Korean element producers are breaking China’s dominance in good glass elements by supplying core elements to U.S. massive tech firm Meta’s new good glass merchandise.
In keeping with trade sources, Sapien Semiconductor, a home semiconductor design specialist, has confirmed the availability of backplanes to Meta’s microLED (LEDoS)-based augmented actuality (AR) glass new product scheduled for launch within the second half of 2027, and is negotiating contract manufacturing with U.S. foundry firm GlobalFoundries. Backplanes are semiconductor chips that management microscopic light-emitting diode (LED) pixels and function the mind in show modules.
MicroLED is a discipline the place the good glass trade is accelerating efforts for commercialization. It provides benefits in implementing clear picture high quality as a result of excessive brightness and has strengths in quick response velocity. The AR glasses with shows that Meta first launched in September this yr are micro liquid crystal show (LCD)-based merchandise. Micro LCD (LCoS) has weaknesses in brightness and distinction ratio, however manufacturing prices are low as a result of stabilized mass manufacturing expertise.
The good glass element trade has been led by Chinese language corporations. Chinese language corporations have enhanced their competitiveness by concentrating analysis and improvement (R&D) on micro show fields as a substitute of enormous panel markets, the place Korean and Japanese corporations have robust aggressive benefits.
Nonetheless, expectations are rising as home element corporations like Sapien Semiconductor are penetrating massive tech corporations like Meta in shows, that are core elements of good glasses. Meta truly unveiled the prototype of its microLED-based AR glasses Orion for the primary time in September final yr, and the suppliers of varied elements to the prototype have been Chinese language corporations together with JBD. Due to this fact, it was anticipated that Chinese language accomplice corporations that developed preliminary merchandise collectively would even be adopted for the mass manufacturing stage, however Sapien Semiconductor was chosen because the backplane provider.
Raontech Co., a home micro LCD chief, can also be strengthening its partnership with Meta. Meta is contemplating the discharge of micro LCD-based AR glasses new merchandise subsequent yr, and if this results in launch, there’s hypothesis that Raontech’s micro LCD might be built-in. Raontech is reportedly persevering with discussions with Meta relating to improvement instructions for entry-level AR glasses to be launched sooner or later.
An trade insider stated, “Whereas Chinese language corporations nonetheless have a big market share within the general element ecosystem, the development of home corporations in core elements like backplanes is encouraging,” including, “The development the place AR gadgets are being utilized within the protection sector and the U.S. authorities is pressuring to scale back dependence on Chinese language provide chains can also be working favorably for the home trade.”
