Saphlux, a semiconductor technology company in Xi'an dedicated to high-performance Micro-LED technology development, announced the official completion of its first silicon-based Micro-LED micro-display production line on December 6.
Dr. Song Jie, Vice President of Saphlux, said, "As the first large-size silicon-based Micro-LED micro-display production line in the country, its completion means that the cost of micro-displays as optical engines for AR glasses will decrease, thereby driving down the overall cost of the glasses and providing a price advantage for the mass market adoption of AR glasses."
Currently, the display industry has reached a stage of "major reshuffling of generations", with various new display technologies such as organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays, light-emitting diode (LED) displays, laser displays, and Micro-LED competing for development. Among them, Micro-LED has significant advantages in brightness, large size, and power consumption, providing strong support for applications in areas such as televisions, monitors, AR/VR, smartphones, laptops, and tablets, and is considered the "ultimate display technology" that will disrupt the industry, as well as the mainstream trend and development direction of future display technologies.
However, issues such as chip preparation, transfer technology yield, and cost have always been obstacles to Micro-LED mass production. In order to improve the production efficiency and reduce the cost of Micro-LED, the use of larger-size wafers is also a key factor in considering the cost of Micro-LED, which is one of the reasons why many wafer manufacturers continue to develop larger-size Micro-LED wafers.
Now, with the announcement of the official completion of the first large-size silicon-based Micro-LED micro-display production line by Saphlux in Xi'an, the obstacles to mass production of large-size silicon-based Micro-LEDs are expected to be completely removed.
Saphlux Silicon-based Micro-LED Micro-Display Production Line Completion Ceremony
Dr. Song Jie told reporters, "Through technological innovation, we have successfully upgraded the traditional 4-inch sapphire-based process to an 8-inch compatible with 6-inch silicon-based process, increasing the effective wafer area and reducing chip loss at the edges, allowing the Micro-LED process to better integrate with large-size CMOS, and significantly reducing production costs."
"The completion of this new production line signifies that the company has initially acquired the ability to mass-produce T-series micro-displays," Song said. "In addition to the decrease in the cost of micro-displays as optical engines for AR glasses, the completion of the production line also enables Saphlux to meet the large-scale demand for micro-displays and provide a stable supply to the market."
This production line of Saphlux is independently designed and combines the platform resources of Shaanxi Optoelectronics Vanguard Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as "Optoelectronics Vanguard"), a leading enterprise in the optoelectronics industry chain in Shaanxi, covering key processes such as photolithography, coating, etching, and measurement, with a total capacity of 600,000 pieces per month.
It is worth mentioning that the Optoelectronics Vanguard has been a witness to Saphlux's growth all the way. At the beginning of Saphlux's establishment, the high cost of production sites and equipment prompted the entrepreneurial team to turn their attention to the domestic market. In 2017, Saphlux officially settled in the Optoelectronics Vanguard, using its advanced equipment such as the electron beam evaporator to quickly transition its research results from the laboratory to industrialization, achieving a yield rate of over 95% and helping it become the world's first company capable of mass-producing industrial-grade semi-polar gallium nitride materials.
Now, the two sides have once again created a milestone achievement. In this regard, Yang Junhong, General Manager of the Optoelectronics Vanguard, said, "Since Saphlux settled in, the Optoelectronics Vanguard has always supported Saphlux's innovative development on a professional and open platform, achieving mutual success between the Optoelectronics Vanguard and the company. This time, we have once again joined hands to successfully combine the platform of the Optoelectronics Vanguard with the needs of Saphlux, creating the country's first silicon-based Micro-LED micro-display production line, fully demonstrating Saphlux's technological and product innovation capabilities, as well as the professional technical service capabilities of the Optoelectronics Vanguard."
Advanced Photonics Device Engineering Innovation Platform
"Optoelectronics Vanguard has long been committed to the field of optoelectronic chips, with the mission of accelerating customer product innovation and promoting the development of the photonics industry. In the future, we will further cooperate with Saphlux in a wider range of fields and work together to pursue light," Yang said.
Saphlux Silicon-based Micro-LED Micro-Display Production Line Equipment
Dr. Mi Lei, founding partner of Zhongke Chuangxing and Executive Director of the Optoelectronics Vanguard, is also hopeful for Saphlux's future development, believing that "the completion of this large-size silicon-based Micro-LED micro-display production line reflects Saphlux's determination to increase production capacity and sets a new benchmark for the industry. As a typical 'hard-tech' company, Saphlux, through years of accumulation, has industrialized its technological achievements, and the industry progress brought about by this long-term approach is what we are happy to see."
Saphlux will start production of T-series monochrome and full-color micro-display products from the first quarter of 2024, covering monochrome screens of 0.12 inches, as well as single-piece full-color screens of 0.26 inches and 0.39 inches, while also providing customized services to customers.