Samsung - MicroLED status - Page 6

A few days ago Samsung launched a new MicroLED TV, 110-inch 4K prefabricated (not tiled) display. Today Korean publication PulseNews revealed that the TV costs 170 million Won, or about $155,000. Preorders will start before the end of 2020 and the TVs will ship in Q1 2021.

This is a premium at-home TV display, that offers a "breathtaking visual experience" - but still this is an extremely high price that means Samsung will not be able to sell large numbers of its new TV.

Samsung launched a new MicroLED TV, 110-inch 4K panel. This is a per-fabricated TV, Samsung's first such microLED display (all previous ones were tiled and customizable). Samsung says the TVs are now on 'pre-sale' in Korea - but it did not disclose the price. The TVs will ship in Q1 2021.

Samsung says its microLED TV is a premium at-home TV display, that offers a "breathtaking visual experience". The TV features a 100% DCI and Adobe RGB color gamut, and Samsung says it offers accurate color reproduction and high brightness. The TV is based on Samsung's all-new Micro AI Processor.

Early in 2020 it was reported that Samsung is set to reveal its first MicroLED TVs to actually use micro-LEDs and not mini-LEDs, but later reported suggested that Samsung is struggling with technology issues and delaying its plans.

Samsung electronics announced yesterday that it will introduce a new MicroLED TV later this week. The company did not reveal any details, but it is likely that this will be the company's first "consumer" microLED TV - although likely a highly premium one.

According to reports early in 2020, Samsung Electronics partnered with Epistar and PlayNitride that will enable Samsung to release its first true microLED TVs by the end of 2020. A new report from Korea suggests that Samsung is struggling with technology issues and it is not likely it will meet its goal of a product release in 2020.

The reports suggest that production yields are very low - apparently Epistar is not able to provide Samsung with the millions of microLEDs required to produce its TVs. Another major issues is Samsung's transfer process which is still not accurate enough - with the result being that display assembly yields are painfully low.

Samsung Electronics launched a new The Wall experience zone at the Galleria Department Store in Suwon, Korea. The company is showcasing a 146-inch microLED The Wall TV.

This is the first time Samsung is showcasing its microLED TVs to the public. The company said that it will expand this exhibition to other Galleria Department stores in Korea.

Yole Developpement reports that about 5,500 microLED patents (2,500 patent families) have been filed, by more than 350 organizations. The rate of patent filing is growing exponentially - 40% of the patents were filed in 2019.

According to Yole, the recent patent filing shows that the industry is moving from prototypes to commercial consumer displays. Other notable new finding include that startup companies are a major innovation force, Apple is slowing down with its IP (but this could mean that the company is now focused on commercialization), and Samsung pursues multiple development tracks. BOE is another strong microLED IP player, with almost 150 patent familiies filed in 2019.

Digitimes reports that Samsung Electronics has partnered with Taiwan-based Epistar to supply the Korean display maker with micro-LED chips, as it aims to release its first microLED TVs in H2 2020.

According to Digitimes, Epistar will work together with PlayNitride to supply the microLEDs. Epistar is an investor in PlayNitride. Digitimes says that PlayNitride is currently producing over 1,000 6" microLED wafers per month, and is aiming to increase its production capacity to 10,000 monthly wafer this year.

Samsung announced that it is expanding its MicroLED commercial TV range "The Wall for Business" with new sizes - 437" and 587" inch, both in 8K resolution. These new sizes join the existing 219-inch and 292-inch 4K models.

Samsung is also offering the "consumer" version, The Wall Luxury, which offers smaller pixel pitches and sizes up to 292" at 8K.

Samsung Electronics and Niio, a premium media art platform, launched an open-call competition called the Samsung The Wall x Niio Art Awards. Artists are invited to send their art works, and the winner will be exhibited internationally on Samsung’s The Wall 4K MicroLED display.

The competition also includes $15,000 in cash prizes. The show itself will take place in the summer of 2020 at ten locations including Korea, Singapore, the UK and the US. The winners will be selected by a panel of renowned experts in visual arts.

iBeam Materials announced that it had successfully demonstrated the ability to produce high-performance GaN Field-Effect Transistors (FETs) directly on thin, flexible and rollable metal foil substrates.

This new technology complements iBeam's microLED deposition technology (demonstrated in the video above), and these FETs can be integrated with microLED chips in a side-by-side architecture. Both FETs and MicroLEDs are deposited on the flexible substrate without any transfer process.