VR / AR - Page 3

UK-based Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology announced that it has installed one of its 200 mm atomic layer deposition (ALD) passivation systems at a UK microLED provider, in order to support the customer's latest AR microdisplay development and production. The OIPT system is used to deposit high-K dielectric ultra-thin films for high-density, very high-brightness, low-power and high frame-rate RGB pixel arrays.

OIPT says that its low-damage plasma ALD technology is optimized for smaller dies with smaller active areas, and was shown in some cases by its customers at ICNS to double external quantum efficiency. 

MicroLED display developer VueReal demonstrated its latest microLED display prototypes at CES 2024.

In the video, you can see VueReal's 2um microLED microdisplays. These are monochrome displays, but VueReal says it will showcase its first full-color microdisplays in Displayweek 2024. VueReal's CEO Reza Chazi explains the company's approach and solutions.

Kopin announced a strategic agreement with MICLEDI to design, develop and produced advanced full-color microLED displays for AR applications.

A 2k OLED microdisplay by Kopin

The project will adopt MICLEDI's CMOS microLED production process, and Kopin's backplane and driving technologies. Kopin will also contribute its deep experience in manufacturing complete display systems.

Rayleigh Vision was established in 2023 in Hong Kong, to developed stacked microLED microdisplay technologies. The company's technology enables the stacking of LEDs on top of each other, to create high-density displays. The company's founder and CEO, Prof. Jr-Hau HE, will give a talk at the upcoming MicroLED-Connect startup showcase event on February 2024, and was kind enough to answer a few questions we had regarding the company's status, technology, and his views on the microLED industry and market.

Hello Prof. Jr-Hau, Can you tell us a bit your company, and technology, and your next steps?

Rayleigh Vision is a company that specializes in disruptive MicroLED technology, with a focus on solutions for full-color microdisplays. Our team includes pioneers in MicroLED technology, who have over a decade of experience in this field.

Although we've seen significant advancements in MicroLED technology, challenges remain. These include developing a full-color solution for microdisplays, improving mass transfer efficiency, and enhancing process yields. From the perspective of microdisplays, achieving a full-color display with a high Field of View (FOV) and Pixels per Degree (PPD) is crucial for an immersive Extended Reality (XR) experience. However, no product currently on the market meets these specifications. 

According to new reports from Korea, Samsung Electronics decided that from now on, Samsung Display will handle all OLED microdisplay projects, while Samsung Semiconductor (SSI, or specifically, the Compound Semiconductor Solutions team) will handle all microLED microdisplay development.

Samsung sees OLED microdisplays as the solution of choice for next-generation VR headsets, such as Apple's Vision Pro (that uses 1.4" 4K OLED microdisplays made by Sony), while microLEDs will power the more demanding AR applications.

MicroLED-Connect is a hybrid event series, a year-long program of virtual and onsite events, all focused on the microLED industry. The first online 2-day webinar was hosted successfully last month, with over 25 lectures (all recordings accessible for pass holders). The next event is a startup showcase, that will be hosted on February 22, 2024.

The startup showcase includes lectures from 8 leading microLED startup companies, covering topics such as microdisplays, AR headset development, microLED production, transfer processes and microLED inspection.

Now is a great time to reserve your ticket and make sure you stay updated with the latest innovation from the following startup companies: Rayleigh Vision, Inziv, Comptek Solutions, QustomDot, Terecircuits, iBeam Materials, Kura Vision and NS Nanotech. You can read the complete agenda here.

Meizu announced the MYVU Discovery AR glasses, said to be the world’s lightest mass-produced full-color AR glasses.

The MYVU Discovery AR use a 0.4 sqcm light-engine based on three monochrome microLED microdisplays - these are JBD's 0.13" VGA displays - and the engine is likely similar to Vuzix's display engine based also on JBD's displays. The MYVU also uses the world's first mass-produced resin optical waveguide lens.

The LAWK ONE is an AR headset based on dual microLED microdisplays, aimed towards outdoor 'adventure' use, that has launched a successful crowdfunding campaign. The HMD is set to start shipping in December 2023, with a launch price of $349.

The microdisplays are JBD's 0.13" VGA green monochrome microLEDs. LAWK ONE says that the displays offer up to 1,150 nits of brightness and a 30-degrees FOV.

DSCC estimates that the microLED display market will reach $1.4 billion by 2028, led by TVs and wearables. Other applications will include AR glasses and automotive displays (these do not appear in the graph below).

DSCC believes that MicroLED displays will offer superior performance, but its high price will keep it from being a mainstream technology in the near future. The first microLED smartwatch will launch in 2024, but it will target the high-end of the market and volumes will remain low. 

Yole Intelligence has published its latest microLED market report, in which it sees commercial microLED production starting in 2-3 years, following several delays. In 5-10 years, adoption will increase.

In its base scenario, Yole sees microLED panel sales reaching $1.5 billion in 2029 and $2.2 billion in 2030, with almost 90% coming from wearables and AR/VR/MR microdisplays. The rest of the panels will be used in TV applications. If you want to hear more about Yole's microLED market insights, you are welcome to join the MicroLED-Connect online event later this month.