UK-based OTFT developer Smartkem announced that it has partnered with AUO to jointly develop rollable transparent microLED displays, based on Smartkem's OTFT backplane technology. The project will be based on a novel OTFT production process developed at ITRI.
Smartkem believes its technology will not only enable high-end rollable transparent microLED displays, but it will also enable drastic cost reduction that will bring costs down to mass market prices. Smartkem's low-temperature processing enables the use of low-cost and flexible plastic substrates rather than glass, which the company says will be a decisive factor in bringing production costs down.
A few months ago Smartkem demonstrated its first microLED display, which was produced with its own proprietary OTFT materials - a sapphire wafer with arrays of 96x96 microLEDs with dimensions of 18um x 25um (produced by Enkris). In August 2023 we posted a spotlight article on Smartkem, a MicroLED Industry Association member.
AUO meanwhile is "making significant progress" in MicroLED technology, transitioning to a 4.5-Gen production line. A few months ago, AUO said that microLED is a priority for the company, and it plans to allocate more resources into its microLED projects. The company believes it is the leader in microLED development.
A Lenovo transparent microLED laptop prototype
Towards the end of 2023, AUO announced its plans to invest further in its microLED technologies, and re-iterated its plans to mass produce microLED smartwatch displays by the end of 2023 - and also to introduce automotive and TV displays. You can read more about AUO's microLED wearable display project here. In November 2023, AUO announced an agreement with PlayNitride, to build a $21.5 million 6-inch epiwafer microLED production line at AUO's Longtan factory. In May 2024, AUO demonstrated its latest microLED display prototypes at SID Displayweek 2024.
