The Rapid Development of the Micro LED Industry seeing from innovation to the market

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Throughout this year, the Micro LED industry has been receiving a constant stream of positive news in terms of new product launches, latest technological achievements, project progress, and investment and financing. This has once again accelerated the commercial development of Micro LED. TrendForce has collected and compiled various dynamics of Micro LED since the beginning of the year, providing a retrospective view of the latest progress in the Micro LED industry.

As of early June, a diverse array of Micro LED-related products have emerged this year, covering essential aspects of the Micro LED industry. These products include upstream components such as wafers, chips, devices, backplane materials, driver ICs, production equipment, micro displays, and micro display modules, as well as downstream end-user products like displays, automotive lighting, consumer-grade televisions, and AR glasses. In total, there are approximately 29 different products. These latest Micro LED products reflect the development trends within the Micro LED supply chain.

In the upstream segment, wafer manufacturers are focused on developing larger-sized Micro LED wafers, such as 8-inch and 12-inch wafers. Chip manufacturers are continuously improving the light emission efficiency of Micro LED. Equipment manufacturers are introducing devices that enable larger-scale production and testing of Micro LED.

In the midstream segment, an increasing number of manufacturers are paying attention to the applications of Micro LED micro displays. They have released multiple small-sized, high-resolution, and high-brightness monochrome or full-color micro displays and display modules to meet the application requirements of XR, smartwatches, and other head-mounted or wearable devices.

In the downstream and end-user segments, the abundant applications of Micro LED can be observed. These applications range from common large-sized display screen products to small-sized AR glasses, and even to automotive lighting and display applications, as well as flexible touch displays. Micro LED demonstrates its diverse range of applications as the ultimate display technology.

Furthermore, Micro LED applications extend beyond the aforementioned areas. Recent reports reveal that Apple plans to upgrade iPhone screen materials from OLED to Micro LED in the future, aiming to achieve higher brightness, lower power consumption, and superior contrast.

Eric Chiu, Vice President of TrendForce, predicts that looking ahead to 2026, with further maturation of Micro LED technology and costs, AR and automotive displays are expected to enter a fast track of development, driving the demand for Micro LED chips. Based on significant cost reductions, there is bold anticipation that by 2027, smartphones will also provide opportunities for Micro LED applications.

While the Micro LED industry boasts a rich variety of related products, Micro LED technology still faces several challenges. Therefore, continuous research efforts are underway, involving collaboration between academia and industry to gradually improve Micro LED performance. This year alone, approximately 17 Micro LED-related research projects have achieved notable results. These include advancements in red light efficiency, realization of full-color displays, improvement in massive transfer efficiency, and research on new structures and materials for Micro LED. The ultimate goal is to enhance Micro LED performance, production efficiency, and reduce application costs.

For more information on reports and market data from TrendForce’s Department of Display Research, please click here, or email Ms. Vivie Liu from the Sales Department at graceli@trendforce.com

(Photo credit: AUO)