News: LEDs
22 March 2022
MICLEDI collaborating with GlobalFoundries on manufacturing micro-LED displays for AR glasses
MICLEDI Microdisplays B.V. of Leuven, Belgium, a fabless developer of micro-LED arrays for high-end augmented reality (AR) glasses, has announced a manufacturing collaboration with GlobalFoundries (GF) of Malta, NY, USA (which has operations in Singapore, Germany and the USA), aiming to enable AR glasses to achieve the brightness, resolution, power, size and economies of scale needed to become affordable for consumers.
MICLEDI’s solution will be combined with GF’s 22FDX feature-rich platform that provides the performance, ultra-low power and broad feature integration capability needed to fabricate MICLEDI’s micro-LED arrays in mass production. Such companion integrated circuits, which can be customized for different customer applications, will provide the image processing, driver and control functions needed to complete the display modules using wafer-to-wafer hybrid bonding.
Picture: MICLEDI demonstrates micro-LEDs on its proprietary 300mm wafer flow.
The overall global AR market is estimated to be growing at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.5% from 2021 to $88.4bn in 2026 (according to MarketsandMarkets), as it becomes the next consumer platform.
“Demand for AR and VR products will soar as users experience more immersive augmented reality,” reckons Ed Kaste, VP of Industrial and Multi-Market at GlobalFoundries. “MICLEDI’s micro-LED solution, combined with GF's 22FDX platform, addresses the demanding needs of future AR glasses by providing ultra-high-resolution displays and advanced imaging technology that make stunning visual detail and color possible,” he adds.
“We are pleased to collaborate with GF as we move from pilot-line manufacturing to mass production in a world-class fab,” says MICLEDI Microdisplays’ CEO Sean Lord. “To enable optimum micro-displays for AR, MICLEDI has developed a unique and innovative solution for micro-LED manufacturing integrating both the controller IC and emitter module to leverage GFs 300mm semiconductor manufacturing technology, capitalizing on manufacturing precision for product performance, high volume and low cost.”
