The evolution of display technology has been constant, propelling us from the rudimentary Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) to the vibrant LEDs (Light-emitting diode) and OLEDs (Organic light-emitting diodes) of today. 

Now, two groundbreaking contenders, Gallium Nitride or GaN microLEDs and OLEDs, are competing for dominance, promising new frontiers of display technology marked by more brightness, contrast, and energy efficiency.

GaN microLEDs boast unmatched brightness, ideal for outdoor, AR, and HDR applications. Their inorganic nature ensures exceptional lifespan and resistance to burn-in and color degradation, making them perfect for demanding environments. 

On the other hand, OLEDs, known for their self-emissive pixels, offer perfect blacks, infinite contrast, and vibrant colors. Their flexibility enables curved and foldable designs, making them popular in premium smartphones, TVs, and wearables.

This article will explore the details of GaN microLEDs and OLEDs, comparing their strengths, weaknesses, and uses to understand their future uses.

A Sneak Peak Into GaN MicroLEDs Development: Key Players

GaN microLED technology is undergoing continuous research and development to increase its adoption in the market. Here are some major players who are at the forefront: 

Aledia’s Energy-Efficient Displays

Aledia’s GaN 3D microLED technology is a significant advancement, offering brighter displays that consume 75% less power than traditional LEDs in a $120 billion industry.

Ennostar’s System-Level Integration

Ennostar is another key player in this space, specializing in system-level integration of advanced compound semiconductors.

Epileds’ High-Efficiency LEDs

Epileds Technologies is focused on developing high-efficiency microLEDs and miniLEDs for backlighting applications, expanding the technology’s reach into different industries.

Effect on Other Industries

Advances in GaN microLED technology are also changing various sectors, including automotive, aerospace, and consumer electronics. Potential applications range from improved vehicle displays to enhanced aerospace instrumentation.

Read more on Top Startup Innovators Leading MicroLED Display Market

Understanding GaN MicroLEDs and OLEDs: A Deep Dive

Now, let us deconstruct both display technologies: 

GaN MicroLEDs: Structure and Components

It uses a GaN semiconductor to produce light to deliver superior brightness and energy efficiency. This structure consists of a layer of GaN-based LEDs and two electrodes. The electrodes are just a few micrometers in size, which could be useful for high-definition screens. 

GaN microLEDs include a substrate made of Gallium Nitride that has micro light-emitting diodes. These are much smaller than regular LEDs. As a result, it is possible to have higher pixel densities, particularly in applications such as VR and AR.

Application of GaN MicroLEDS

Samsung’s “The Wall” TV employs GaN microLEDs to provide high brightness and contrast levels. It demonstrates the technology’s ability to create high-resolution displays in large-scale applications.

OLEDs: Structure and Components

OLEDs are made of organic material that starts to glow when an electric current is passed through them. Because each sub-pixel is self-emissive, OLEDs deliver the most vibrant color gamut and contrast ratio.

OLEDs are composed of multiple layers: the hole transport layer, the emissive layer, and the electron transport layer, all enclosed between two electrodes. Each layer has a specific purpose in light emission.

Latest applications of OLEDs

• LG Display has further enhanced OLED technology and has developed flexible and rollable displays.
• Also, Samsung Quantum Dot OLED (QD-OLED) technology improves color accuracy and brightness by incorporating quantum dots into OLED panels.

GaN MicroLEDs Vs OLEDs: A Comparative Analysis

Let’s compare the performance metrics of GaN microLEDs and OLEDs:

Brightness and Contrast

• GaN MicroLEDs: These can emit more than 10,000 nits of brightness, which is significantly higher than OLED microLEDs. This makes them suitable for outdoor use and HDR content because of the favorable light emission of GaN materials.
• OLEDs: OLEDs boast high contrast ratios that are almost infinite because they can turn off each pixel completely. Nevertheless, they do not exceed the brightness level of 1,000 nits most of the time.

Color Accuracy

• GaN MicroLEDs: MicroLED displays boast high color accuracy and are immune to color fading over time, as there are no organic components in the microLEDs themselves. Companies like PlayNitride and Samsung are providing near-perfect reproduction of colors. 
• OLEDs: As for the OLED displays, they also offer very accurate colors but they are vulnerable to color shift and burn-in because of the organic material that degrades over time.

Note: Both GaN microLEDs and OLEDs are capable of providing nearly the entire DCI-P3 color gamut; however, OLEDs are famous for delivering rich, saturated colors and black levels.

Refresh Rate and Response Time

• GaN MicroLEDs: With as low as 1 microsecond response time and over 120Hz refresh rates, GaN microLEDs provide better motion clarity, a crucial factor for content with rapid movement like gaming and VR. High-end devices and gadgets like smartphones and tablets are using microLEDs as a next-generation technology. 
• OLEDs: OLEDs have a response time of about 1 millisecond, but they lack the flexibility and speed of GaN microLEDs.

Energy Efficiency

• GaN MicroLEDs: These displays are superior in terms of energy consumption because of their inorganic nature and ability to turn more electrical energy into light without losing energy in heat. These microLEDs are great for increasing the battery durability of smartphones and wearables. 
• OLEDs: As compared to conventional LCDs, OLEDs are more efficient, but they consume more power than GaN microLEDs, especially when brightness is increased because they need a continuous current to sustain light emission.

Durability and Lifespan

• GaN MicroLEDs: These can last for more than 100,000 hours, while OLEDs are known to last for between 30,000 to 50,000 hours, making GaN microLEDs more suitable for applications that require high reliability.
• OLEDs: OLEDs are a long-lasting technology, but as mentioned before, they are prone to screen burn-in and the degradation of the organic material used in the screens over time. This undermines their ability to be used in high-usage environments. 

The Future of Display Technology: GaN MicroLEDs vs. OLEDs

GaN microLEDs, known for their efficiency and energy-saving features, are ideal for high-end displays and AR devices. OLEDs, with their improving flexibility and efficiency, remain popular in consumer and industrial applications.

Innovations like Samsung’s Flex Slidable and Flex In & Out, along with Huawei’s tri-fold OLED devices, showcase the potential for large yet compact screens, ideal for applications like curved automotive infotainment displays.The development in brightness, energy efficiency, and color accuracy will continue to unfold as giants like Samsung, LG, and Apple, as well as other firms, continue to invest in these technologies to improve the user experience across the board.