Mini-LEDs - Page 2

Apple's latest iPad Pro tablets use a mini-LED backlit LCD (which Apple refers to as Liquid Retina XDR). While most reviews of the new display are quite positive, some users are complaining of "blooming" - the edges of bright objects on dark backgrounds tend to 'bleed' as the dimming zone is not small enough.

miniLEDs improve over LCD as they introduce thousands of dimming zones, which increases contrast and improves power consumption. The dimming zones, however, are sometimes not small enough, as some users find out, and cannot compete with an emissive technology such as OLED or microLED.

GE and Current Lighting Solutions have signed a collaboration agreement on small-size Potassium Fluorosilicate (PFS/KSF) phosphor for MiniLED and MicroLED applications. The two companies have a long-standing relationship in the world of PFS/KSF phosphor, and this new agreement extends their previous agreements.

The two companies will develop advanced versions of KSF Red Narrowband phosphor with material properties required to enable the use of these materials in advanced display technology such as emissive microLEDs. GE has the exclusive rights to license KSF technology for display applications and will work with display companies to license KSF technology into these advanced displays.

Micro-LED and mini-LED developer Rohinni announced that the company has developed a new design for its miniLED composite bondhead, which now allows multiple bondheads to run in parallel. Rohinni says it has been able to accelerate its miniLED deposition speed 14X compared to 'competing technologies'.

With the new system, Rohinni demonstrated >99.999% placement yield and scalability at speeds greater than 100 die per second. 

In 2020 Taiwan's LED developers Epistar and Lextar announced plans to establish a joint holding company, effectively merging the two companies, into Ennostar Incorporation.

During a recent investor conferences, Ennostar's CEO said that Epistar will gradually upgrade its miniLED production line in Taiwan to produce microLED chips. The plan is to reach a yearly capacity of over 400,000 6" microLED wafers. In the long term the company will focus its microLED production in Taiwan, while its Chinese factories will produce miniLEDs.

Taiwan-based STAr Technologies launched a new inspection system for MicroLEDs and mini-LEDs devices. the Unicorn-LAIT is an integrated system with parallel test instrument, probe station and probe cards and can meet mass production needs.

STAr says that its new system enables alignment of up to 6-inch wafers and probe cards for automatic probing test. The parallel test instrument will be based on STAr Taurus-LPX with PMU capable of performing 48 to a maximum of 240 LEDs in parallel. Attributed to the efficient system structure, The STAr Unicorn-LAIT is suitable for the LED industry chip maker and optical devices manufacturer.

In 2019 San'an Optoelectronics announced that it aiming to build a $1.78 billion Mini-LED and Micro-LED production site in Hubei, with plans to start production in March 2021. Later it was reported that the construction is delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the latest news from China, the production is actually progressing well and San'an plans to start trial production by the end of the month. The second stage phase of the construction project is actually starting ahead of schedule - by half a year.

Singapore-based electronics assembly solutions provider Kulicke & Soffa announced that it has acquired Uniqarta, a US-based developer of MicroLED placement technology.

Uniqarta developed a unique LED die transfer technology that uses ultra-fast lasers to enable contactless LED de-bonding and placement solution. Uniqarta's technology is branded as Laser-Enabled Advanced Placement, or LEAP).

Micro-LED and mini-LED developer Rohinni said that it developed a new placement technology for mini-LED that doubles the placement speed compared to its previous technology.

Rohinni developed a new bondhead which achieves a 100 Hz placement operation which effectively cuts in half the cost of placing mini LEDs. The technology will be deployed in the first part of 2021.

In 2020 Taiwan's LED developers Epistar and Lextar announced plans to establish a joint holding company, effectively merging the two companies. Last week the company, called Ennostar Incorporation was formally launched.

Ennostar will focus on rapid development of mini-LED and micro-LED technologies and displays. The company 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.

In 2019 San'an Optoelectronics announced that it aiming to build a $1.78 billion Mini-LED and Micro-LED production site in Hubei. The project will include a LED production plant, an R&D center and also a sales offices.

The plant construction was said to take up to 3 years, and production to begin a year later. According to a news report from China, construction was delayed due to the COVID pandemic, but Sanan now resumed construction the new facility.