Published January 2022 | 190 pages, 42 tables, 85 figures | Table of contents
This report covers the market for Mini LEDs and Micro LEDs. The displays market is constantly advancing, with new technologies allowing for greatly improved brightness, HDR, and colour reproducibility. Recently, miniLED and microLED have attracted major attention in the displays market and are being implemented in products by consumer electronics giants such as Samsung and Apple. LG has recently announced they will be launching micro LED TVs in 2022. Samsung is adding an 89-inch MicroLED TV to its product line-up and with displays that are bezel-free. The market is projected to explode in the next few years, taking a significant chunk of the displays market and pushing into wearables, transparent display, flexible display, stretchable display for skin-integrated devices, AR/VR, smartphones automotive lighting such as active headlights, and projector applications.
MiniLED backlights are utilized in large-screen TVs, monitors, automotive and industrial applications. Improvements MiniLED offer over incumbent display technologies include:
- High brightness.
- High contrast ratio.
- Low power consumption.
- Higher efficiency.
MicroLED will start to gain market traction in 2022. MicroLEDs are targeted at direct view displays. Improvements they offer include:
- high efficiency
- high brightness-readable under sunshine (>10,000 nits)
- high colour saturation
- ultra-high resolution (>2000 dpi with Si backplane)
- ultra-low power consumption
- flexibility
- quick response rate (on/off switching within nano-seconds).
- long lifetime (>80,000 hours).
These properties make them attractive for application in very large TVs, AR/VR and automotive applications. Other applications include wearable/implantable optoelectronic devices, light communication/light interconnection, medical treatment, spatial imaging etc.
Report contents include:
- Latest technology and supply chain information.
- Industry trends and growth drivers.
- Assessment of technology challenges.
- Industry developments in the past 18 months.
- Current and planned miniLED and microLED products.
- Analysis of markets and applications for miniLED and microLEDs. Markets covered include TVs, AR and VR, smartphones, automotive, wearables and smartwatches, laptops, monitors and tablets, medical displays, flexible, stretchable and foldable displays and transparent displays.
- Current market and forecasts for miniLED and microLEDs, by revenues, units and applications.
- Assessment of competitive landscape.
- Profiles of 72 companies in the miniLED and microLED market. Companies profiled include Aledia, ALLOS Semiconductors GmbH, AU Optronics Corporation, Foxconn Electronics, Glō, iBeam Materials, Inc., Innolux Corporation , Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Japan Display Inc. (JDI), Royole Corporation, Konka Group, LG Display Co., Ltd., MICLEDI Microdisplays, Mikro Mesa Technology Co., Ltd., Nichia Corporation, PlayNitride, Inc., Rohinni LLC, Samsung, San'an Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., Seoul Semiconductor/Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd., Sony, Vuzix Corporation. TCL Electronics, Tianma Microelectronics Co., Ltd., VueReal and more.
1 REPORT AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 15
2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 17
- 2.1 The MiniLED market 17
- 2.2 The MicroLED market 17
- 2.3 The Global display market 18
- 2.3.1 Display technologies assessment 19
- 2.4 Motivation for use of MiniLEDs and MicroLEDs 21
- 2.5 MiniLED and MicroLEDs applications 22
- 2.6 Market and technology challenges 25
- 2.7 Industry developments 2020-2022 27
- 2.8 CES 2021 30
- 2.9 CES 2022 displays innovations 31
- 2.10 Market activity in China 32
- 2.11 Global shipment forecasts for Mini LEDs and MicroLEDs to 2027 34
- 2.11.1 MiniLEDs 34
- 2.11.1.1 Units 34
- 2.11.2 MicroLEDs 35
- 2.11.2.1 Units 35
- 2.11.1 MiniLEDs 34
3 TECHNOLOGY BACKGROUND 37
- 3.1 MiniLED (mLED) vs MicroLED (µLED) 37
- 3.1.1 Display configurations 37
- 3.2 MiniLED displays 38
- 3.2.1 Comparison to LCD and OLED 39
- 3.2.2 Advantages and disadvantages 41
- 3.2.3 Backplane types 41
- 3.2.3.1 Passive matrix driving miniLED 42
- 3.2.3.2 Active matrix driving miniLED 43
- 3.2.4 Costs 45
- 3.2.5 High dynamic range miniLED displays 46
- 3.2.6 Trends in MiniLED displays 48
- 3.2.7 Quantum dot films for miniLED displays 49
- 3.2.8 Perovskite colour enhancement film in MiniLEDs 50
- 3.3 MicroLED 51
- 3.3.1 Development 51
- 3.3.1.1 Sony 51
- 3.3.2 Types 52
- 3.3.3 Comparison to LCD and OLED 53
- 3.3.4 MicroLED displays 54
- 3.3.5 Advantages 55
- 3.3.5.1 Transparency 56
- 3.3.5.2 Borderless 57
- 3.3.5.3 Flexibility 58
- 3.3.6 Costs 58
- 3.3.7 Manufacturing 58
- 3.3.7.1 Epitaxy and Chip Processing 59
- 3.3.7.1.1 Uniformity 60
- 3.3.7.2 Assembly Technologies 60
- 3.3.7.2.1 Monolithic fabrication of microdisplays 60
- 3.3.7.2.2 Mass transfer 62
- 3.3.7.2.3 Mass Transfer Processes 63
- 3.3.7.2.3.1 Elastomer Stamp Transfer 64
- 3.3.7.2.3.2 Roll-to-Roll or Roll-to-Panel Imprinting 65
- 3.3.7.2.3.3 Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) 66
- 3.3.7.2.3.4 Electrostatic Transfer 67
- 3.3.7.2.3.5 Micro vacuum-based transfer 68
- 3.3.7.2.3.6 Adhesive Stamp 68
- 3.3.7.2.3.7 Fluidically Self-Assembled Transfer 68
- 3.3.7.3 Full colour conversion 69
- 3.3.7.3.1 Phosphor Colour Conversion LEDs 71
- 3.3.7.3.2 Quantum dots colour conversion 72
- 3.3.7.1 Epitaxy and Chip Processing 59
- 3.3.1 Development 51
4 DISPLAY BACKLIGHTS 73
- 4.1 TVs 73
- 4.1.1 The market in 2021 73
- 4.1.2 MiniLED Quantum Dot TV 74
- 4.1.3 Products with miniLED backlight 75
- 4.2 Smartwatches and wearables 76
- 4.3 Smartphones 77
- 4.4 Samsung 77
- 4.4.1 Wall display and microLED TV 77
- 4.4.2 Neo QLED TV range 78
- 4.5 LG 79
- 4.5.1 LG mini QNED range 79
- 4.5.2 MAGNIT MicroLED TV 79
- 4.6 TCL 80
- 4.6.1 8 Series and 6 Series 80
5 LAPTOPS, MONITORS AND TABLETS 81
- 5.1 MiniLED 81
- 5.2 Apple 84
6 FLEXIBLE, STRETCHABLE AND FOLDABLE MICROLED 85
- 6.1 Foldable microLED displays 86
- 6.2 Product developers 87
7 BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MEDICAL DISPLAYS 88
- 7.1 MicroLEDS 88
- 7.2 Product developers 89
8 AUTOMOTIVE 90
- 8.1 MiniLED 90
- 8.2 MicroLED 91
- 8.2.1 Head-up display (HUD) 93
- 8.2.2 Headlamps 94
- 8.3 Product developers 95
9 VIRTUAL (VR) AND AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) 96
- 9.1 MiniLED 96
- 9.2 MicroLED 96
- 9.2.1 Smart glasses and head-mounted displays (HMDs) 97
- 9.3 Product developers 97
10 TRANSPARENT DISPLAYS 99
- 10.1 Applications 99
- 10.2 MicroLEDs 100
- 10.3 Product developers 101
11 SUPPLY CHAIN 102
- 11.1 miniLEDs 102
- 11.2 microLEDs 104
12 COMPANY PROFILES 106
13 REFERENCES 185
Tables
- Table 1. Summary of display technologies. 19
- Table 2. MiniLED applications. 22
- Table 3. MicroLED applications. 23
- Table 4. Market and technology challenges for miniLED and microLED. 25
- Table 5. Micro and MicroLED industry developments 2020-2022. 27
- Table 6. MiniLED and microLED product announcements at CES 2021. 30
- Table 7. Mini/microLED acivity in China. 32
- Table 8. MicroLED display forecast (thousands of units) to 2027. 35
- Table 9. Comparison between miniLED and microLED. 38
- Table 10. Comparison between miniLED displays and other display types. 39
- Table 11. Advantages and disadvantages of MiniLEDs. 41
- Table 12. Comparison of AM and PM driving. 42
- Table 13. MicroLED backlight costs. 46
- Table 14. Comparison to conventional LEDs. 52
- Table 15. Types of microLED. 52
- Table 16. Comparison to LCD and OLED. 53
- Table 17. Schematic comparison to LCD and OLED. 54
- Table 18. Commercially available microLED products and specifications. 54
- Table 19. microLED-based display advantages and disadvantages. 56
- Table 20. Mass transfer methods, by company. 62
- Table 21. Comparison of various mass transfer technologies. 63
- Table 22. Comparison of LED TV technologies. 73
- Table 23. MiniLED TV products. 75
- Table 24. Samsung Neo QLED TV range. 79
- Table 25. LG mini QNED range 79
- Table 26.TCL range of miniLED TVs. 80
- Table 27. MiniLED laptop, monitor and tablet products and prototypes. 81
- Table 28. Flexible, stretchable and foldable miniLED and MicroLED products. 87
- Table 29. Medical display miniLED and MicroLED products. 89
- Table 30. Automotive display & backlight architectures 90
- Table 31. Applications of microLED in automotive. 92
- Table 32. Automotive display miniLED and MicroLED products. 95
- Table 33. Comparison of AR Display Light Engines. 96
- Table 34. VR and AR MicroLED products. 97
- Table 35. Applications of miniLED and microLED transparent displays. 99
- Table 36. Companies developing MicroLED transparent displays. 101
- Table 37. microLED supply chain. 104
- Table 38. LG mini QNED range 144
- Table 39. Samsung Neo QLED TV range. 161
- Table 40. San’an Mini and Micro LED Production annual target. 162
- Table 41. NPQDTM vs Traditional QD based Micro-LEDs. 164
- Table 42. TCL miniLED product range. 173
Figures
- Figure 1. The progress of display technology, from LCD to MicroLED. 21
- Figure 2. MiniLEDs backlights to 2027, by market (Million units). 35
- Figure 3. MicroLED display forecast (thousands of units) to 2027. 36
- Figure 4. Display system configurations. 37
- Figure 5. Schematic of LCD with MicroLED backlight. 39
- Figure 6. Schematic for configuration of full colour microLED display 40
- Figure 7. Comparison of AM and PM driving. 42
- Figure 8. BOE glass-based backplane process. 45
- Figure 9. MSI curved quantum dot miniLED display. 49
- Figure 10. MicroLED schematic. 51
- Figure 11. Pixels per inch roadmap of µ-LED displays from 2007 to 2019. 53
- Figure 12. Comparison of microLED with other display technologies. 55
- Figure 13. Lextar 10.6 inch transparent microLED display. 57
- Figure 14. Transition to borderless design. 58
- Figure 15. Schematics of a elastomer stamping, b electrostatic/electromagnetic transfer, c laser-assisted transfer and d fluid self-assembly. 64
- Figure 16. Schematics of Roll-based mass transfer. 66
- Figure 17. Schematic of laser-induced forward transfer technology. 67
- Figure 18. Schematic of fluid self-assembly technology. 69
- Figure 19. Schematic of colour conversion technology. 70
- Figure 20. Process flow of a full-colour microdisplay. 71
- Figure 21. LG QNED miniLED TV. 74
- Figure 22. microLED wearable display prototype. 76
- Figure 23. APHAEA Watch. 76
- Figure 24. Samsung Wall display system. 78
- Figure 25. Samsung Neo QLED 8K. 79
- Figure 26. MAGNIT MicroLED TV. 80
- Figure 27. Acer Predator X32 Mini-LED Gaming Monitor. 81
- Figure 28. Acer EI491CRG9 curved miniLED display. 82
- Figure 29. 12.9-inch iPad Pro. 82
- Figure 30. Apple Pro Display XDR. 82
- Figure 31. Asus ProArt PA32UCX. 82
- Figure 32. Lenovo ThinkVision Creator Extreme P27. 83
- Figure 33. Creator 17 gaming laptop. 83
- Figure 34. Samsung Odyssey G9 Neo gaming monitor. 83
- Figure 35. AU Optonics Flexible MicroLED Display. 85
- Figure 36. Schematic of the TALT technique for wafer-level microLED transferring. 86
- Figure 37. Foldable 4K C SEED M1. 86
- Figure 38. MicroLEDs for medical applications 88
- Figure 39. 2023 Cadillac Lyriq EV incorporating mini-LED display. 91
- Figure 40. MicroLED automotive display. 91
- Figure 41. Issues in current commercial automotive HUD. 94
- Figure 42. Rear lamp utilizing flexible MicroLEDs. 95
- Figure 43. Vuzix microLED microdisplay Smart Glasses. 97
- Figure 44. Different transparent displays and transmittance limitations. 100
- Figure 45. 7.56" high transparency & frameless MicroLED display. 100
- Figure 46. Supply Chain of miniLED Backlight. 102
- Figure 47. WireLED in 12” Silicon Wafer. 107
- Figure 48. Typical GaN-on-Si LED structure. 108
- Figure 49. 300 mm GaN-on-silicon epiwafer. 109
- Figure 50. MicroLED chiplet architecture. 110
- Figure 51. 1.39-inch full-circle microLED display 111
- Figure 52. 9.4" flexible MicroLED display. 112
- Figure 53. BOE MiniLED display TV. 113
- Figure 54. BOE miniLED automotive display. 114
- Figure 55. Image obtained on a blue active-matrix WVGA (wide video graphics array) microdisplay. 115
- Figure 56. Fabrication of the 10-µm pixel pitch LED array on sapphire. 116
- Figure 57. A 200-mm wafer with CMOS active matrices for GaN 873 × 500-pixel microdisplay at 10-µm pitch. 116
- Figure 58. IntelliPix™ design for 0.26″ 1080p microLED display. 117
- Figure 59. C Seed 165-inch M1 microLED TV. 119
- Figure 60. Flexible microLED. 133
- Figure 61. Jade Bird Display microdisplays. 135
- Figure 62. JBD's 0.13-inch panel. 135
- Figure 63. Prototype microLED display. 137
- Figure 64. APHAEA MicroLED watch. 138
- Figure 65. Lextar 2021 micro LED and mini LED products. 143
- Figure 66. LSAB009 microLED display. 144
- Figure 67. Schematic of Micro Nitride chip architecture. 148
- Figure 68. Nationstar Mini LED IMD Package P0.5mm. 151
- Figure 69. 9.4" flexible MicroLED display. 154
- Figure 70. 7.56-inch transparent Micro LED display. 154
- Figure 71. 48 x 36 Passive Matrix microLED display. 156
- Figure 72. Micro-LED stretchable display. 159
- Figure 73. The Wall. 160
- Figure 74. Samsung Neo QLED 8K. 161
- Figure 75. NPQD™ Technology for MicroLEDs. 163
- Figure 76. Wicop technology. 165
- Figure 77. B-Series and C-Series displays. 169
- Figure 78. Photo-polymer mass transfer process. 171
- Figure 79. Vuzix uLED display engine. 172
- Figure 80. TCL MiniLED TV schematic. 173
- Figure 81. The Cinema Wall MicroLED display. 174
- Figure 82. 7.56” Transparent Display. 175
- Figure 83. UMini0.9 4K. 177
- Figure 84. VueReal Flipchip microLED (30x15 um2). 180
- Figure 85. Mi TV Master series. 182
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