestingly the brightenss is quite low, only 250 nits. The TV costs $237,000 - this is a highly expensive screen obviously targeting the top of the luxury TV market. 

The 118-inch TV is based on LG's webOS smart TV platform, and is powered by LG's Alpha 9 AI processor. It offers HDR10 and HDR10 Pro compatibility, AirPlay 2 and Miracast support, and integrated 50-watt speakers.

LG Electronics announced its latest microLED MAGNIT TV, a 136-inch panel that is the company's first microLED that has integrated design with a display controller and speakers. The company didn't detail any specifications, but it likely to be based on LG's LSAD series, that offers 4K resolution at 136-inch, 2000-nits and a refresh rate of 120Hz.

LGE says that its MAGNIT All-in-One is now available on the global market, and is designed for business environments, such as meeting rooms and conference halls. The TV includes LG's Magic Remote that operates like a mouse cursor and assists in presentations, and has several features designed for business meetings use cases.

According to The Elec, LG Display acquired 14 microLED related patents from Taiwan-based Ultra Display Technology. The patents mostly detail microLED transfer technology, but some are also related to microLED microdisplays. 

LG Display is stepping up its microLED projects. It has reportedly signed a deal to supply microLED backplanes to Apple, and has recently demonstrated 12" stretchable microLED displays. UDT's technology is focused on stamp-based microLED transfer. LG is also looking into fluidic processes for microLED transfer. 

Researchers from Seoul National University, in collaboration with LG Electronics, developed a new transfer process for microLED displays, based on a fluidic process.

The new process, called Fluidic Self‑Assembly (FSA), starts with a collection of microLEDs (chiplets) dispersed in an assembly solution, and a display substrate in which the binding targets are coated with molten solder. The substrate is immersed in the fluid, and then the fluid is set in motion (is shaken), which causes the microLED chiplets to make repeated contact with a binding targets. When a microLED chiplet meets the binding target, surface tension induces an irreversible bond between the solder and a metal electrode on the chiplet.

LG Electronics launched a new version of its microLED MAGNIT displays, specifically for virtaul production (model LBAF). The new model is designed to help directors to create immersive visual experiences, ideal for film and media production.

The new MAGNIT TVs feature LG's chip-on-board (COB) LED technology and a 1.5mm pixel pitch. LG's previous microLED displays were available in four four pixel pitch options - 0.68, 0.78, 0.94 and 1.25 mm.

In 2022 LG Display demonstrated a 12" 100 PPI (pixel pitch 40 um) full-color stretchable MicroLED display. During Display Week 2023, the company demonstrated this display again, in a demo that showed a working touch version of this display covering an automotive-style button, which was quite impressive.

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The display can stretch up to 20% (to create a 14" display), and LG says that this display can be commercialized soon, as it is highly flexible, durable, and reliable. The new display is produced on a "highly resilient film-type substrate made of special silicon used in contact lenses".

SID Display Week is the display industry's premier display show and this year's event, which will take place on May 21-26, should be an excellent one.

Display Week covers all aspects of the display industry and the whole spectrum of display technologies. MicroLEDs are seen by many to be the next generation display technology, and there will indeed be an increased focus on microLED technologies and displays at the upcoming Display Week.