Advanced View Technology was established in 2019 in Korea to develop microLED display technologies, based on submicron-sized high efficiency LEDs.
Advanced View offers microLED wafers, complete fabricated microLED display modules (using its own electrofluidic assembly technology), and various foundry services.
France-based Aledia, founded in 2011, developed a technology to grow 3D GaN LEDs on 200 mm and 300 mm silicon wafers using CMOS wafer-fabrication processes and tools. Aledia says that its LED chips are 25% cheaper compared to traditional planar LED chips, and these LEDs can be used for micro-LED displays.
Aledia raised over 360 million Euro in total, with the latest 120 million Euro round announced in October 2023. In 2020 Aledia announced that it plans to establish a 140 million euros LED production fab.
Austria-based ams OSRAM is a multinational photonics application developer, focusing on sensors, LEDs and light-based treatment solutions.
ams OSRAM is at the forefront of microLED epiwafer production. In 2021, the company announced that it will expand its LED production plant in Kulim, Malaysia, with an investment of around $850 million, with plans to produce mini-LED and micro-LED chips on 8-inch wafers. ams OSRAM hoped to enter microLED mass production in 2024, mainly to supply microLEDs to Apple.
Established in 2006, China-based Changelight is a manufacturer of LED devices, mostly for outdoor applications.
In 2018 it was reported that Changelight is developing both mini-LEDs and micro-LEDs. For micro-LED displays, Changelight focuses on chip and mass transfer technologies.
China-based Enkris Semiconductor is a GaN epi-foundry, that offers GaN-on-Silicon, GaN-on- SiC , GaN-on-Sapphire and GaN-on-GaN epi wafers with varied sizes.
In 2022 the company launched its first products for the microLED industry, its full-color RGB GaN-on-Si series, available in wafer sizes up to 300 mm.
Taiwan-based Ennostar was established in early 2021 as a joint venture between Epistar and Lextar. Ennostar is the holding company that owns both Epistar and Lextar, and together the two companies hold about 12.5% of the global LED chip market.
Ennostar official goal is to become a multinational investment platform for the compound semiconductor industries. Specifically the focus is on mini LEDs and microLEDs products and technologies.
Ennostar has three main areas, divided between its daughter companies: Epistar will focus on LED epitaxy and chip, Lextar will focus on packaging and module, and Unikorn Semiconductor Corp. (under Epistar) will develop advanced compound semiconductor foundry.
Taiwan-based Epileds Technologies was established in 2006 at the Tainan Science Park. Epileds develops, designs and produces blue, green, red, and white light LED wafers and chips.
In early 2018 it was reported that Epileds has initiated an R&D project to develop micro-LEDs and mini-LEDs. In May 2018 Foxconn acquired a stake in Epileds, with a specific interest in its micro-LED project.
Epistar Corp, based in Taiwan and established in 1996, is one of the world's largest LED producers. The company specializes in high-brightness LED devices for general lighting and consumer electronics. Epistar is part of Ennostar (following a merger with fellow Taiwanese LED maker Lextar in 2020).
Epistar is developing Micro LED chips but has yet to announce any products or market intentions. Some reports suggest the Epistar is likely to first produce 100-micron LEDs (in 2017) to be used in large displays. This will be followed by smaller LEDs for smaller displays.
In October 2018 Epistar established a wholly-owned subsidiary called Yenrich Technology that develops applications for mini LED and micro LED technologies.
Established in 2003 in the USA (with operations in Sweden as well) based on research performed at Lund University, Glo is developing GaN nanowire based micro LEDs for display applications. In 2021 the company was acquired by Nanosys.
Before Nanosys' acquisition, Glo said that its Nanowires technology enables high reliability red, green and blue microLEDs. Glo was targeting the entire display market, from small-sized wearable displays to TV panels and large-area displays.
In 2019 Glo introduced its first prototypes. Click here for more information on the company's technology and displays.
HC SemiTek Corporation, established in 2005 in Wuhan China, is a LED supplier that focuses on full-color ultra-high LED epitaxial products and chips.
In 2018 HC SemiTek announced it is launching a new project to develop Micro-LED chips. In 2023, HC SemiTek launched a $700 million USD project to build a microLED production line in Jinwan District, Zhuhai, China. As of October 2024, the project is progressing on track, with full-scale production expected by end of 2025.
In 2022, BOE invested $289 million in HC SemiTek, and is the company's largest stakeholder.
Hexagem AB was founded in 2015 as a spin out from Lund University and the research directed by Professor Lars Samuelson on GaN coalescence technology.
Hexagem is focused on the microLED industry, and develops technology to grow small 1-micron (or below) nano-LED microLED platelets, that offer high efficiency and high brightness, and the ability to deposit all three colors on the same wafer.
Korea based ILJIN Display is a producer of sapphire substrates, and the only company in Korea that makers sapphire single crystal and substrates.
ILJIN supplies microLED substrates to microLED developers - including to Epistar, PlayNitride and Samsung Electronics.
Ingantec, established in 2022 in the US, develops next-generation microLED solutions based on novel GaN technologies. Ingantec focuses on the development of small-size, highly efficient GaN red microLED devices.
In March 2024, Ingantec announced an exclusive patent licensing agreement with the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), that cover innovative systems and methods to deposit devices using MOCVD and other processes.
Established in 2008 in Taiwan as a subsidiary of AU Optronics, Lextar Electronics Corporation is a leading LED developer. Lextar produces LED chips, LCD backlights, automotive LEDs, lumiaires and other lighting solutions.
In 2018 Lextar introduced its first micro-LED chips - both RGB ones and color conversion ones, both suitable for mass transfer processes.
In 2020 Lextar announced a merger with fellow Taiwanese LED maker Epistar, and the company is now part of Ennostar.
Japan-based Micro Nitride was established in 2018 as a subsidiary of Nitride Semiconductors to develop micro UV LED chips for Micro-LED displays.
Micro Nitride's technology, called μUV-LED+RGB phosphor, uses UV micro-LEDs and RGB phosphors.
China-based Nationstar, founded in 1969, is one of the world's leading LED producers. The company producers LED chips, components for displays and lighting, and LED modules.
In 2019, Nationstar started developing microLED technologies. In 2022, the company started collaborating with Huawei for the development of mini-LED and micro-LED display technologies.
Taiwan-based PlayNitride was established in June 2014 to research and develop Nitride related materials and applications. The fabless company is now focusing on GaN based MicroLEDs.
PlayNitride developed its own microLED epiwafer production process (using Aixtron's G5+ MOCVD systems), its own stamp-based transfer technology and also its own repair technology (SMAR.Tech).
PlayNitride started to sample micro-LED at the end of 2017, and in May 2018 PlayNitride demonstrated its first Micro-LED prototypes. PlayNitride has a pilot production facility at Hsinchu Science Park. In 2020 PlayNitride started constructing a second production line that will start mass producing in H2 2021.
Polar Light Technologies was spun-off from Sweden's Linköping University to commercialize a monolithic approach to produce pyramidal microLEDs using a MOCVD-based a bottom-up growth process.
Lumileds, originally a joint-venture between Philips and Agilent, develops and produces LED lighting solutions mainly for the automotive industry and also architectural lighting.