News: LEDs
13 February 2020
Compound Photonics and Plessey produce first 0.26-inch fully addressable integrated micro-LED display module for AR/MR
Compound Photonics US Corp (CP) of Vancouver, WA, USA, a provider of compact high-resolution microdisplay technologies for augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) applications, and UK-based Plessey Semiconductors Ltd, which develops embedded micro-LED technology for augmented-reality and mixed-reality (AR/MR) display applications, have produced the first fully addressable micro-LED display modules resulting from their strategic partnership (announced last October) to develop and introduce GaN-on-silicon micro-LED-based micro-display solutions for AR/MR applications.
Functional micro-LED display modules have been fabricated that combine CP’s high-speed digital low-latency display backplane with Plessey’s GaN-on-Si monolithic micro-LED array technology. Plessey produced the micro-LED array wafer bonded to CP’s backplane wafer at its facility in Plymouth, UK. CP assembled and packaged display modules from the bonded wafer pair at its facility in Phoenix, AZ, USA. Both teams are currently performing initial characterization work at CP’s headquarters in Vancouver, WA.
“This successful proof-of-concept demonstration validates both companies’ goals to produce the industry’s highest-performance micro-LED display modules that deliver improved brightness at the smallest pixel sizes, higher frame rates, with extended bit depth at the lowest power consumption to best serve next-generation emissive-display-based AR/MR smart glasses and heads-up/head-mounted displays (HUD/HMDs) applications,” says Mike Lee, Plessey’s president of corporate & business development.
“These prototype micro-LED displays provide important confirmation that Plessey’s monolithic GaN-on-silicon IP, fabrication technology and bonding processes match perfectly with CP’s industry-leading 3.015μm pixel-pitch 1080p (1920x1080 pixel) backplane design to deliver compact high-resolution micro-displays,” says Compound Photonics’ CEO Yiwan Wong. “Combined with CP’s NOVA high-performance display driver architecture, these micro-LED displays support an industry-standard MIPI interface to take advantage of CP’s unique display pipeline solution designed for the real-time needs of AR/MR applications,” he adds. “CP’s display drive technology is extensible across multiple display technologies enabled by full software configurability, allowing customers to build their systems for specific power and performance needs.”
Initial samples of a 0.26-inch diagonal, Full-HD 1080p-resolution micro-LED display module integrated with display driver IC and MIPI input are expected to be available by this summer.
Compound Photonics and Plessey partner on micro-LED displays for AR/MR applications
