BOE Display, founded in 1993 in Beijing China, is one of the world's leading display maker, producing both LCDs and OLEDs. BOE also produces LCD backlighting units and solar panels.
BOE develops microLED technologies, processes and materials, and has demonstrated advanced microLED display prototypes. BOE also holds a controlling stake at LED wafer producer HC Semitek.
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BOE HC Semitek lights up production at the first phase of its $700 million microLED epiwafer fab in JInwan
In August 2023, China-based BOE HC Semitek started building its $700 million microLED epiwafer production line in Jinwan District, Zhuhai, China.
The company now held a ceremony marking the beginning of sample wafer production at the new line. This is the first phase of this project, and total investment to date is $275 million. It is likely that ramping up will take some time and full scale production of the first phase will take place later in 2025. When the fab is complete, with all three phases, it will have a yearly capacity of 58,000 6-inch microLED wafers.
HC Semitek installs the production equipment at its 6-inch microLED epiwafer fab in Jinwan
In August 2023, China-based HC Semitek started building its microLED epiwafer production line in Jinwan District, Zhuhai, China. The first phase of the $700 million microLED fab is expected to enter production by the end of 2024.
HC Semitek announced a few days ago that it has moved in and installed the production equipment in its new line. The company says it is on track to produce the first sample wafers in Q3 2024, and mass production is expected by the end of the year. The investment in the first phase will total $275 million USD.
BOE shows a new microLED display prototype at SID Displayweek 2024
BOE had a large demonstrating at SID Displayweek 2024, showing several of its latest displays and prototypes - including many flexible and foldable OLED displays, automotive AMOLEDs, new OLED technology demonstrators and two OLED microdisplays.
BOE also showed a microLED display demonstrator, which it called the MicroLED Transformer Display, that included two panels that can connect in an almost seamless way (but not completely). The displays are flexible (curved) with a 0.3 mm pitch display (P0.3). Other specifications include a brightness of up to 2,000 nits (peak), and a refresh rate of 90Hz.
Rohinni shuts down, files for bankruptcy
US-based Rohinni was established in 2013, and focused on miniLED and microLED technologies for lighting and displays. The company, one of the microLED industry pioneers, unfortunately recently shut down and filed for bankruptcy. This
Rohinni developed precise placement technology that can achieve speeds greater than 100Hz for mini LEDs. The company has achieved mass product production volumes with its keyboard and logo backlighting joint venture, Luumii.
HC Semitek starts building a $700 million microLED production line in Zhuhai, China
China-based HC Semitek is embarking on a 5 billion Yuan project (almost $700 million USD) to produce microLED wafers in Jinwan District, Zhuhai, China. The project will have three phases, with the first one (estimated at $275 million) has officially started last month.
HC Semitek hopes to light up the new production line in September 2024, and to start production by December 2024. When all three phases are complete, the new production line will have a yearly capacity of 58,000 microLED wafers (we do not the wafer size at this project, but we estimate these are 8-inch wafers). It is not clear from the reports, but this production line may also produce mini LEDs, not just microLEDs.
BOE developed a transparent direct-view mini-LED display
BOE announced that it has developed a new high-transparency mini-LED directview display, that offers a transparency of 65% and a brightness of over 1,000 nits.
BOE says that it achieved this high performance by optimizing the pixel circuit and designing a new pixel structure. BOE also used a new innovative design for the transparent area (it achieved a transparency of 95% in the transparent areas) and an optimized wiring structure.
Yole Developpement says rate of MicroLED patent submission is rising sharply
Yole Developpement updated its MicroLED industry IP landscape report, and the company presented some interesting findings.
The number of MicroLED patents is now over 8,900, filed by almost 480 organizations. 40% of the patent families have been published in 2020.
Yole Developpement: the rate of MicroLED patent filing is rising exponentially
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.
Rohinni and BOE launch a micro-LED JV called BOE Pixey, first products to reach the market by the end of 2020
In early 2019 Rohinni announced a collaboration with China-based display maker BOE, and now the companies announced that they are launching the JV as a separate company called BOE Pixey, which will design and build micro-LED based LCD display backlights and direct-emission displays - focusing on large-area displays (32-inch and up).
BOE Pixel will also develop related sensors for large-format displays. BOE Pixey integrates Rohinni's mini-LED and micro-LED manufacturing process with BOE's display panel production experience and leadership. The company says that first products that utilize its displays will reach the market in the second half of 2020.
Rohinni and BOE to collaborate on micro-LED and mini-LED LCD backlighting units
US-based Rohinni announced a new joint venture with China-based display maker BOE. The new JV (which will be based in China and controlled by BOE) will develop LCD mini-LED and micro-LED backlighting units.
The JV will adopt Rohinni's proprietary high-speed MicroLED placement technology that is capable of placing 50 die-per-second (dps) with 10 micron accuracy at 99.999% die yields. BOE and Rohinni will initially focus on large panel applications (32-inch and up) for consumer electronic products in addition to all display sizes for industrial, automotive and other markets
