Tower Semiconductor and Tianyi Micro Announce Strategic Cooperation in Development of Next Generation OLED Micro Displays for AR/VR

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Tower Semiconductor, the leader in high-value analog semiconductor foundry solutions, and Tianyi Micro, a leading provider of micro display driver chips specializing in developing silicon-based micro-OLEDs and micro-LEDs, today announced their strategic cooperation in the development of next-generation OLED micro displays for AR/VR, addressing the growing Chinese and global market needs for advanced AR/VR solutions. The development is based on Tower’s unique 180nm and 65nm dedicated micro display backplane process flows, supporting current-driven (as opposed to voltage-driven) OLED pixel designs. According to market analysis by Omdia, the micro display market will grow from 24 million units in 2023 to almost 90 million units in 2028, a CAGR of 67%. The overall AR/VR market, dominated by VR and XR headsets already reached $1.15 billion in 2023.

Tianyi Micro is currently the sole provider in China of current-driven pixel designs and selected Tower as its key foundry partner for micro display backplane developments. As performance requirements call for specific device characteristics such as high yield, ultra-low leakage combined with high voltage for high brightness, Tower has developed dedicated process flows addressing these requirements. Having such dedicated flows enables Tianyi to pursue its leading market position with next-generation micro displays.

"We chose Tower for its well-known continuous innovation in silicon-based OLED technology, including but not limited to ultra-low leakage MOS devices, and customized anode for compact pixel circuit design. These advanced offerings, along with our close collaboration, allow Tianyi Micro to achieve high display performance based on current-driven pixel circuits/products,” said Lina Sun, Tianyi CEO. “Tower’s professional support and expertise allow us to achieve first-pass silicon success that meet the high requirements of microdisplay products”.

Tower’s platform offers several strategic advantages such as high resolution, high brightness, excellent yield, and display uniformity. It’s dedicated flows for display backplanes include custom low leakage devices, high voltage (up to 10V) pixels for high brightness displays, and in-pixel MIM capacitors, as well as tailor-made back end for customer-specific requirements (customized anodes, protective layers, custom CMP). These flows include complete process/device offerings, silicon results and PDK support with very accurate modeling. They are available in full flow or lean flow for high yield 2-chip solutions.

“We value long-term cooperations that yield progress and technological advancements. Our collaboration with Tianyi Micro in micro display technology development is a perfect example for such a process, which extended our offering to include dedicated flows for micro display application”, said Dr. Avi Strum, Senior Vice President and CTO, Tower Semiconductor. “Like CMOS Image Sensors before, OLED Micro-displays have reached a point where standard CMOS flows are not meeting the image quality requirements. Future Displays call for a dedicated flow with customized devices for yield and performance. With projects that began on our 180nm and continued to 65nm high voltage platform for next-generation micro displays, we are proud to continue our collaboration and drive solutions that deliver mutual success”.

Tower will be presenting this exciting technology and recent relevant developments in upcoming SEMICON China on March 20, 2024, at 11:30 am: Advanced CMOS Process Technology for Micro Display Manufacturing by Dr. Benoit Dupont, Sensors and Display Marketing Director, Tower Semiconductor.