Ultimate Micro Display Devices are Developed by Sheffield Researchers

Researchers at the University of Sheffield are developing a breakthrough new method of producing micro-displays that will enable the next generation of smartphones, smartwatches, and virtual reality headsets to have improved resolution, speed, and efficiency. In a major new initiative directed by Professor Tao Wang of the University’s Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Researchers are using micro laser diodes (microLDs) to produce ultimate micro-displays and visible light communication devices in conjunction with Harvard and MIT.

Smartphones, smartwatches, augmented reality, and virtual reality gadgets all use micro-displays. Visible light communication technology has the ability to provide far more bandwidth and efficiency than WiFi or 5G, and it may be utilised in places where radio frequency emissions are restricted or impossible to use, such as aeroplanes, hospitals, and hazardous settings.III-nitride visible light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are a fundamental component of both of these technologies, but employing laser diodes (LDs) instead could result in devices with even higher resolution, speed, and efficiency.

The Sheffield-led team is working on a revolutionary new approach of merging microscale semiconductor light sources and transistors on a single chip as part of a £1.9 million project supported by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Researchers Council (EPSRC).As the need for micro screens grows, the desire for ultra-high resolution and ultra-high efficiency grows as well.” Existing technologies cannot address several fundamental issues with manufacturing and electrical driving methods, necessitating the development of a breakthrough technology.

Unlike any existing photonics and electronics fabrication methods, our Researchers will focus on a novel method of monolithically integrating microscale laser diodes (LDs) and high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) on a single chip, with each LD being electrically driven by a separate HEMT. By 2025, the global microdisplay industry is estimated to be worth $4.2 billion, while the visible light communication market will be worth more than $8 billion. Global IT corporations such as Microsoft, Sony, and Plessey have already expressed interest in the Sheffield-led effort.