TFT - Page 2

US and Sweden based Micro-LED developer Glo has partnered with Japan-based display maker Kyocera to demonstrate a 1.8" Micro-LED display that features a resolution of 256x256 (200 PPI). For this demonstration panel, Kyocera provided the LTPS backplane and driving technology while glo provided its InGaN RGB micro-LEDs and its transfer technology.

Glo says its micro-LED technology enables the production of displays ranging from micro-displays to smartphone-sized panels, and have demonstrated several such panels at SID DisplayWeek 2019.

US and Sweden based Glo has been developing Micro-LED displays on both LTPS and CMOS (microdisplay) backplanes for many years. The company has been rather quiet until now (even though the 2017 investment from Google created some buzz).

Glo has now started to disclose its technology and achievements. At CES 2019, Glo demonstrated two displays. First up is the 1.5-inch smartphone type display you can see in the image above. The 264 PPI 120Hz display is produced on a LTPS backplane and produces 4,000 nits brightness - you can see how it is much brighter compared to the LGD OLED in the Apple Watch next to it (1,000 nits max).

At IFA 2018, AU Optronics demonstrated a 12.1" full-color TFT-driven micro-LED display prototype. The display features a resolution of 1920x720 (169 PPI). The micro-LED chips are less than 30 um in size.

The new AUO display uses blue LEDs with color conversion, which achieves "marvelous color performance", according to AUO. This is similar to the 8" 169 PPI display AUO demonstrated only three months ago at SID 2018.

AUO demonstrated a micro-LED display, which it says is the world's highest resolution full-color TFT micro-LED.

The 8" panel features a resolution of 1280x480 (169 PPI). The micro-LEDs use blue LED chips with color conversion, on an LTPS backplane. AUO did not disclose any roadmap to commercialize this technology.

Earlier this month Bloomberg reported that Apple is progressing with its Micro-LED development project, and has already managed to produce promising display samples. Now Taiwan's Digitimes reports that Apple is collaborating with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) towards mass production of Micro-LED panels.

Apple and TSMC are focusing on small-sized micro-LEDs on silicon based backplanes, targeting both wearable devices and AR applications. The Micro-LED microdisplays for AR applications will be around 0.7-0.8 inch in size, while the wearable panels will be larger at 1.3-1.4 inch.