Introduction

MicroLED display technology is everywhere, giving the best it can offer in terms of providing better, more energy-efficient, and high-quality images for years. However, its wider acceptance has been hampered by complicated production procedures. 

This is where Porotech, a Cambridge, UK-based company, is making a change and overcoming these challenges.

Porotech’s new approach, namely Dynamic Pixel Tuning (DPT) technology, allows each microLED pixel, each measuring a mere 3.5 microns, to emit any color in the visible spectrum when driven with a specific current. 

Porotech’s recent achievement includes a 0.26-inch microdisplay with 1280 x 720 resolution that shows how DPT technology can advance. 

This single-panel, full-color display upgrades existing backplane technology, further reducing manufacturing complexity. Further, Porotech gained recognition at Display Week 2024, which shows how they can step ahead in the AR technology in the microLED display ecosystem.

This article will explore how Porotech is modifying microLED displays, collaborating with new companies, and paving its way into the innovation world.

DynamicPixelTuning™ (DPT™) Technology: Illuminating the MicroLED Display Landscape

Porotech’s DynamicPixelTuning™ (DPT™) technology controls the electric current it receives to emit colors with a single pixel. Here’s how it works:

Enabling Color Diversity: How DPT Works

At its core, DPT transforms a single microLED chip into a color-emissive powerhouse. Here’s how it achieves this remarkable feat:

Sub-Pixel Elimination 

Traditional displays rely on red, green, and blue (RGB) sub-pixels to create a full-color spectrum. DPT disrupts this paradigm by eliminating the need for separate sub-pixels. Instead, a single microLED emits a broad range of colors directly.

Current Modulation

DPT dynamically adjusts the current flowing through the microLED display. Fine-tuning the current precisely controls the emitted wavelength. This is similar to a symphony conductor orchestrating a harmonious blend of colors but at the nanoscale.

Color Mixing 

DPT accomplishes smooth color mixing by current modulation. Any color in between, from vivid red to calming blue, may be achieved with a single microLED. This adaptability creates new opportunities for content production and display design.

PoroGaN® Materials: The Magic Ingredient

DPT’s success hinges on the innovative use of PoroGaN® materials. Let’s explore how these materials contribute:

Gallium Nitride (GaN) 

GaN is the backbone of modern LED technology. It’s known for its wide bandgap, allowing efficient light emission across various wavelengths. PoroGaN® takes GaN to the next level by introducing porosity—a network of tiny pores within the material.

Porous Architecture 

PoroGaN® resembles a microscopic sponge. Its porous structure allows precise control over electron movement. When an electric current passes through, electrons navigate these pores, emitting photons at specific energies. 

Color-Specific Pores 

Here, each pore is a miniature color filter. By varying pore size and distribution, PoroGaN® selectively enhances certain wavelengths. Red, green, blue, and everything in between—each pore contributes to the overall color palette.

Pure White Emission: A Milestone Achievement

Here’s why this matters:

Historical Challenge

White light synthesis has long stumped researchers. Combining RGB sub-pixels often results in color imbalances, affecting overall display quality. DPT sidesteps this challenge entirely.

Single Pixel, Infinite Possibilities 

With Porotech’s DPT technology, any shade may be displayed—each little pixel can change from one color to any shade that can be imagined. Ultra-high-resolution TVs, augmented reality glasses, and even next-generation lighting can all benefit from this. 

Beyond Displays

Pure white light emission from a single microLED pixel has applications beyond just displays. Porotech’s technology could give long-lasting white LED lights for streetlights, car headlights, and architectural illumination.

Porotech’s Collaborations in the MicroLED Display Field

Porotech’s innovations are poised to transform the $140 billion global display market. 

Their focus on micro-LEDs, mini-LEDs, and LEDs opens doors for next-gen display products. Porotech has been collaborating with other industry players. Here’s their contributions:

Strategic Partnership with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (PSMC)

Porotech joined forces with PSMC, a leading semiconductor foundry, to mass-produce 200mm GaN-on-Silicon MicroLEDs for displays. This partnership combines PSMC’s expertise in front-end wafer manufacturing with Porotech’s cutting-edge technologies, including PoroGaN® MicroLED-on-Silicon (uLEDoS) and Dynamic Pixel Tuning® (DPT®). 

The goal? Brighter, high-density, cost-effective MicroLED displays for consumers.

Display Week 2024 Collaboration

In 2024, Porotech collaborated with renowned companies like Foxconn, PSMC, and GIS. Together, they formed an unprecedented semiconductor MicroLED ecosystem. 

Notably, they successfully lit up a 0.12-inch micro-display on the world’s first 8-inch GaN-on-silicon wafer—a leap forward in future AR display technology.

Groundbreaking Micro-LED Product Launch

Porotech’s unique production process led to the creation of porous GaN semiconductor materials. They became the first to launch a commercially available native red indium gallium nitride (InGaN) LED epiwafer for micro-LED applications. This breakthrough redefines possibilities in the field.

World’s First Monolithic, Full-Color MicroLED Microdisplay

Porotech has also unveiled the world’s first monolithic, full-color microLED microdisplay suitable for augmented reality (AR) applications. This breakthrough is based on Porotech’s Dynamic Pixel Tuning® (DPT®) technology.

The new 0.26-inch active-matrix microLED display offers a resolution of 1280×720. It utilizes a proprietary driving method developed by Porotech that rapidly displays red, green, and blue light to enable a full-color RGB display with richly saturated colors.

Porotech’s DPT technology allows a single microLED pixel to emit any visible color when driven with a specific current density, eliminating the need for complex RGB subpixel structures. This simplifies the manufacturing process and enables higher resolutions and pixel densities.

Based on existing backplane technology, the 3.5-micron microLEDs are fabricated on a 4.5-micron pixel pitch. With Porotech’s DPT technology, full-color native microLED displays can now be achieved with a single LED epitaxial growth and a one-step wafer-to-wafer bonding to the CMOS backplane. This removes key manufacturing barriers inherent in alternative approaches.

End Note

Porotech is revolutionizing the world of microLED displays with its Dynamic Pixel Tuning (DPT) technology, offering a path to brighter, more efficient displays with simplified manufacturing processes. 

By enabling single microLED pixels to emit any color in the visible spectrum, Porotech is eliminating the need for subpixels, paving the way for advancements in augmented reality glasses, high-resolution TVs, and next-generation lighting solutions. Their innovative use of PoroGaN® materials further enhances their capabilities, solidifying Porotech’s position as a trailblazer in the microLED ecosystem.

Porotech’s collaboration with industry leaders and its recognition at Display Week underscores its significant contributions and leadership in the field. With the introduction of the world’s first monolithic, full-color microLED microdisplay, Porotech is not only breaking new ground but also setting the stage for future innovations in display technology.