MicroLED-Connect is an upcoming hybrid event series, a year-long program of virtual and onsite events, all focused on the microLED industry. The first MicroLED Connect virtual event is coming up later this month, a 2-day virtual event that will be focused on microLED (and also miniLED) technologies. The event will include over 25 lectures from leading companies, researchers and market analysts. The series is organized by the MicroLED Industry Association together with TechBlick.

Attendee tickets for MicroLED-Connect are offered as a year-long ticket (virtual-only, or hybrid), and are now available at an early-bird discount, until November 15. Now is a great time to reserve your ticket and make sure you stay updated with the latest microLED industry and market updates.

You can view the complete agenda of the MicroLED Connect virtual November event here. Speaking companies (in no particular order) include  KLA, Toray Engineering, Mikro Mesa, QNA Technologies, QubeDot, GE Research, Mojo Vision, InnovationSemi, Nanopattern Technologies, Intel, Omdia, Kubos Semiconductor, Raysolve, Hendy Consulting, Yole, Q-Pixel, Stratacache, nsc, eLux, Polar Light Technologies, Smartkem, OLED Association, Delo, and more.

Avicena, a developer of microLED-based chip-to-chip interconnects, discussed its solution at OCP Summit 2023. Avicena's LightBundle interconnect architecture is based on arrays of innovative GaN microLEDs that are integrated directly onto high performance CMOS ICs. Each microLED array is connected via a multi-core fiber cable to a matching array of CMOS-compatible PDs.

Avicena recently unveiled the world's first 1Tbps microLED-based Transceiver IC in 16nm finFET CMOS. The company says that its microLED-based LightBundle interconnects offers much lower power and latency, higher bandwidth and lower cost compared to current solutions based on VCSELs or Silicon Photonics. 

Researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University together with UK-based OTFT developer SmartKem published a new paper describing the use of via interconnections in an organic-last integrated microLED display. The researchers report that the low-defect organic semiconductor backplane enables excellent performance.

As part of the project, the researchers demonstrated a 254 PPI active-matrix microLED display that achieves a brightness of 150,000 nits. The transistors exhibit superior performance in terms of milliampere driving current, and large ON/OFF current ratio approaching 10¹⁰ with excellent uniformity and reliability

The MicroLED Industry Association will host its second annual meeting during Displayweek 2024. The annual meeting will take place on Monday the 13rd of May, at 4:00PM, at the San Jose McEnery convention center.

During the meeting, we will update on past activities and plans for the new year, and give association members an excellent chance to network and connect with fellow microLED industry professionals.

The first MicroLED Connect virtual event is coming up later this month, a 2-day virtual event that will be focused on microLED (and also miniLED) technologies. The event will include over 25 lectures from leading companies, researchers and market analysts. 

Eric Virey, a senior display analyst from the Yole Group, will give a talk discussing the opportunities for microLED technologies at high-volume applications - such as TVs, smartphones, wearables and IT displays. Yole's research on microLEDs is highly regarded, and we're looking forward to hearing Eric's latest analysis and insights. 

India's Reliance announced the JioGlass, a VR HMD that is reportedly based on dual full-color FHD microLED microdisplays. This is an interesting product as it is the first one we are aware of that uses such commercial microLED microdisplays. It may be that these are actually OLED microdisplays, and the reports are inaccurate as is sometimes the case.

The JioGlass create a 100-inch virtual screen in front of the view, and the two microidsplays enable a 40 degrees FOV. The HMD connects via USB to any iOs or Android smartphone, or to a laptop. The HMD is designed by Tesseract, an India-based startup that was acquired by Reliance.

Researchers from the Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI) have developed highly efficient microLED devices. the researchers say that these new LEDs maintain an IQE of over 90% and are not effected by small chip site and increased current density.

The new microLEDs, branded as ZOGAN LEDs, are made from p-ZnO and p-GaN. The researchers say that the non-radiative leakage current is almost negligible and not increased as the chip size decreases even below 10 um. The researchers created blue ZOGAN LEDs in sizes 5, 10 and 20 um and confirmed the high performance in all these devices.

AU Optronics announced an agreement with PlayNitride, to build a 6-inch microLED production line at AUO's Longtan factory. AUO will pay PlayNitride NT$700 million (around $21.5 million USD) for this new line.

AUO says that the new line will utilize PlayNitride's Chip-on-Carrier (COC) technology, that produces the microLEDs on temporary substrates ready for the transfer process. This will enable AUO to more easily realize the production of display panels based on these microLEDs. AUO says that this new line will also enable it to reduce microLED production costs. 

Researchers from the  Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and MIT, published a review article on Micro-Scale Concentrating Photovoltaics, or micro-CPV, a new technology that uses miniaturized solar panels and optics that concentrate the sun's energy into these micro panels. The benefits of micro-CPV compared to normal solar panels include potentially lower cost (much less solar absorption area), better thermal management, shorter optical path and lower resistive losses.

There are many challenges yet before micro-CPVs can be produced in large volume and at competitive prices. Interestingly, microLED production processes can be applied to the production of micro-CPVs, as these solutions can be seen like inverted technologies - tiny devices that either absorb or emit light.