Apple cooperates with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) to develop ‘ultra-advanced’ micro-OLED screens in a secret facility in Taiwan. Nikkei. The micro-OLED screens will be used in ‘upcoming augmented reality devices’.
/article-new/2021/01/Apple-Glasses-Yellow-Feature.jpg?resize=560%2C315&ssl=1)
Micro OLED screens are built directly on chip wafers rather than on a glass substrate, which is thinner, smaller and more power efficient. These slimmer micro-OLED screens are ideal for smaller devices such as the smart glasses that Apple apparently works for.
The development of micro-OLED screens is said to be in the trial production stage, and it will take a few years before Apple and TSMC are ready for mass production, which will make the exhibits suitable for the Apple Glasses which are rumored to be around 2023 start. which is currently underway, it is said to be less than one centimeter in size, and this is where TSMC’s expertise comes in handy.
Apple is already working with TSMC on all the A-series chips used in the iPhone and iPad, and the new M1 Apple silicone chips used in Apple’s Mac series.
“Panelists are good at making screens bigger and bigger, but when it comes to thin and light devices like AR glasses, you need a very small screen,” said a source who has direct information about the micro- OLED R&D project. “Apple is working with TSMC to develop the technology, because the chipmaker’s expertise makes things small and good, while Apple also leverages the expertise of panel experts in the field of display technologies.”
In addition to working on micro-OLED displays in factories in Taiwan, Apple is also exploring microLED technology, with trial production lines for both display types. A June 2020 report suggested that Apple had invested $ 330 million in a Taiwanese factory that developed microLED screens for Apple Watch, iPads and MacBooks, along with supplier Epistar.
MicroLED, a technology that stands apart from micro OLEDs, uses components that are smaller than those used in traditional LED lighting. These screens do not require backlight modules, so they can be thinner, offer a high color contrast and can be used to make foldable or curved screens.
According to Nikkei, Apple has several unmarked white laboratory buildings in Longtan Science Park in Taiwan that focus on new display technologies, located within walking distance of TSMC’s plant and test facility for TSMC. Apple has hired veterans from optical maker AU Optoelectronics to work on micro-OLEDs, and employees are subject to strict non-disclosure agreements that prohibit them from “meeting even with friends or acquaintances working in the technology industry.”
It is said that Apple’s investments in both micro OLED and microLED are aimed at reducing its dependence on Samsung Electronics in the future. Samsung is Apple’s main supplier for the OLED screens used in current iPhones.