Evolution of Display Technology: From LEDs to Micro-LEDs

As display technology grows rapidly, it is slowly becoming a key technology for many industry sectors. The display technology has come a long way, from traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) displays to modern liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), QLED (Quantum Dots light-emitting diodes), and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). These improvements provide better resolution, energy efficiency, and color reproduction, making them suitable for several applications, from smartphones and televisions to digital and augmented reality display devices. As display technology progresses, it will play a key role in deciding how information is presented and utilized in the digital age.

Advancements are being made in LED, QLED, OLED, and Micro-LED technologies, and continuous innovation is taking place in the display industry.

LED – LED displays use an array of semiconductor diodes that emit light when an electric current passes through them. Each diode, or pixel, emits a specific color of light (RGB). Then, by controlling the intensity of each color diode, LED displays can produce a wide range of color accuracy and brightness levels.

QLED – QLED displays utilize quantum dots and semiconductor nanocrystals to enhance color in LCD. Quantum dots are applied as a film or layer in the display panel, where they convert blue backlight into highly saturated red and green light. This improved color accuracy, wider color gamut, and high brightness.

OLED – OLED devices do not have a backlight; they use individual light-emitting diodes that produce a particular light color when met with an electric current. The lack of a backlight allows OLED televisions to be thinner and lighter.

Micro-LED – Micro-LED displays use an array of microscopic LEDs, each serving as an individual pixel. These LEDs are typically smaller than 100 micrometers, which allows high-resolution displays with high brightness, contrast, and energy efficiency. These features are highly useful for sunlight-readable displays, such as smartphones, public information displays, and vehicle displays.

In display technology, some active trends are happening in OLED displays, with the advancements in flexible and foldable screens. Mini-LED and Micro LED technologies are also gaining focus for their enhanced contrast and brightness.

Some prominent players, such as Samsung, LG, Sony, BOE, and many more, are working on advancements in display technology. For instance, Samsung is working on a transparent Micro LED crystal-clear, glass-like display and on a new long, rollable, health-sensing OLED panel. LG is working on revealing a 77-inch transparent OLED with wireless transmission technology, where the display can be stretched up to 20%.

Partnerships and mergers by key players with other companies, research institutions, and firms are the preferred ways to increase presence in the display market. Such developments help these players access new market trends, mitigate risks, and achieve economies of scale, leading to enhanced product development and market success.

However, a few research & market challenges still need to be addressed, such as the high cost of transparent and quantum dot display technologies, flexible display durability, and competition between local & domestic brands, etc. Therefore, advancements are being made to overcome these challenges, but display technology still has a long way to go. In conclusion, display technology continues to grow, driven by advancements in OLED, QLED, Micro-LED, and other emerging technologies. These innovations are making devices with higher resolution, enhanced color accuracy, and improved energy efficiency. With ongoing research and collaboration, the future promises even more immersive and versatile display solutions across a wide range of applications, from consumer electronics to automotive and beyond.

Crucial Findings

• Innovation in OLED displays is driving demand across diverse sectors such as automotive and healthcare. In contrast, micro-LED displays are increasingly utilized in devices such as smartphones and television sets due to their thinness, flexibility, and vibrant colors.
• The Asia Pacific region is likely to grow at the highest CAGR due to the presence of established display panels and device manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics, LG Display, BOE, and other established players.
• As AR and VR technologies gain popularity, there’s an increasing demand for top-notch displays that provide immersive experiences, driving up the need for high-quality displays in the market.

Key Innovations

• BOE Technology uses an electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing method for manufacturing QLEDs with a high resolution of 500 ppi. With the EHD printing process, a two-color (red and green) bottom-emission QLED device with 500 ppi was fabricated for mobile or wearable devices.
• Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have developed a shape-morphing display that can reconfigure its shape into various complex 3D structures through electrothermal operation to overcome the limitations of conventional 3D display manufacturing technologies. They used LMPA-graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), an elastomer composite integrated with a stretchable electroluminescent device. 
• EverDisplay Optronics developed an OLED display panel and display device that consists of a TFT back plate, a pixel-defining layer formed on one side of the TFT back plate, an inorganic insulation layer, and the hole layer formed on one side of the inorganic insulating layer. This makes the hole layer a fault so that the lateral direction of the hole layer cannot be conducted, and the lateral crosstalk current cannot be formed.

Recent Market Activities

• In January 2024, STRATACACHE partnered with Lumiode for the fabrication of a core component, the active pixel matrix, in a microLED display using advanced technology that builds high-performance silicon devices directly on the LED.
• In October 2023, HONOR unveiled its X9b 5G smartphone, which boasts a HONOR Ultra-Bounce Anti-drop Display for impressive durability.
• In December 2023, china-based startup Raysolve recently secured $24 million from a Seed round to scale its Micro-LED micro-display technology. miHoYo and Meridian Capital are the most recent investors

Display Technology: Report Coverage

• Overview of Display Technology
• Innovations Trends
  • Prominent Challenges & Solutions
  • Key Innovations
    • Architectural Innovations
    • Fabrication Innovations
    • Materialistic Innovations
• Market Overview
  • Market Size
    • Market Outlook Industry
    • Market Dynamics
    • Recent Market Activities
• Innovative Startups
• Key Startup Profiling
• Future perspective and Stellarix recommendations

To know more about display technology, this document includes innovation trend, market outlook, industry dynamics, challenges and solutions, new innovations, market activity, startups, and profiling.