MicroLED Display Technology and Market Outlook

Report Summary

MicroLED display technology is making rapid progress and is now at an early stage of commercialization. However, there are still challenges to establish a reliable supply chain and lower the manufacturing cost, despite the push by companies such as Apple, Samsung and Facebook. The report addresses the technical hurdles which depend mostly on the choice of manufacturing technology. Included in the report are market forecasts to 2027, based on DSCC’s analysis of the competitive landscape in the display industry. This report will be useful to every company in the microLED supply chain: LED manufacturers, panel makers, technology developers, OEMs, assembly houses, and end users.

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With growing interest in MicroLEDs, DSCC is proud to announce a new report on MicroLED Display Technology and Market Outlook.

MicroLEDs have garnered a lot of interest because of the potential advantages over other flat-panel display technologies, most notably in high efficiency, high brightness, high color saturation, faster response rate, and longer lifetime. This unique combination of features would make MicroLED the superior display for many applications, ranging from super large TVs to microdisplays for use in AR/VR headsets. The ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions is also particularly attractive for the automotive industry.

MicroLEDs have generated a lot of hype, but also a lot of confusion amongst the mainstream media. This is because MicroLED displays can be manufactured in different ways, and each one will bring its own set of challenges and possible applications.

The report covers the two general manufacturing methods: monolithic or mass transfer. The monolithic approach is the preferred route to make microdisplays that are below 1-inch in diagonal and with a very high pixel density above 5,000 PPI. These miniature displays are very promising for AR/VR since they can achieve millions of nits in brightness without sacrificing contrast or compactness. However, obtaining a full color display has proven to be a challenge.

The mass transfer approach consists in moving a large number of individual MicroLEDs on the display substrate. This method can, in theory, produce displays of any size, including large TVs above 100-inch in diagonal. There are currently several mass transfer technologies under development.

Samsung has already started selling luxury MicroLED video walls to consumers. However, the LED chips on these displays are still larger than 100 μm, which is the commonly accepted size definition for a MicroLED. Future MicroLED TVs will be based on smaller LED chips, which will help reduce the total BoM of the display. However, shrinking the LED chips too much can have an impact on efficiency and affect the performance of the display.

The report covers all these issues in detail and shows the various solutions under development by the MicroLED industry. The report also includes market forecasts to 2027, segmented by applications.

Topics Covered Include:

- Epitaxy and efficiency challenges
- Mass transfer technologies
- Yield and defect management strategies
- Color conversion with quantum dots
- Backplanes and driving schemes
- Monolithic displays
- Cost analysis (epiwafers, backplanes, QD color conversion, transfer costs)
- Competitive landscape

Companies Mentioned

Aledia
ALLOS
Ams OSRAM
Apple
AUO
Coherent
eLux
Ennostar
Foxconn
GE
Google
Jade Bird Display
K&S
Konka
Lumileds
Meta
MICLEDI Microdisplays
Mojo Vision
Nanosys
PlayNitride
Plessey Semiconductors
Porotech
Samsung
Seoul Viosys
Snap
Sony
TCL
VueReal
Vuzix
X Display
Xiaomi

1. Introduction and Executive Summary p. 5

Recent Announcements
Market Forecast Summary
Overview of MicroLED Applications
MicroLED Manufacturing Routes
Current Status of MicroLED TVs
MicroLED Displays for AR/VR

2. MicroLED Supply Chain p.23

Samsung
Apple
Meta
Snap
Google
Vuzix
Xiaomi
TCL
Konka
Sony
Ennostar
PlayNitride
AUO
Foxconn
Seoul Viosys
Ams OSRAM
Aledia
VueReal
Jade Bird Display
MICLEDI Microdisplays
Plessey Semiconductors
Mojo Vision
Nanosys

3. Epitaxy & Chip Manufacturing p.63

Epitaxy by MOCVD
2D vs. 3D MicroLEDs (Nanowires)
Sapphire vs. Silicon Substrates
Chip Structure

4. MicroLED Efficiency p.88

External Quantum Efficiency (EQE)
Why Efficiency is a Challenge
Improving MicroLED Performance

5. Monolithic MicroLED Displays p.104

Monolithic Displays
Various Approaches to Hybridization
Sapphire vs. Silicon Wafers
CMOS Backplane
Wafer Mismatch
Micro-optics
Challenges with Colors
Combining Displays
QD Color Conversion
Native Colors
Porotech

6. Mass Transfer Processes p.133

Overview of Mass Transfer Processes
Stamp Based
Laser-Assisted
Fluidic Assembly
Continuous/Semi-continuous
Other Techniques

7. Yield & Defect Management p.180

Yield Management with Mass Transfer
Redundancy
Test and Repair
Defect Management and Compensation
Defects in Monolithic Displays

8. Color Conversion p.199

Quantum Dot Color Conversion (QDCC)
Photolithography Vs Inkjet Printing
Key Optical Properties for QDCC: Blue Absorption, External Quantum Efficiency, Color Gamut
Key Players and Demos
Phosphors

9. Display Driving and Backplane p.225