Seoul Biosys has commenced the production of micro LEDs that generate white light without the use of rare earth elements. Unlike traditional white LEDs that rely on rare earth-based phosphors to create color, the new technology allows for the implementation of white light in chips smaller than 100µm without additional rare earth materials or packaging.
On October 28, Seoul Biosys announced that it has developed and started mass production of a third-generation optical semiconductor based on WICOP technology, which does not require packaging.
Typically, white LEDs use blue chips combined with rare earth phosphors like yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) to produce white light. Seoul Biosys explained that its WICOP technology enables the creation of white light without rare earth elements or separate packaging.
The first mass-produced product is a micro LED measuring 25µm x 10µm, achieving 0.015 lumens (lm) in the white region of the international CIE coordinates. The light efficiency is approximately 100 lumens per watt (lm/W), with the company aiming to reach 200 lm/W within the next two years.
The company stated that by reducing the use of rare earth elements and traditional packaging materials such as silicone resin, plastic, and lead frames, it can lower manufacturing costs and environmental impact. They claim that production costs can be reduced to half of current levels.
Market research firm Omdia projects that the micro LED display market revenue will grow from $10.54 million this year to approximately $6.8 billion by 2032, particularly in applications for smart glasses and ultra-small displays.
The WICOP technology involves directly mounting LED chips onto substrates without separate wires or packaging. Seoul Semiconductor and Seoul Biosys have been developing ultraviolet (UV), blue, green, red, and infrared (IR) micro LEDs based on this technology, and have now expanded its application to include white light.
Seoul Biosys plans to broaden its technology applications to augmented reality (AR) displays and optical communication for artificial intelligence (AI) data transmission. They are also developing a method to transmit data using densely arranged micro LEDs around 10µm in size.
Starting in the fourth quarter, Seoul Semiconductor and Seoul Biosys will prioritize supplying the third-generation WICOP products to existing major clients while jointly exploring new application markets.
Lee Jeong-hoon, founder of Seoul Semiconductor, stated, "We began development out of curiosity about why rare earth elements were necessary to create white light. Based on WICOP 3 technology that achieves white light without rare earth elements, we aim to expand into new optical semiconductor markets such as AR and AI data communication."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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