The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the global economy. It had led to crippling markets, rising unemployment rates, and lagging growth in numerous industries. Many sectors have assumed a position of survival, hoping to just weather the storm until the health crisis is resolved or at least alleviated. For these industries, mitigating the inevitable losses has become the main objective.
Which is why recent developments in the microLED industry are all the more surprising. Despite the challenging economic conditions of 2020Q1 and Q2, a number of significant financial investments and technological breakthroughs have transpired in the field of microLED, which all point to the enormous potential that many display manufacturers see in this up and coming technology.
What is microLED?
MicroLED is a powerful display technology using micron-sized pixels. Fundamentally, microLEDs are miniscule semiconductors that emit light when electrical voltage is applied. This form of light-emitting diode (LED) features many advantages over traditional LCD screens, and it is even preferable in many ways to OLED displays. microLED offers higher brightness, improved contrast, lower energy consumption, and faster response times, and it also enables a variety of new consumer applications, e.g. AR/VR displays, wearable devices, and flexible screens.
Here’s a quick review of some of the most recent developments:
1. AUO & Play Nitride Announce Highest Pixel Density in microLED
Two Taiwanese companies, AU Optronics, a leading display manufacturer, and Play Nitride, a leading microLED company, announced (as reported by LEDinside) that they have successfully produced a 9.4 inch microLED display with the highest pixel density (228 PPI). The screen is also flexible, and with its high brightness and rich colors, this news indicates that the industry continues to move closer towards commercialization of many varied devices and applications.
2. Apple Reportedly Investing in microLED Factory
According to reports in AppleInsider coming out of Taiwan, Apple is planning on investing over $330M to help build a factory that will be dedicated to the production of microLED (and the slightly larger miniLED) displays. Apple has long been interested in the development of microLED technology, acquiring microLED company LuxVue back in 2014. The tech giant has been rumored to be working towards including microLED technology in smartwatches and laptops.
3. Mojo Vision Raises $51M Series B
In the financial realm, TechCrunch reported that AR smart contact lens startup Mojo Vision successfully raised their next round of investment. Securing $51M in series B-1 funds, the company is now looking to bring their technology to product phase, offering, in the words of CEO Drew Perkins, “the benefits of Mojo Lens to people with vision impairments, to enterprises and eventually, consumers.”
4. Plessey Announces Partnership with Facebook for AR Glasses
Speaking of AR vision, Plessey and Facebook are teaming up to accelerate the arrival of smart glasses to the consumer market. Facebook has been focused on VR/AR technology for some time, with their development of Oculus Quest. Meanwhile, Plessey has emerged as a leading developer of microLED technologies, and microLED has the requisite specifications for AR design. According to Plessey, their “LED manufacturing operations will be dedicated to helping Facebook prototype and develop new technologies for potential use in the AR/VR space.”
It is a testament to the exciting potential of microLED technology that even in these challenging times, the industry continues to advance, both technologically and financially.
