Smartkem, Chip Foundation Partner on MicroLED Backlight Tech

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Smartkem, a company that has the potential to power the next generation of displays using its disruptive organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs), announced that it has entered into a joint development agreement with Shanghai Chip Foundation Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of semiconductor and integrated circuit devices, to co-develop a new generation of microLED-based backlight technology for Liquid Crystal Displays.

The joint development agreement provides that Smartkem will supply its proprietary organic dielectric single layer material, or Redistribution Layer (RDL), to Chip Foundation to combine with its own microLED devices, for the joint development of microLED based device structures. As part of the co-development project, Smartkem will develop insulator materials that can be used by Chip Foundation to combine its own proprietary microLED devices into a high performance miniLED package containing four microLEDs wired in series. The resulting manufactured chip is expected to have the properties of high brightness coupled with high current efficiency, reducing power losses in driving backlights and improving uniformity of illumination.

Smartkem Chairman and CEO, Ian Jenks, comments, "The JDA with Chip Foundation is expected to further demonstrate the commercial viability of our dielectric single layer materials to customers in the display industry. This JDA follows closely on the heels of our technology collaboration agreement with the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in Taiwan to enable product prototyping on its Gen 2.5 hybrid pilot line and reflects the continuing advance of our commercialization strategy."

Dr. Maosheng Hao, Chairman of Chip Foundation, comments, "Smartkem is widely recognized as a leading provider of OTFT solutions, with deep expertise and extensive experience in organic dielectric materials, organic semiconductor materials, and related processes. Their solution coating process technology is a perfect fit with Chip Foundation's specialized processes and techniques in the Mini/MicroLED domain. We believe that this collaboration between our two companies has the potential to expedite the advancement and widespread adoption of this technology by the display industry."