All-in-One RGB MicroLEDs
May 17, 2019 | CEA-LetiEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Leti, a research institute of CEA Tech, today announced a new technology for fabricating GaN microLED displays for applications ranging from smart watches to TVs with no size limit.
The approach fabricates elementary units of all-in-one red, green, blue (RGB) microLEDs on a CMOS driving circuit, and transfers the devices to a simple receiving substrate. The units are fabricated with a full semiconductor, wafer-scale approach.
“This new process, in the proof-of-concept stage, paves the way to commercial, high-performance microLED displays,” said François Templier, CEA-Leti’s strategic marketing manager for photonic devices. “The CMOS-based approach provides higher brightness and higher resolution microLEDs and is a game changer for very large TVs.”
While they promise exceptional image quality and better energy efficiency than existing liquid crystal display (LCD) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technologies, microLED displays currently face significant barriers on the road to commercialization.
One of the biggest challenges is improving the performance of the driving electronics, which require more power to deliver brighter images and more speed to support continuously increasing demands for high display resolution. Faster electronics are required to power millions of pixels in a fixed-frame time in microLED displays, but existing driving display technology, known as thin-film transistor (TFT) active matrix, cannot provide the necessary current and speed.
CEA-Leti’s new approach fabricates CMOS-driven, high-performance GaN microLED displays with a simplified transfer process that eliminates the use of the TFT backplane. RGB microLEDs are stacked directly onto a micro-CMOS circuit, and each unit is transferred onto a simple receiving substrate. Then, the RGB microLEDs and the backplane are fabricated on a single semiconductor line.
In addition to increasing power and driving speed – and improving display performance – this process avoids several costly steps needed with current technology to make electrical and mechanical contacts between microLEDs and the receiving substrates.
CEA-Leti presented a paper on the breakthrough titled “A New Approach for Fabricating High-Performance MicroLED Displays” on May 14, during Display Week 2019 in San Jose, California.
Suggested Items
SMC Korea 2024 to Highlight Semiconductor Materials Trends and Innovations on Industry’s Path to $1 Trillion
04/24/2024 | SEMIWith Korea a major consumer of semiconductor materials and advanced materials a key driver of innovation on the industry’s path to $1 trillion, industry leaders and experts will gather at SMC (Strategic Materials Conference) Korea 2024 on May 29 at the Suwon Convention Center in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea to provide insights into the latest materials developments and trends. Registration is open.
Orbex Secures £16.7m Investment for Rocket ‘Ramp Up’ Period
04/24/2024 | OrbexThe UK spaceflight company Orbex has received £16.7m from six backers in an update to its Series C funding round.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Going Vertical: SCHMID's Advanced Solutions for Printed Circuit Boards
04/24/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOEditor Marcy LaRont chats with Bob Ferguson, the president of SCHMID, about advanced solutions for PCBs and the equipment they are highlighting at this year's show. He delves into vertical no-touch handling systems and the prospect of achieving sub-10-micron lines. Inspired by SCHMID's technology, Bob expresses excitement about where the industry is today.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Advancements in Laser Depaneling with LPKF
04/24/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOJake Benz, LPKF sales manager for North America, discusses the company's advancements in laser depaneling. LPKF has introduced a green wavelength laser for processing rigid FR-4 circuit boards, bringing significant gains in processing speeds to market. The company transitioned from IR CO2 to UV wavelength due to heat and burning issues.
Adura Solutions Exhibits at Del Mar 2024
04/24/2024 | Adura SolutionsSumit Tomar, CEO of Adura Solutions, has announced that his company will be exhibiting at this year’s Del Mar Electronics and Manufacturing Show to be held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, San Diego, California, April 24-25.