Compound Photonics and Plessey partner on micro-LED displays for AR/MR applications

Compound Photonics US Corp (CP) of Vancouver, WA, USA, a provider of compact high-resolution microdisplay technologies for augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) applications, and UK-based embedded micro-LED technology developer Plessey Semiconductors Ltd, have announced a strategic partnership to develop and introduce the smallest 1080p (1920x1080 pixel) gallium nitride-on-silicon (GaN-on-Si) micro-LED-based microdisplay solution suitable for integration into AR and MR smart glasses.

Plessey will bond CP’s high-speed digital low-latency backplane silicon wafer with its proprietary GaN-on-Si monolithic micro-LED array wafer. In turn, CP will utilize its experience in microdisplay assembly, test and packaging to create display modules from the bonded wafers in combination with its NOVA high-performance display driver architecture to deliver a complete solution compatible with the industry-standard MIPI display pipeline.

“CP is the best partner for Plessey because of its deep and extensive decade-long experience with developing fully realized microdisplay-based projection solutions,” comments Plessey Semiconductors’ president Mike Lee. “Moreover, CP’s flexible high-performance end-to-end digital architecture and leading-edge display driver IP are key enablers for delivering micro-LED displays with improved brightness at smaller pixel sizes, higher frame rates, extended greyscale bit depth and low power consumption to best serve next-generation emissive-display-based AR/MR smart glasses and heads-up/head-mounted displays (HUD/HMDs) applications,” he adds.

“Plessey’s monolithic GaN-on-silicon IP, fabrication technology and bonding process are well optimized for very small high-brightness pixels that match perfectly with CP’s industry-leading 3.015μm pixel-pitch backplane design to deliver compact high-resolution microdisplays,” comments Compound Photonics’ CEO Yiwan Wong. “Through this partnership, Plessey and CP now lead the industry in addressing the full breadth of current, emerging and future requirements for AR/MR smart glasses and HUD/HMDs that span the range from CP’s existing production-ready LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) reflective displays to emerging micro-LED emissive display technology, and ultimately to achieving true holographic 3D display via CP’s LCoS phase display solutions in the future,” he reckons. “For the first time, we can provide customers in AR/MR space with an extensible software-configurable platform based on CP’s efficient drive architecture that can operate with a wide range of display types to support various application requirements.”
Initial samples of a 0.26”-diagonal, full-HD 1080p-resolution micro-LED display integrated with display driver IC to accept industry-standard MIPI input are expected to be available by mid-year 2020.

Tags: Plessey GaN-on-Si microLED

Visit: www.compoundphotonics.com

Visit: www.plesseysemiconductors.com/products/microleds