VR / AR - Page 10

According to reports from Japan's Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, Sharp is developing MicroLED microdisplays, with an aim to mass produce such panels in 2023 or 2024 for AR and VR applications.

Sharp apparently already developed two prototypes, including a 0.38" 1053 PPI color one and a 0.13" 3000 PPI blue display. The color display uses blue microLEDs with Sharp's own proprietary color conversion QD technology.

UK-based GaN-On-Si MicroLED microdisplay developer Plessey Semiconductor announced a partnership with Facebook - in fact Plessey will dedicated all of its manufacturing operations to support Facebook with its own product development.

Plessey says that its displays will be used to support Facebook's prototypes, and the company will develop new microLED technologies to future AR/VR applications.

Canada-based VueReal is a startup company that develop Micro-LED based microdisplays. The company's Continuous Pixelation micro-printing technology offers high density displays, high production yields and a simple design.

VueReal's founder and CEO, Reza Chaji, was kind enough to answer a few questions we had on the company's technology and business.

Reza, thank you for your time. Can you explain VueReal's micro-printing process and technology?

VueReal’s solution is a true printing process where you do not need to pick LEDs for each transfer. It is based on a cartridge design by VueReal that releases the LEDs selectively into the substrate.

In October 2019 MicroLED microdisplay developer Plessey Semiconductor announced a partnership with Compound Photonics to co-develop microLED display modules. The two companies announced today that the first fully addressable microLED display module was produced and tested.

Plessey says that this first functioning microLED prototype validates the successful bonding of Plessey’s GaN-on-Si microLED array wafer to CP's high-performance 3.015 micron pixel 1080p backplane wafer. The module that was produced (shown above) is a 0.26" FHD monochrome native-green display.

UK-based GaN-On-Si MicroLED microdisplay developer Plessey Semiconductor announced a new partnership with waveguide designer WaveOptics to develop new optical modules for next-generation smart glasses.

The module will incorporate Plessey's high brightness green Full-HD microLED displays with WaveOptics' Katana waveguide technology and projector design. Plessey says that this module will be the smallest and lowest mass AR display module available on the market.

Earlier in January, Belgium-based MICLEDI announced that it raised 4.5 million Euro to develop next-generation MicroLED microdisplays for AR applications.

We had a short talk with MICLEDI's CEO, Sean Lord, who helped us understand a bit more about the company's technology and goals. MICLEDI is indeed focused entirely on the AR market, and so aims to provide display engines that will be extremely bright (over 10 million nits), efficient, and with a very small footprint. In addition costs are also important for the future consumer AR market.

MICLEDI, established in Belgium in 2019 as a spin-off from IMEC, announced that it raised €4.5 million to develop next-generation microLED microdisplays for AR applications.

MICLEDI says that it displays will be the smallest and possible on the market - enabled by its new integration technology for microLED on 300 mm wafers, developed in collaboration with imec.

Market analysts at Yole Developpement say that microLED shipments will reach over 125 million panels by 2027. In their aggressive scenario, shipments will reach almost 450 million.

Yole says that microLED technologies are advancing rapidly - and on all fronts, but there are still many challenges to overcome before mass production arrives. MicroLED makes a strong case for the AR, smartwatch and automotive market. For the smartphones and TV markets it is less clear whether MicroLEDs could succeed.

AU Optronics president, Paul Peng, says that he expects Micro-LED displays to enter the market within 1-2 years. The first displays will be large-area signage and small-sized VR displays. Micro-LEDs for the automotive market will take longer to commercialize - around 5 years.

AUO recently demonstrated a 12.1" LTPS micro-LED display prototype that features a resolution of 1920x720 (169 PPI). AUO discloses that this display was produced using the company's self-developed transfer process that can move 50,000 - 60,000 LEDs per transfer (AUO did not detail the time it takes to perform a single transfer, though). AUO is now developing repair technology to take care of damaged LEDs.

AR developer Mojo Vision announced that it developed a 14k sub-pixel PPI (1.8μm sub-pixel pitch) Micro-LED microdisplay, to power its upcoming AR platform. The microdisplay is a monochrome green one, that the company says is the smallest display ever developed at 0.48 mm diameter.

This prototype, according to Mojo Vision, demonstrates the capability that MicroLEDs have to create more seamless AR experiences. The company did not say how close it is to commercialize the display, but did say that it will release more details on its MicroLED displays and technology development at a "future date