According to a recent report by South Korean media outlet ETNews, eMagin, a Micro OLED subsidiary of Samsung Display, revealed that it has received engineering sample orders for RGB Micro OLEDs and plans to begin production in the second quarter of 2025.
Founded in 1996, eMagin focuses on the design, development, manufacturing, and sales of OLED silicon-based microdisplays. Its unique direct patterning (dPd) technology significantly improves the brightness and luminous efficiency of microdisplays. Based on this technology, eMagin has developed multiple Micro OLED microdisplays, widely used in AR/VR devices and other fields.
In May 2023, Samsung announced its acquisition of eMagin for $218 million, completing the transaction in October of the same year. In fact, since 2022, Samsung Display had accelerated its research and development of Micro OLED technology, actively deploying it in the microdisplay application field for XR devices. Prior to this acquisition, Samsung and eMagin had already begun collaborating.
Image source: Paixin.com licensed image library
In terms of products, in August 2024, Samsung showcased a 1.3-inch full-color Micro OLED microdisplay using WOLED technology at the K Display exhibition. Its brightness reached 1200 nits and its pixel density reached 4000 PPI.
In December of the same year, Samsung Display planned to establish a pilot production line for Micro OLED based on glass substrates at its Asan plant in South Chungcheong Province, and to upgrade the 5.5-generation four-segment cutting equipment at its A2 plant. Currently, the A2 plant already has the capability to cut glass substrates and deposit organic materials; the upgrade will further support the mass production needs of Micro OLEDs.
In recent years, Micro OLED technology has received significant market attention, especially after the release of Apple's Vision Pro. In 2024, numerous manufacturers, including Transsion, Meizu, VITURE, XREAL, Pimax, Aoxue, Thunderbird Innovation, DJI, TCL, Skyworth, and ASUS, launched AR products based on Micro OLED technology. Furthermore, Samsung plans to unveil its next-generation XR headset in 2025, which is expected to feature a Micro OLED display.
According to TrendForce's analysis, based on the existing cost structure, market, and technology maturity, Micro OLED is currently the only technology that can bridge the gap between VR/MR and AR devices. Micro OLED paired with BirdBath is also the optimal solution for balancing cost and display performance. It is estimated that Micro OLED will account for 54% of the AR device market by 2024. (Compiled by Mia)
