The Global Market for Mini and Micro LEDs
This report covers the market for Mini LEDs and Micro LEDs. The displays market is constantly advancing, with new technologies allowing for greatly improved brightness, HDR, and colour reproducibility. Recently, mini LED and micro LED have attracted major attention in the displays market and are being implemented in products by consumer electronics giants such as Samsung and Apple. The market is projected to explode in the next few years, taking a significant chunk of the displays market and pushing into wearables, Augmented Reality (AR) and smartphones.
The Mini LED market is expected to grow significantly in 2021 and the Micro LED market is now at early stages of commercialisation. Large electronics companies such as Samsung are producing LCD TVs featuring Mini LED backlights and are anticipating significant demand. Apple is planning to bring a Mini LED backlight iPad Pro to this market this year, and integrating into other product offerings.
Mini LED backlights are utilized in large-screen TVs, monitors, automotive and industrial applications. Improvements Mini LED offer over incumbent display technologies include:
Report contents include:
The Mini LED market is expected to grow significantly in 2021 and the Micro LED market is now at early stages of commercialisation. Large electronics companies such as Samsung are producing LCD TVs featuring Mini LED backlights and are anticipating significant demand. Apple is planning to bring a Mini LED backlight iPad Pro to this market this year, and integrating into other product offerings.
Mini LED backlights are utilized in large-screen TVs, monitors, automotive and industrial applications. Improvements Mini LED offer over incumbent display technologies include:
- High brightness.
- High contrast ratio.
- Low power consumption.
- Higher efficiency.
- high efficiency
- high brightness-readable under sunshine (>10,000 nits)
- high colour saturation
- ultra-high resolution (>2000 dpi with Si backplane)
- ultra-low power consumption
- flexibility
- quick response rate (on/off switching within nano-seconds).
- long lifetime (>80,000 hours).
Report contents include:
- Latest technology and supply chain information.
- Industry trends and growth drivers.
- Assessment of technology challenges.
- Industry developments in the past 18 months.
- Current and planned mini LED and micro LED products.
- Analysis of markets and applications for mini LED and micro LEDs. Markets covered include TVs, AR and VR, smartphones, automotive, wearables and smartwatches, laptops, monitors and tablets, medical displays, flexible and foldable displays and transparent displays.
- Current market and forecasts for mini LED and micro LEDs, by revenues, units and applications.
- Assessment of competitive landscape.
- Profiles of 69 companies in the mini LED and micro LED market. Companies profiled include Aledia, ALLOS Semiconductors GmbH, AU Optronics Corporation, Foxconn Electronics, Gl?, iBeam Materials, Inc., Innolux Corporation , Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Japan Display Inc. (JDI), Konka Group, LG Display Co., Ltd., MICLEDI Microdisplays, Mikro Mesa Technology Co., Ltd., Nichia Corporation, PlayNitride, Inc., Rohinni LLC, Samsung, San'an Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., Seoul Semiconductor/Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd., Sony, Vuzix Corporation. TCL Electronics, Tianma Microelectronics Co., Ltd., VueReal and more.
1 REPORT AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2.1 The MiniLED market
2.2 The MicroLED market
2.3 The Global display market
2.3.1 Display technologies assessment
2.4 Motivation for use of MiniLEDs and MicroLEDs
2.5 MiniLED and MicroLEDs applications
2.6 Market and technology challenges
2.7 Industry developments 2020-2021
2.8 CES 2021
2.9 Market activity in China
2.10 Global shipment forecasts for Micro and MicroLEDs
2.10.1 MiniLEDs
2.10.1.1 Units
2.10.2 MicroLEDs
2.10.2.1 Units
3 TECHNOLOGY BACKGROUND
3.1 MiniLED (mLED) vs MicroLED (µLED)
3.2 MiniLED
3.2.1 Comparison to LCD and OLED
3.2.2 Advantages and disadvantages
3.2.3 Backplane types
3.2.4 Costs
3.3 MicroLED
3.3.1 Development
3.3.1.1 Sony
3.3.2 Types
3.3.3 Comparison to LCD and OLED
3.3.4 MicroLED displays
3.3.5 Advantages
3.3.5.1 Transparency
3.3.5.2 Borderless
3.3.5.3 Flexibility
3.3.6 Costs
3.3.7 Manufacturing
3.3.7.1 Epitaxy and Chip Processing
3.3.7.1.1 Uniformity
3.3.7.2 Assembly Technologies
3.3.7.2.1 Monolithic fabrication of microdisplays
3.3.7.2.2 Mass transfer
3.3.7.2.3 Mass Transfer Processes
3.3.7.2.3.1 Elastomer Stamp Transfer
3.3.7.2.3.2 Roll-to-Roll or Roll-to-Panel Imprinting
3.3.7.2.3.3 Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT)
3.3.7.2.3.4 Electrostatic Transfer
3.3.7.2.3.5 Micro vacuum-based transfer
3.3.7.2.3.6 Adhesive Stamp
3.3.7.2.3.7 Fluidically Self-Assembled Transfer
3.3.7.3 Full colour conversion
3.3.7.3.1 Phosphor Colour Conversion LEDs
3.3.7.3.2 Quantum dots colour conversion
4 DISPLAY BACKLIGHTS
4.1 TVs
4.1.1 The market in 2021
4.1.2 MiniLED Quantum Dot TV
4.1.3 Products with miniLED backlight
4.2 Smartwatches and wearables
4.3 Smartphones
4.4 Samsung
4.4.1 Wall display and microLED TV
4.4.2 Neo QLED TV range
4.5 LG
4.5.1 LG mini QNED range
4.5.2 MAGNIT MicroLED TV
4.6 TCL
4.6.1 8 Series and 6 Series
5 LAPTOPS, MONITORS AND TABLETS
5.1 MiniLED
5.2 Apple
6 FLEXIBLE AND FOLDABLE MICROLED
6.1 Foldable microLED displays
6.2 Product developers
7 BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MEDICAL DISPLAYS
7.1 MicroLEDS
7.2 Product developers
8 AUTOMOTIVE
8.1 MiniLED
8.2 MicroLED
8.2.1 Head-up display (HUD)
8.2.2 Headlamps
8.3 Product developers
9 VIRTUAL (VR) AND AUGMENTED REALITY (AR)
9.1 MiniLED
9.2 MicroLED
9.2.1 Smart glasses and head-mounted displays (HMDs)
9.3 Product developers
10 TRANSPARENT DISPLAYS
10.1 Applications
10.2 MicroLEDs
10.3 Product developers
11 SUPPLY CHAIN
11.1 miniLEDs
11.2 microLEDs
12 COMPANY PROFILES 92 (69 COMPANY PROFILES)
13 REFERENCES
2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2.1 The MiniLED market
2.2 The MicroLED market
2.3 The Global display market
2.3.1 Display technologies assessment
2.4 Motivation for use of MiniLEDs and MicroLEDs
2.5 MiniLED and MicroLEDs applications
2.6 Market and technology challenges
2.7 Industry developments 2020-2021
2.8 CES 2021
2.9 Market activity in China
2.10 Global shipment forecasts for Micro and MicroLEDs
2.10.1 MiniLEDs
2.10.1.1 Units
2.10.2 MicroLEDs
2.10.2.1 Units
3 TECHNOLOGY BACKGROUND
3.1 MiniLED (mLED) vs MicroLED (µLED)
3.2 MiniLED
3.2.1 Comparison to LCD and OLED
3.2.2 Advantages and disadvantages
3.2.3 Backplane types
3.2.4 Costs
3.3 MicroLED
3.3.1 Development
3.3.1.1 Sony
3.3.2 Types
3.3.3 Comparison to LCD and OLED
3.3.4 MicroLED displays
3.3.5 Advantages
3.3.5.1 Transparency
3.3.5.2 Borderless
3.3.5.3 Flexibility
3.3.6 Costs
3.3.7 Manufacturing
3.3.7.1 Epitaxy and Chip Processing
3.3.7.1.1 Uniformity
3.3.7.2 Assembly Technologies
3.3.7.2.1 Monolithic fabrication of microdisplays
3.3.7.2.2 Mass transfer
3.3.7.2.3 Mass Transfer Processes
3.3.7.2.3.1 Elastomer Stamp Transfer
3.3.7.2.3.2 Roll-to-Roll or Roll-to-Panel Imprinting
3.3.7.2.3.3 Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT)
3.3.7.2.3.4 Electrostatic Transfer
3.3.7.2.3.5 Micro vacuum-based transfer
3.3.7.2.3.6 Adhesive Stamp
3.3.7.2.3.7 Fluidically Self-Assembled Transfer
3.3.7.3 Full colour conversion
3.3.7.3.1 Phosphor Colour Conversion LEDs
3.3.7.3.2 Quantum dots colour conversion
4 DISPLAY BACKLIGHTS
4.1 TVs
4.1.1 The market in 2021
4.1.2 MiniLED Quantum Dot TV
4.1.3 Products with miniLED backlight
4.2 Smartwatches and wearables
4.3 Smartphones
4.4 Samsung
4.4.1 Wall display and microLED TV
4.4.2 Neo QLED TV range
4.5 LG
4.5.1 LG mini QNED range
4.5.2 MAGNIT MicroLED TV
4.6 TCL
4.6.1 8 Series and 6 Series
5 LAPTOPS, MONITORS AND TABLETS
5.1 MiniLED
5.2 Apple
6 FLEXIBLE AND FOLDABLE MICROLED
6.1 Foldable microLED displays
6.2 Product developers
7 BIOTECHNOLOGY AND MEDICAL DISPLAYS
7.1 MicroLEDS
7.2 Product developers
8 AUTOMOTIVE
8.1 MiniLED
8.2 MicroLED
8.2.1 Head-up display (HUD)
8.2.2 Headlamps
8.3 Product developers
9 VIRTUAL (VR) AND AUGMENTED REALITY (AR)
9.1 MiniLED
9.2 MicroLED
9.2.1 Smart glasses and head-mounted displays (HMDs)
9.3 Product developers
10 TRANSPARENT DISPLAYS
10.1 Applications
10.2 MicroLEDs
10.3 Product developers
11 SUPPLY CHAIN
11.1 miniLEDs
11.2 microLEDs
12 COMPANY PROFILES 92 (69 COMPANY PROFILES)
13 REFERENCES
TABLES
Table 1. Summary of display technologies.
Table 2. MiniLED applications.
Table 3. MicroLED applications.
Table 4. Market and technology challenges for miniLED and microLED.
Table 5. Micro and MicroLED industry developments 2020-2021.
Table 6. MiniLED and microLED product announcements at CES 2021.
Table 7. Mini/microLED acivity in China.
Table 8. Comparison between miniLED and microLED.
Table 9. Comparison between miniLED displays and other display types.
Table 10. Advantages and disadvantages of MiniLEDs.
Table 11. MicroLED backlight costs.
Table 12. Comparison to conventional LEDs.
Table 13. Types of microLED.
Table 14. Comparison to LCD and OLED.
Table 15. Schematic comparison to LCD and OLED.
Table 16. Commercially available microLED products and specifications.
Table 17. microLED-based display advantages and disadvantages.
Table 18. Mass transfer methods, by company.
Table 19. Comparison of various mass transfer technologies.
Table 20. Comparison of LED TV technologies.
Table 21. MiniLED TV products.
Table 22. Samsung Neo QLED TV range.
Table 23. LG mini QNED range
Table 24.TCL range of miniLED TVs.
Table 25. MiniLED laptop, monitor and tablet products and prototypes.
Table 26. Flexible miniLED and MicroLED products.
Table 27. Medical display miniLED and MicroLED products.
Table 28. Automotive display & backlight architectures
Table 29. Applications of microLED in automotive.
Table 30. Automotive display miniLED and MicroLED products.
Table 31. Comparison of AR Display Light Engines.
Table 32. VR and AR MicroLED products.
Table 33. Applications of miniLED and microLED transparent displays.
Table 34. Companies developing MicroLED transparent displays.
Table 35. microLED supply chain.
Table 36. LG mini QNED range
Table 37. Samsung Neo QLED TV range.
Table 38. San’an Mini and Micro LED Production annual target.
Table 39. NPQDTM vs Traditional QD based Micro-LEDs.
Table 40. TCL miniLED product range.
Table 1. Summary of display technologies.
Table 2. MiniLED applications.
Table 3. MicroLED applications.
Table 4. Market and technology challenges for miniLED and microLED.
Table 5. Micro and MicroLED industry developments 2020-2021.
Table 6. MiniLED and microLED product announcements at CES 2021.
Table 7. Mini/microLED acivity in China.
Table 8. Comparison between miniLED and microLED.
Table 9. Comparison between miniLED displays and other display types.
Table 10. Advantages and disadvantages of MiniLEDs.
Table 11. MicroLED backlight costs.
Table 12. Comparison to conventional LEDs.
Table 13. Types of microLED.
Table 14. Comparison to LCD and OLED.
Table 15. Schematic comparison to LCD and OLED.
Table 16. Commercially available microLED products and specifications.
Table 17. microLED-based display advantages and disadvantages.
Table 18. Mass transfer methods, by company.
Table 19. Comparison of various mass transfer technologies.
Table 20. Comparison of LED TV technologies.
Table 21. MiniLED TV products.
Table 22. Samsung Neo QLED TV range.
Table 23. LG mini QNED range
Table 24.TCL range of miniLED TVs.
Table 25. MiniLED laptop, monitor and tablet products and prototypes.
Table 26. Flexible miniLED and MicroLED products.
Table 27. Medical display miniLED and MicroLED products.
Table 28. Automotive display & backlight architectures
Table 29. Applications of microLED in automotive.
Table 30. Automotive display miniLED and MicroLED products.
Table 31. Comparison of AR Display Light Engines.
Table 32. VR and AR MicroLED products.
Table 33. Applications of miniLED and microLED transparent displays.
Table 34. Companies developing MicroLED transparent displays.
Table 35. microLED supply chain.
Table 36. LG mini QNED range
Table 37. Samsung Neo QLED TV range.
Table 38. San’an Mini and Micro LED Production annual target.
Table 39. NPQDTM vs Traditional QD based Micro-LEDs.
Table 40. TCL miniLED product range.
FIGURES
Figure 1. The progress of display technology.
Figure 2. MiniLEDs backlights to 2026, by market (Million units).
Figure 3. MicroLED display forecast (thousands of units) to 2026.
Figure 4. Display system configurations.
Figure 5. Schematic of LCD with MicroLED backlight.
Figure 6. Schematic for configuration of full colour microLED display
Figure 7. BOE glass-based backplane process.
Figure 8. MicroLED schematic.
Figure 9. Pixels per inch roadmap of µ-LED displays from 2007 to 2019.
Figure 10. Comparison of microLED with other display technologies.
Figure 11. Lextar 10.6 inch transparent microLED display.
Figure 12. Transition to borderless design.
Figure 13. Schematics of a elastomer stamping, b electrostatic/electromagnetic transfer, c laser-assisted transfer and d fluid self-assembly.
Figure 14. Schematics of Roll-based mass transfer.
Figure 15. Schematic of laser-induced forward transfer technology.
Figure 16. Schematic of fluid self-assembly technology.
Figure 17. Schematic of colour conversion technology.
Figure 18. Process flow of a full-colour microdisplay.
Figure 19. LG QNED miniLED TV.
Figure 20. microLED wearable display prototype.
Figure 21. APHAEA Watch.
Figure 22. Samsung Wall display system.
Figure 23. Samsung Neo QLED 8K.
Figure 24. MAGNIT MicroLED TV.
Figure 25. Acer Predator X32 Mini-LED Gaming Monitor.
Figure 26. Acer EI491CRG9 curved miniLED display.
Figure 27. 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Figure 28. Apple Pro Display XDR.
Figure 29. Asus ProArt PA32UCX.
Figure 30. Lenovo ThinkVision Creator Extreme P27.
Figure 31. Creator 17 gaming laptop.
Figure 32. Samsung Odyssey G9 Neo gaming monitor.
Figure 33. AU Optonics Flexible MicroLED Display.
Figure 34. Foldable 4K C SEED M1.
Figure 35. MicroLEDs for medical applications
Figure 36. 2023 Cadillac Lyriq EV incorporating mini-LED display.
Figure 37. MicroLED automotive display.
Figure 38. Issues in current commercial automotive HUD.
Figure 39. Rear lamp utilizing flexible MicroLEDs.
Figure 40. Vuzix microLED microdisplay Smart Glasses.
Figure 41. Different transparent displays and transmittance limitations.
Figure 42. 7.56' high transparency & frameless MicroLED display.
Figure 43. Supply Chain of miniLED Backlight.
Figure 44. WireLED in 12” Silicon Wafer.
Figure 45. Typical GaN-on-Si LED structure.
Figure 46. 300 mm GaN-on-silicon epiwafer.
Figure 47. MicroLED chiplet architecture.
Figure 48. 1.39-inch full-circle microLED display
Figure 49. 9.4' flexible MicroLED display.
Figure 50. BOE MiniLED display TV.
Figure 51. BOE miniLED automotive display.
Figure 52. Image obtained on a blue active-matrix WVGA (wide video graphics array) microdisplay.
Figure 53. Fabrication of the 10-µm pixel pitch LED array on sapphire.
Figure 54. A 200-mm wafer with CMOS active matrices for GaN 873 ? 500-pixel microdisplay at 10-µm pitch.
Figure 55. IntelliPix™ design for 0.26? 1080p microLED display.
Figure 56. C Seed 165-inch M1 microLED TV.
Figure 57. Flexible microLED.
Figure 58. Jade Bird Display microdisplays.
Figure 59. JBD's 0.13-inch panel.
Figure 60. Prototype microLED display.
Figure 61. APHAEA MicroLED watch.
Figure 62. Lextar 2021 micro LED and mini LED products.
Figure 63. LSAB009 microLED display.
Figure 64. Schematic of Micro Nitride chip architecture.
Figure 65. Nationstar Mini LED IMD Package P0.5mm.
Figure 66. 9.4' flexible MicroLED display.
Figure 67. 7.56-inch transparent Micro LED display.
Figure 68. 48 x 36 Passive Matrix microLED display.
Figure 69. The Wall.
Figure 70. Samsung Neo QLED 8K.
Figure 71. NPQD™ Technology for MicroLEDs.
Figure 72. Wicop technology.
Figure 73. B-Series and C-Series displays.
Figure 74. Photo-polymer mass transfer process.
Figure 75. Vuzix uLED display engine.
Figure 76. TCL MiniLED TV schematic.
Figure 77. The Cinema Wall MicroLED display.
Figure 78. 7.56” Transparent Display.
Figure 79. UMini0.9 4K.
Figure 80. VueReal Flipchip microLED (30x15 um2).
Figure 81. Mi TV Master series.
Figure 1. The progress of display technology.
Figure 2. MiniLEDs backlights to 2026, by market (Million units).
Figure 3. MicroLED display forecast (thousands of units) to 2026.
Figure 4. Display system configurations.
Figure 5. Schematic of LCD with MicroLED backlight.
Figure 6. Schematic for configuration of full colour microLED display
Figure 7. BOE glass-based backplane process.
Figure 8. MicroLED schematic.
Figure 9. Pixels per inch roadmap of µ-LED displays from 2007 to 2019.
Figure 10. Comparison of microLED with other display technologies.
Figure 11. Lextar 10.6 inch transparent microLED display.
Figure 12. Transition to borderless design.
Figure 13. Schematics of a elastomer stamping, b electrostatic/electromagnetic transfer, c laser-assisted transfer and d fluid self-assembly.
Figure 14. Schematics of Roll-based mass transfer.
Figure 15. Schematic of laser-induced forward transfer technology.
Figure 16. Schematic of fluid self-assembly technology.
Figure 17. Schematic of colour conversion technology.
Figure 18. Process flow of a full-colour microdisplay.
Figure 19. LG QNED miniLED TV.
Figure 20. microLED wearable display prototype.
Figure 21. APHAEA Watch.
Figure 22. Samsung Wall display system.
Figure 23. Samsung Neo QLED 8K.
Figure 24. MAGNIT MicroLED TV.
Figure 25. Acer Predator X32 Mini-LED Gaming Monitor.
Figure 26. Acer EI491CRG9 curved miniLED display.
Figure 27. 12.9-inch iPad Pro.
Figure 28. Apple Pro Display XDR.
Figure 29. Asus ProArt PA32UCX.
Figure 30. Lenovo ThinkVision Creator Extreme P27.
Figure 31. Creator 17 gaming laptop.
Figure 32. Samsung Odyssey G9 Neo gaming monitor.
Figure 33. AU Optonics Flexible MicroLED Display.
Figure 34. Foldable 4K C SEED M1.
Figure 35. MicroLEDs for medical applications
Figure 36. 2023 Cadillac Lyriq EV incorporating mini-LED display.
Figure 37. MicroLED automotive display.
Figure 38. Issues in current commercial automotive HUD.
Figure 39. Rear lamp utilizing flexible MicroLEDs.
Figure 40. Vuzix microLED microdisplay Smart Glasses.
Figure 41. Different transparent displays and transmittance limitations.
Figure 42. 7.56' high transparency & frameless MicroLED display.
Figure 43. Supply Chain of miniLED Backlight.
Figure 44. WireLED in 12” Silicon Wafer.
Figure 45. Typical GaN-on-Si LED structure.
Figure 46. 300 mm GaN-on-silicon epiwafer.
Figure 47. MicroLED chiplet architecture.
Figure 48. 1.39-inch full-circle microLED display
Figure 49. 9.4' flexible MicroLED display.
Figure 50. BOE MiniLED display TV.
Figure 51. BOE miniLED automotive display.
Figure 52. Image obtained on a blue active-matrix WVGA (wide video graphics array) microdisplay.
Figure 53. Fabrication of the 10-µm pixel pitch LED array on sapphire.
Figure 54. A 200-mm wafer with CMOS active matrices for GaN 873 ? 500-pixel microdisplay at 10-µm pitch.
Figure 55. IntelliPix™ design for 0.26? 1080p microLED display.
Figure 56. C Seed 165-inch M1 microLED TV.
Figure 57. Flexible microLED.
Figure 58. Jade Bird Display microdisplays.
Figure 59. JBD's 0.13-inch panel.
Figure 60. Prototype microLED display.
Figure 61. APHAEA MicroLED watch.
Figure 62. Lextar 2021 micro LED and mini LED products.
Figure 63. LSAB009 microLED display.
Figure 64. Schematic of Micro Nitride chip architecture.
Figure 65. Nationstar Mini LED IMD Package P0.5mm.
Figure 66. 9.4' flexible MicroLED display.
Figure 67. 7.56-inch transparent Micro LED display.
Figure 68. 48 x 36 Passive Matrix microLED display.
Figure 69. The Wall.
Figure 70. Samsung Neo QLED 8K.
Figure 71. NPQD™ Technology for MicroLEDs.
Figure 72. Wicop technology.
Figure 73. B-Series and C-Series displays.
Figure 74. Photo-polymer mass transfer process.
Figure 75. Vuzix uLED display engine.
Figure 76. TCL MiniLED TV schematic.
Figure 77. The Cinema Wall MicroLED display.
Figure 78. 7.56” Transparent Display.
Figure 79. UMini0.9 4K.
Figure 80. VueReal Flipchip microLED (30x15 um2).
Figure 81. Mi TV Master series.
