In the digital age, innovation in display technology continues to drive the development and transformation of various industries. Among them, LED transparent screens, as a highly promising display solution, are gradually emerging in many fields.
Transparent LED screens are commonly used in large advertising screens, shopping mall displays, and other scenarios, especially where large areas of transparency are required. Compared to conventional transparent LED screens, Micro LED transparent screens utilize small-sized, high-brightness, and low-power Micro LED chips, paired with a high-transparency glass substrate, exhibiting higher display performance and transparency, and have a wider range of application prospects.
Micro LED transparent display technology has "limitless potential" for applications.
According to TrendForce's analysis, with the development of Micro LED technology, the use of transparent glass or plastic circuit boards, combined with the miniaturization of Micro LED components, has significantly improved screen transparency. Through precise design and layout, the non-light-emitting areas of Micro LED screens (such as circuitry and driving components) can be minimized or made transparent, minimizing the impact on transparency. This makes Micro LED the most sought-after transparent display technology.
From a product application perspective, transparent Micro LED has a wide range of application scenarios, including smart retail, smart healthcare, smart mobility and other fields, and has broad application prospects in the future.
According to TrendForce's "2025 Global LED Display Market Outlook and Price & Cost Analysis," Micro LED transparent displays are well-suited for use in retail spaces, arts and cultural spaces (galleries, museums, aquariums), and the catering and hospitality industries for product display and supplementary introductions, and are expected to shine in 2025.
In the field of automotive displays, although Micro LED technology is not yet fully mature, major manufacturers are actively promoting the application of Micro LED transparent screens. TrendForce points out that in the future, Micro LED transparent screens will be used in smart cars for external advertising and internal information display. It is expected that Micro LED transparent displays will be introduced into the automotive market in 2026-2027, with European, American, and Japanese automakers being the first to use them in augmented reality head-up displays (AR-HUD) or window displays.
Micro LED transparent screen products are attracting attention.
Micro LED transparent display technology has attracted much attention due to its wide range of applications, but currently companies are more focused on launching conceptual exhibits at trade shows. According to incomplete statistics, more than ten companies have launched products related to transparent Micro LED displays to date.
AUO showcased its Virtual Sky Canopy at CES 2025, the world's first application of a large-size, transparent Micro LED display in a skylight, bringing an immersive, boundless experience.
Image source: AUO
It is understood that AUO's Micro LED transparent screen can be used not only in automotive displays, but also in a wide range of fields such as retail department stores, home window screens, public transportation, consumer electronics, and online conferencing.
Hisense's transparent Micro LED exhibit at CES 2025 uses micron-level Micro LED chips, boasting a transmittance of over 60% and a wide viewing angle, a pitch of 0.69, and touch functionality.
At CES 2025, Samsung showcased an immersive Micro LED transparent windshield based on Micro LED transparent screen technology. This screen can transform a transparent window into a visual information display or a cinematic experience in the vehicle. Furthermore, the technology is completely transparent, so it will not obstruct the driver's view while still achieving high resolution and brightness.
Image source: CES official website
Samsung Display reportedly showcased its Micro LED transparent display for the first time at CES 2024. The screen is about 1cm thick and has a transparency of over 60%. It was subsequently launched as a commercial display at ISE 2024.
Image source: Samsung
Also at CES 2024, Continental showcased its Crystal Center Display for the first time, a collaborative project between Continental and Swarovski. The product utilizes 10-inch Micro LED display technology, with the Micro LED panel used for image generation embedded in a crystal casing, allowing the displayed content to float on the screen.
In addition, in 2024, companies such as Chenxian Optoelectronics, Leyard, Tianma, and Lenovo will showcase Micro LED transparent displays.
In December 2024, Chenxian Optoelectronics launched the world's first P0.5 Micro LED transparent splicing screen, which uses 25μm Micro LED chips and features high brightness (3000nit) and ultra-wide viewing angle with a transmittance of 72%. Under AM driving, the screen is flicker-free, and the low driving current extends its lifespan; through 2*N splicing, it is suitable for exhibitions, commercial display advertising, stage and other scenarios.
12.9-inch Micro LED transparent screen (Image source: Chenxian Optoelectronics)
8.18-inch Micro LED transparent screen (Image source: Chenxian Optoelectronics)
At the Touch Taiwan exhibition in April 2024, Neptunus Technology and GIS jointly launched a 13.3-inch next-generation transparent Micro LED display with low diffraction, featuring high brightness, high transmittance, and low diffraction. At the Touch Taiwan exhibition in 2023, Neptunus Technology also showcased three Micro LED transparent displays with overall transparency ranging from 65% to 70% and brightness reaching 3,000 nits.
Fu-Cai showcased its high-transmittance Micro LED transparent screen at Touch Taiwan 2024. The products can be applied to head-up displays, car windows, and sunroofs to provide driving or business information in conjunction with road conditions, depending on the needs of drivers and passengers. Epistar also demonstrated its high-transmittance Micro LED transparent display at the exhibition.
At the InfoComm exhibition in April of the same year, Leyard showcased a 17.3-inch P0.3 Micro LED transparent screen with a brightness of 3000 nits, a viewing angle of over 170 degrees, and a DCI-P3 color gamut exceeding 98%. This screen uses substrate-free Micro LED chips, offering high luminous efficiency, and AM driving ensures flicker-free operation, low current consumption, and long lifespan. In addition, a P0.6 Micro LED transparent screen was also demonstrated.
Image source: Leyard
In April of the same year, Tianma showcased 8.07" and 1.63" high-PPI transparent irregular-shaped Micro LED displays at CITE 2024. The 8.07" high-PPI transparent irregular-shaped Micro LED display uses a TFT stacking process design, achieving a PPI of 167, a transmittance of 55%, and a full-screen brightness of >1500 nits. The 1.63" high-PPI Micro LED display can achieve 403 PPI full-color display.
8.07" high PPI transparent irregular-shaped Micro LED display (Image source: Tianma)
It is reported that Tianma has launched several Micro LED transparent screen products in recent years. For example, in 2023, Tianma launched an 8.75" Micro LED ultra-low reflectivity transparent display screen, a 9.38" adjustable transparent Micro LED screen, and an 11.6" Micro LED transparent automotive screen. In 2021, it launched a small-pixel MicroC screen with 70% transparency.
The display features a 17.3-inch Micro LED transparent display with a resolution of 720P and a brightness of 1000 nits.
Image source: Lenovo Group
Going back even further, Nationstar Optoelectronics has successfully developed a glass-based passively driven transparent Micro LED full-color display module; BOE has developed an active-driven MLED transparent display product with ultra-high transmittance, achieving a transparency of over 65%; and TCL CSOT showcased a 125-inch glass-based transparent direct-view MLED product.
The Future of Micro LED Transparent Displays is Promising <br /> Currently, Micro LED transparent display technology is still in its early stages of development. According to TrendForce analysis, Micro LED transparent displays still face challenges in yield and cost control in areas such as chip manufacturing, miniaturization, mass transfer, detection and repair, full-color technology, and driver circuit design. However, with manufacturers' active investment in Micro LED technology, significant progress has been made, which opens up possibilities for the future development of Micro LED transparent displays.
Regarding large-scale displays, TrendForce points out that the size of Micro LED wafers has shrunk from 34×58 micrometers to 15×30 micrometers, significantly increasing the number of wafers per unit wafer and improving cost-effectiveness. Meanwhile, mass transfer technologies such as stamp transfer, laser transfer, and fluid self-assembly are maturing, providing more options for the widespread application of Micro LEDs.
According to TrendForce's analysis, the development of glass-based Micro LEDs currently faces a significant bottleneck: technological breakthroughs in the detection process. While various detection technologies are already applied in Micro LED production processes, non-contact electrical detection is likely to become a more effective solution for Micro LED detection in the future.
The realization of transparent splicing on Micro LED glass substrates depends on two key points: high transmittance and frameless design. Among them, high transmittance is the core indicator of transparent display effect, which directly affects application performance and visual experience.
For example, Chenxian Optoelectronics released the world's first P0.5 Micro LED transparent splicing display, with a single screen transmittance of 72%. Tianma has adopted a distinction between transparent and non-transparent areas in its back panel design. Through a special design of the non-transparent area, the area of the transparent area is increased, thereby improving the overall transmittance, which has reached a transmittance of more than 75%.
It is worth mentioning that balancing high transparency and high brightness is a key technical challenge in Micro LED transparent screen technology. High brightness can often affect transparency, while ultra-high transparency can limit brightness performance. Improving brightness without sacrificing transparency requires manufacturers to continuously innovate in materials and manufacturing processes.
The borderless design not only improves visual appeal but also enhances the adaptability of displays in various application scenarios, driving the application of Micro LED transparent display technology in high-end displays, automotive displays, and other fields. In this area, manufacturers such as Neptunus, AUO, BOE, and Tianma are continuously optimizing their technologies and seeking further innovation.
Taiwanese manufacturers are offering various solutions. One, Neptunus, utilizes a unique CoC design to mount Micro LED chips onto a carrier board, supporting multiple transfer technologies for applications such as frameless large-screen TVs and transparent automotive displays. AU Optronics has launched a single-chip 31-inch Micro LED display with a frameless design, combining high brightness and high contrast to reduce splicing time and adapt to various form factors and settings.
BOE has launched a P0.3 Micro LED automotive display product, successfully achieving a curved, frameless splicing display. Tianma, through LTPS process combined with GOA in pixel design, has achieved a frameless back panel with a P0.15mm diameter. Furthermore, by implementing double-sided wiring and Cu process on the LTPS back panel, it supports frameless splicing Micro LED display technology.
Furthermore, Micro LED transparent display technology still faces challenges in areas such as color, resolution, light leakage, and privacy. For example, ensuring image clarity and color accuracy while maintaining high transmittance. Due to its structural characteristics, transparent displays are prone to light leakage and crosstalk, affecting display quality and increasing privacy protection requirements. Technological innovation will be key to solving these problems.
summary
Micro LED technology is currently in its developmental stage, facing challenges such as process complexity, reliability, and cost control. Although transparent displays, as an innovative application of Micro LED technology, exhibit unique advantages in display effects, their application scope is currently relatively limited and they have not yet become widely adopted. Furthermore, display technologies such as OLED remain the main competitors to Micro LED transparent displays, which to some extent restricts the expansion of Micro LED transparent displays' market share.
In the corporate arena, many industry giants have already deployed transparent Micro LED technology. For example, LED companies such as Leyard, Nationstar, and Neptunus are actively developing related projects. Meanwhile, panel manufacturers like BOE, Tianma, and AUO, as well as electronics companies like Samsung and Lenovo, are also pushing forward the research and development of transparent Micro LED. With the continuous maturation of the technology and the increase in market awareness, transparent Micro LED screens are expected to become an important component of future smart and high-definition technologies.
Against this backdrop, TrendForce's subsidiary, in partnership with WitsView, will host the 2025 TrendForce New Display Industry Seminar (DTS 2025) at the JW Marriott Hotel Shenzhen from February 26th to 27th, 2025. This seminar will delve into the latest developments and applications of Micro LED transparent displays, sharing industry trends and innovative achievements, aiming to bring new insights and inspiration to the industry. Colleagues from all sectors are welcome to actively participate and jointly explore the future opportunities of Micro LED transparent displays.
