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IQE, the leading supplier of compound semiconductor wafer products and advanced material solutions to the global semiconductor industry, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Porotech, a pioneer in microLED and GaN-based semiconductor technology. The focus of the partnership is to develop, scale, and commercialize Porotech's unique wafer technology that achieves all three colors (RGB) on a single 200 or 300mm GaN-based wafer for ultra-high-density and efficient micro LEDs, the applications for which include AR/MR/VR, wearable devices, smart displays, and large-scale direct-view displays.
Porotech is the first in the industry to demonstrate all three-color light-emitting elements produced with a single material and toolchain, enabled by its game-changing microLED technology platform, PoroGaN – including a native red InGaN display at 614-625 nm wavelength. The platform’s proprietary subsurface porosity technology highlights a breakthrough to drastically increase brightness and efficiency in all three primary colors, while its scalable architectures simplify the manufacturing processes thus reducing cost, which are all critical requirements for the commercialization of microLED displays for next-generation consumer AR/MR/VR glasses, smart wearables, and smart displays.
Until now, the requirement to mix multiple material systems has complicated the manufacture of full-color displays in the micro (µm) or nano pixel (nm) space, due to the marked drop in the efficiency of the red sub-pixel with decreasing pixel size.
Enabled by the proprietary technologies, the PoroGaN platform has made it possible to produce a 614-625 nm wavelength InGaN red display, as well as 536-543 nm InGaN green and 444-447 nm InGaN blue displays. The company has demonstrated how the platform facilitates emission across a wide spectrum of wavelengths, from blue to green, and into the reddest red ever natively produced from InGaN. Recently, Porotech has successfully created the world’s first microLED display based on native red InGaN – with an active area of 0.55 inches diagonally and a resolution of 960×540.
Porotech’s DynamicPixelTuning makes it possible to create full-colour or tuneable-color displays using identical pixels from a single wafer – achieving color uniformity while eliminating complex fabrication processes.
The innovation is set to accelerate the commercialization of micro-LEDs, mini-LEDs, and LEDs to deliver next-generation display products for AR/MR/VR applications, smart wearable devices, smart displays, and large-scale direct-view displays. Porotech is the first in the world to unlock dynamic color tuning of LED chips and pixels. PoroGaN platform makes it possible for each individual tiny LED on an epiwafer to emit all colors of the visible spectrum.
The intention is for IQE to be Porotech's epitaxial wafer foundry partner, providing GaN MOCVD capacity for the volume production of PoroGaN platforms. Together, the companies will develop and productionise 200mm manufacturing platforms as well as 300mm wafer formats.
Americo Lemos, Chief Executive Officer of IQE, commented, "This partnership marks IQE's entrance into the microLED market with a unique platform. As we stated in March 2022, we believe the microLED market presents a significant opportunity for our business. IQE's proven heritage in GaN epitaxy and our industry-leading footprint in high volume wafer manufacturing combined with Porotech's PoroGaN® microdisplay technology platform will create a compelling and differentiated product offering.''
Porotech, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Dr. Tongtong Zhu, added, "IQE's deep heritage and innovation in MOCVD epitaxial growth technologies, as well as its mass production capability, are optimized for very small high-brightness microLED pixels that match perfectly with Porotech's platform. We look forward to working together to commercialize this solution."
Click here to know more about Porotech's InGaN based MicroLED Displays