Micro Si OLED: A Revolution in Display Technology

Micro Si OLED, or OLEDoS, is rapidly transforming the world of display technology. Renowned for its ultra-high resolution, high brightness, and compact size, Micro Si OLED is poised to revolutionize applications such as Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and head-mounted displays, among others. This article delves into the intricacies of Si-OLED, exploring its key features, applications, and future potential.

1. Understanding Micro OLED

Micro Si OLED — also known as OLED on Silicon (OLEDoS) or Micro OLED — is a unique display technology that leverages the principles of Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) and combines them with monocrystalline silicon wafers. The result is a display with ultra-high resolution, high contrast ratio, and fast response time.

Before diving into the specifics of Micro Si-OLED, it’s crucial to understand the technology it’s based on OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode). It utilizes organic compounds, typically carbon-based, to generate light when an electrical charge is applied. The true strength of OLED lies in its ability to turn pixels completely off, allowing for the deepest blacks and superior color representation.

Micro Si-OLED takes the essence of OLED technology and amplifies it. The defining characteristic of OLEDoS is its high resolution, achieved by placing the OLED pixels on silicon wafers instead of the traditional low-temperature polycrystalline silicon glass. This allows manufacturers to fit exponentially more pixels into a compact space, result in a display with a pixel density exceeding 4,000 pixels per inch (ppi) on a 0.5 inch display.

2. Key Features of Micro OLED

Micro Si OLED is not just known for its high resolution. It also boasts a high contrast ratio, wide color gamut, and ultra-fast response speed. These features combined offer unparalleled image quality and immersive user experience.

One of the standout features of Si-OLED is its ultra-high contrast ratio of 100,000:1. The contrast ratio is a measure of the difference between the darkest black and the brightest white that a display can produce. With such a high contrast ratio, Si-OLED can display deep blacks and vibrant colors, resulting in lifelike images.

It also feature an ultra-fast response speed of 0.01 msec or less. This drastically reduces motion blur, making the technology ideal for applications that require fast-moving visuals, such as VR and AR.

3. The Superiority of Micro OLED over Traditional OLED

While traditional OLED has its merits, Si-OLED takes all the same advantages and enhances them. The result is a display technology that is far superior in terms of resolution, efficiency, and size.

Unmatched Resolution

OLEDoS is capable of a minimum pixel pitch of just 6.3 micrometers, allowing for a pixel density of over 4,000 ppi. In contrast, traditional OLED displays have a minimum pixel pitch of 44 micrometers, topping out at around 577ppi. This means OLEDoS displays can achieve a pixel density over seven times that of traditional OLED.

Enhanced Efficiency

OLEDoS also boasts high emission efficiency and longer life, thanks to its unique top-emission structure composed of white light emission and a color filter structure. This makes Micro Si OLED not only higher performing but also more durable than traditional OLED.

Compact Size

Thanks to the use of silicon wafers, OLEDoS displays can be made significantly smaller and lighter than traditional OLED displays. This makes them ideal for compact, high resolution products that need to deliver a highly immersive experience to the user.

4. The Case of VR Field

One of the most exciting applications of Micro Si OLED is in VR devices. With the recent announcement of Apple’s Vision Pro at WWDC 2023, Micro Si OLED suddenly became a hot topic in the tech world. The VR headset features two Micro Si OLED displays, giving each eye a display with greater resolution than a 4K TV in a surface area the size of a postage stamp.

The Advantage For VR

The use of Micro Si OLED in VR devices offers several advantages. Firstly, the high resolution and high contrast ratio of Micro Si OLED can provide a highly immersive and realistic VR experience. Secondly, the compact size and light weight nature of Micro Si OLED make it perfect for wearable VR devices, reducing the limited of traditional VR headsets.

The Challenge of VR

Despite the advantages, the use of Micro OLED in VR devices also presents some challenges. The main issue is production limits. Each Micro Si OLED silicon wafer needs to be produced, which is currently a significant supply chain bottleneck. Additionally, the high resolution of Micro Si OLED has diminishing returns the further away from the display you are. So, for larger displays like TVs, it’s not worth prioritizing the Micro Si OLED wafers for use in these displays compared to smaller displays that are closer to your eye.

5. The Future of OLEDoS

Despite the current challenges, the future of OLEDoS looks promising. Companies like Apple and Meta are expected to introduce OLEDoS-based AR/VR equipment in the next two to three years, which will likely spur the adoption of OLEDoS. As production increases, the unit cost will decrease, prompting more demand and increasing the market.

The Impact on the AR/VR Market

The introduction of OLEDoS in the AR/VR market is set to have a significant impact. By providing high-resolution displays in a small, lightweight wearable device, it can enhance the user experience and push the boundaries of what’s possible in AR and VR. For instance, the Apple Vision Pro’s OLEDoS displays deliver 23 million pixels, which is 64 times the pixel density of the iPhone’s display.

A Look at the Competition

In the race to dominate the AR/VR market, several companies are competing to be the top supplier of AR/VR displays. Sony is expected to be the first supplier of OLEDoS displays for Apple’s first headset. In addition, the biggest OLEDoS manufacturer in China is named SeeYA Technology, who already mass produce 0.49″, 0.72″, 1.03″ ane etc.