Feature: Displays MicroLED and other displays


There’s no denying it: COVID-19 has affected us entirely, transforming not only our lives and work styles, but also how industries and supply chains operate. In February 2020, COVID-19 was most severe in China, therefore many analyses focused on supply chain safety. From March 2020, as Covid-19 went global, economies became severely stifled, with unemployment rapidly rising, despite government support in some countries. The consumer industry was one of the most affected, as individuals and businesses stopped buying less necessary products. However, this was slightly different for displays, where sales increased for some applications and decreased for others. For example, as people started communicating remotely during the pandemic, more displays were being sold.


By IdTech research staff


entering the field. Mini- and Micro-LED makers began to enter partnerships, mergers and joint ventures and make acquisitions. On the demand side, end users are looking


A


for flexible displays with better performance, and Micro-LED displays can meet these demands. Tese displays consist of arrays of microscopic LEDs based on inorganic material, forming individual pixel elements. Since each Micro-LED self-illuminates, there’s no need for separate backlighting, unlike with other display technologies. In addition, they offer a wide colour gamut, high luminance, low power consumption, excellent stability and long lifetime, wide viewing angles, high dynamic range, high contrast, fast refresh rate, transparency, seamless connection, and easy sensor integration, with supported interactivity. Some features are unique to Micro-LED technology, which is why it is considered a potential game-changer in the display industry; see Figure 1. With some unique value propositions,


Micro-LED displays can serve the existing applications markets, but also create new ones. For instance, their seamless tiling feature can be used to build Micro-LED modules to then form larger displays with different sizes and customised shapes. It’s worth noting that Micro-LEDs’ features make them ideal for automotive displays, too.


Regional developments Te global landscape for LCDs seems to be clearer. In 2020, Samsung Display sold its


mid all this, Micro- LEDs began to be seen as a disruptive display technology, with several display vendors and backplane makers


Figure 1: Demand and supply of Micro-LED displays


Suzhou LCD plant to CSOT (part of Chinese home-appliance maker TCL) for $1.08bn, signalling Samsung’s exit from the LCD business. In fact, Samsung introduced its Micro-LED TV technology during CES in 2018. Another big player, LG Display, has halted


its domestic production of LCD panels. Korean vendors have reduced their LCD panel production and shiſted to QLEDs and OLEDs. Equally, several Japanese and Taiwanese companies are also getting out of the LCD business or slowing down their investments in this technology. LCD manufacturing is now shiſting to mainland China for cost reasons, production efficiency and industry chain support. In the OLED area, panel production is


dominated by Korean companies. SDC and LGD have supported upstream material- and equipment companies, building good ecosystems. For the downstream applications, Samsung small/middle-sized OLED panels go into Samsung smartphones, whilst LGD’s large OLED panels first go into LG TVs.


At present, Samsung and LG dominate


small/middle and large-sized OLED panels, respectively. Regarding the core, upstream, materials


and equipment, Japan and Germany are very strong. Teir advantages can be applied to not only LCDs or OLEDs but future new display types, too. In effect, getting involved in a new


display technology can bring interesting opportunities to display companies, and break the current regional clusters as well as, beneficially, form new industry structures.


What can be learned? Te IDTechEx report “Micro-LED Displays 2021-2031: Technology, Commercialization, Opportunity, Market and Players” covers the Micro-LED display industry and provides technology assessment, application interpretation, market landscape, business opportunities, supply chain and market player analysis. Te report can help understand the technology, its current and future status, to better make strategic decisions.


www.electronicsworld.co.uk July/August 2021 33


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58