In September 2024, OTFT developer Smartkem, a MicroLED Industry Association member, announced that it has signed an agreement with Shanghai Chip Foundation Semiconductor Technology (Chip Foundation) to co-develop microLED-based backlight units for LCD displays. Smartkem now announced that it has completed the first sale of its TRUFLEX semiconductor materials to Chip Foundation.
Smartkem prototype microLED display
Smartkem is supplying its proprietary organic dielectric single layer material, or Redistribution Layer (RDL), to Chip Foundation to combine with its own microLED devices, for the joint development of microLED based device structures. The resulting manufactured chip is expected to have the properties of high brightness coupled with high current efficiency, reducing power losses in driving backlights and improving uniformity of illumination. Additional sales of RDL materials to Chip Foundation are expected to continue throughout 2025.
Smartkem recently announced that it has partnered with AUO to jointly develop rollable transparent microLED displays, based on Smartkem's OTFT backplane technology. Smartkem was granted $1.1 million from the Innovate UK fund to support this project.
In June 2024, Smartkem demonstrated its first microLED display, which was produced with its own proprietary OTFT materials. The company says that its materials could reduce the cost of microLED production thanks to their low-temperature processing. In August 2023 we posted a spotlight article on Smartkem.
