NanoPattern Technologies was founded in 2019 to commercialize quantum dots technologies developed at the University of Chicago.
The company develops and produces a patented QD ink that enables the patterning of high resolution quantum dot downconverter layers.
Established in 2005 in California, US, Ostendo Technology develops Micro-LED-based display technologies and products. The company's display is called Quantum Photonics Imager (QPI).
Ostendo is still in stealth mode, but the company's patents describe the QPI is a 3D-IC semiconductor device comprising a high density array of digitally addressable micro-LED pixels. This seems to be a tandem-device in which the red, green and blue subpixels are placed one on top of the other.
Poland-based QNA Technology, established in 2016, develops and produces quantum dots for the display industry. The company optimizes its QDs for two applications: electroluminescence display devices (QD-EL) and for microLED displays devices based on UV microLEDs.
QNA developed QD surface engineering to enable the delivery of its materials in various solvents, such as polar, non-polar, monomers, powders, and more. The company is also developing QD inks for ink-jet printing and for UV-curable inks.
Belgium-based QustomDot developed Cadmium-free quantum dots technology that can be applied directly on small microLED chips, based on technology that originated from Ghent University.
QustomDot announced several collaborations, with XTPL, MICLEDI, Aledia, and others. We posted a spotlight article on QustomDot in 2023.
Rain Technology, established in 2017 in the US, develops and markets display technology for a wide range of solutions.
For the production of MicorLED displays, Rain offers a unique backplane technology, LED transfer technologies, and microdisplay solutions. In 2019, the company acquired Optovate.
US-based Saphlux was established in 2014 at Yale University to develop a semi-polar gallium-nitride on sapphire material that enables next generation high power and high performance LEDs and laser diodes.
Saphlux is developing technologies aimed towards micro-LED displays. The company's NPDQ color conversion technology utilizes quantum dots etched into the GaN LED itself.
In 2022 it was reported that Leyard is ready to mass produce microLED panels that use Saphlux's NPQD technology. Leyard owns 12% of Saphlux. In 2023 Saphlux demonstrated a 0.39" full-color NPDQ microLED microdisplay.
Korea-based Sapien Semiconductors is a fabless design company who provides innovative PWM CMOS backplane and μ-driver ICs for Micro-LED displays.
The company utilizes its own patented technologies to achieve lower power consumption, lower leakage, better repairability and improved testability down to a pixel pitch of 2μm or smaller. Sapien also offers driver IC IPs for AMOLED display.
Shin-Etsu Chemical is Japan's largest chemical maker, and one of the leading chemical makers in the world. The company's leading the market for polyvinyl chloride, semiconductor silicon and photomask substrates.
Shin-Etsu has developed several materials used in the production of MicroLED displays, including a microLED stamp and temporary support substrates used for cleaning and transfer processes.
Shin-Etsu Engineering has also developed a range of equipment systems for the production of microLED displays - including LLO systems, bonding/debonding equipment and high-speed repair systems.
UK-based Smartkem develops organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) and related materials, to drive the next generation of displays. Smartkem’s patented TRUFLEX semiconductor and dielectric inks, or liquid electronic polymers, are used to make OTFT backplanes, using low temperature printing processes.
SmartKem's OTFTs can be used to deposit backplanes to drive microLED displays, and also to deposit the cathode and anode for the microLED dies.
Established in 2012 in Korea, Soft-EPi that specializes in GaN-based epitaxial growth using MOCVD equipment. The company supplies sapphire wafers, epiwafers and templates.
For the microLED market, the company offers red GaN on sapphire wafers (complete with microLED chips). The company also developed vertical monolithic RGB epiwafers (without chips, epi only).
Terecircuits develops technologies and manufacturing processes for microassembly based on a new class of photo-chemical polymers.
The company focuses on the development of a microLED photo-chemical mass transfer process.
Taiwan-based Ultra Display Technology (UDT) developed a microLED mass transfer solution based on customized flat mass-transfer stamps.
The company's business model was to supply stamps with LEDs already in place, so display makers can easily integrate this into their production process. In August 2023 it was reported that UDT sold 14 microLED patents to LG Display, it is not clear whether the company will continue to develop its microLED technologies and products.
Taiwan-based Unimicron manufactures printed circuit boards (PCBs), with a focus on high density interconnection (HDI) boards, flexible PCBs and rigid flex PCBs.
In 2017 Unimicro started developing specific PCBs for Micro-LED displays, with aims to start mass producing such PCBs in 2019. It is not clear whether the company actually started MicroLED PCB production.
VerLASE Technologies, spun-off from Versatilis is an early stage company that uses novel processes and materials to develop color conversion technologies in laser diodes and LEDs.
VerLASE develops color conversion layers for Micro-LED displays and is also developing assembly methods and technologies.
US-based Verticle Inc. was established in 2004, with an aim to develop unique LED technologies and processes.
For the microLED industry, the company developed wet chemical dicing technology that can lead to faster and more efficient chip processing, and in addition enable higher-performance microLEDs. The company has demonstrated how its wet chemical etching can result in higher-efficiency AlGaInP native red microLEDs.
Based in Xiamen City and established in 2017, XM-Plus (Xiamen Lingyang Huaxin Technology Co.) designs and produces display driver ICs. The company offers drivers for LCDs, Mini-LEDs, Micro-LEDs and AMOLED displays.
Duabi-based XPANCEO develops eXtended Computing (XC) contact lenses, a next generation computing category for AR devices.