Recently, a research team led by Tae-Geun Kim at Korea University proposed a novel AM (Active-Matrix) Micro LED display architecture, which successfully breaks free from the limitations of traditional transistors and capacitors, achieving higher integration density, better energy efficiency, and a simpler manufacturing process.
Image source: International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing
Traditional AM Micro LED display technology typically relies on transistors and capacitors to drive pixels, which not only limits device integration but also increases power consumption and process complexity. Although researchers have previously attempted to monolithically integrate transistors onto Micro LED chips or use CMOS driving circuits, they still face challenges such as unstable transistor performance, complex processes, and reliance on capacitor-integrated TFT backplanes.
In this study, Tae-Geun Kim's team innovatively proposed a capacitor-free AM Micro LED display architecture based on a germanium telluride memristor (GT-MEMT). This memristor is monolithically integrated with the Micro LED chip, exhibiting multi-level resistance switching characteristics, strong driving capability, and extremely low operating voltage (set voltage < 0.2 V, overlay voltage > 0.2 V), while also demonstrating excellent thermal and electrical stability.
More importantly, GT-MEMT's fabrication process does not require thermal annealing, significantly simplifying the array integration process compared to traditional TFT systems. Based on this architecture, Tae-Geun Kim's research team successfully fabricated a 12×12 capacitor-free AM Micro LED array, capable of stably displaying letter characters, verifying its feasibility in high-resolution displays.
Tae-Geun Kim's research team stated that their findings demonstrate that the energy-efficient GT-MEMT offers a new direction for replacing traditional TFT-capacitor driving solutions. This is expected to drive the development of next-generation low-power, high-resolution Micro LED display technology, providing thinner and more energy-efficient solutions for AR/VR, micro-projection, and wearable display devices. (Compiled)
