Micro-LED Production - Page 11

Aixtron and PlayNitride signed a joint-collaboration agreement to accelerate Micro-LED development. Aixtron will deliver an AIX G5+ C MOCVD system to Playnitride, that will be used to produce GaN-based Micro LED devices.

Aixtron says that the G5+ C is an advanced advanced production tool that offers market leading wavelength uniformity to meet the tightened Micro LED market specifications in a batch reactor high-throughput environment. The system allows for the lowest defect and particle level in the industry due to an effective in-situ cleaning technology and the cassette-to-cassette handler which is essential for high yields. The G5+ C MOCVD was recently ordered by Plessey for its own GaN-on-Silicon Micro-LED development and production.

In September 2018 we reported that China-based San'an Optoelectronics is gearing up to setup its first micro-LED epitaxial wafer and chip production line in Q1 2019.

According to Digitimes, San'an now plans to start sampling Micro LED chips as early as January 2019. San'an says that micro-LEDs are not mature yet, but early trial adoption will begin in the second half of 2019 - for movie theaters, TVs and automotive displays.

According to a new report from Taiwan, Samsung Electronics is planning to release a 75" consumer Micro-LED TV in 2019, using LED chips and technologies from Taiwan's PlayNitride. Samsung will also invest further in PlayNitride to help it increase its production capacity (Samsung's stake in PlayNitride will reach 30% following this investment).

In July 2018 Samsung Electronics video and display chief, Han Jong-hee, said that Samsung aims to release a Micro-LED consumer TV next year - The Wall Luxury that will be based on its Wall modular TV. It could be that this will be the 75" TV that will use PlayNitride's chips.

LEDs Inside reports that PlayNitride aims to release its first Micro-LED display products in 2019. In 2017 the company started to sample micro-LED panels and shipped samples to 10-20 potential customers. The company's chairman and CEO, Charles Li, said in June 2018 that 5-6 of these customers are continuing the developing of micro-LED modules based on these panels.

In May 2018 PlayNitride demonstrates two Micro-LED prototypes - a small 0.89" 64x64 (105 PPI) panel with a brightness of 800 nits and a larger 3.12" 256x256 (116 PPI) panel.

According to Digitimes, China-based Sa'nan Optoelectronics is gearing up to setup its first micro-LED epitaxial wafer and chip production line in Q1 2019. San'an developed 20-micron micro-LEDs, and the company is now aiming to develop 4-micron LEDs and 10-micro LED flip-chips.

According to the report, San'an aims to start small-volume micro-LED production to be used for wearables, automotive taillights and large-area displays. The company's green and blue micro-LEDs are ready for commercialization, but its red chips still require development.

UK-based Optovate recently announced that it has developed a parallel aligned Micro-LED transfer process. Today the company revealed more details about its Micro-LED technology.

Optovate p-LLO transfer process

Since 2008, Optovate develops catadioptric micro-optic arrays to enhance the benefits of micro-LED, mini-LED and OLED displays. The company also developed a patterned laser lift-off (p-LLO) micro-LED transfer process.

Digitimes reports that Taiwan's Ministry of Science and Technology approved PlayNitride's application to setup a NT$500 million (US$17 million) production facility at Hsinchu Science Park.

PlayNitride aims to produce micro LEDs, display modules and panels at its new facility at Hsinchu. According to Digitimes, Apple is in preliminary talks with PlayNitride towards a possible Micro-LED technology cooperation.

PlayNitride began sampling micro-LED panels, shipping these to 10-20 potential customers in Q4 2017. The company's chairman and CEO, Charles Li, says that 5-6 of these customers are continuing the developing of micro-LED modules based on these panels.

In September 2017 we reported that Charles Li said that Micro-LED displays are not as challenging as originally expected, and the company aims to start trial production of Micro-LED displays in the second half of 2017 - it's great to see the company progressing as planned. PlayNitride says that it achieved mass transfer and placement yield rates of over 99% in its lab.

UK-based Plessey Semiconductor announced that it aims to be the first to market with a monolithic microLED based display based on GaN-on-Silicon in H1 2018. The company also announced a new licensing program that will enable third parties to license its GaN-on-Silicon microLED IP and expertise.

Plessey says that GaN-on-Silicon is the only technology that can address all the production challenges for MicroLED displays in high volumes. The company's main business will be its licensing platform, but it aims to bring to market its own displays to demonstrates its expertise.

Earlier this month we reported that Taiwan's Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories (EOSRL, part of ITRI) has launched a project that aims to develop Micro-LED displays for large-area signage indoor displays.

LGD VR prototype, March 2017

According to a new report from Taiwan, EOSRL's new line, which will begin operation in Q3 2018, will be also used to produce small displays for VR applications. EOSRL reveals that the pilot line is already able to handle 2500 (50x50) chips per transfer, and by the time it is ready it will be able to handle 100,000 chips (100x100).