MicroLED unlocking new opportunities in transparent and non-display apps

TrendForce’s latest report, “2025 Micro LED Display and Non-Display Application Market Analysis,” reveals that the current development of MicroLED technology in the display sector focuses on two key challenges: optimizing manufacturing costs through design and production improvements, and identifying unique niche markets. 

TrendForce forecasts that the chip market value for Micro LED display applications will reach US$740 million by 2029, with a CAGR of 93% from 2024 to 2029.

Cost improvements continue for large-sized displays
Presently, the bulk of MicroLED’s display-related market value is driven by large-sized displays, where Samsung holds a leading position. Future growth will rely not only on breakthroughs across several critical manufacturing processes but also on collaborations between Chinese chipmakers and brand manufacturers to push chip miniaturization. This will further enhance cost advantages for mass-produced MicroLED large-sized displays.

Additionally, as AI broadens the application scenarios for head-mounted devices and as smart driving ecosystems drive up demand for advanced automotive displays, these two sectors are expected to become major pillars of MicroLED display market value in the years ahead.

TrendForce notes that the industry standard for MicroLED large-sized displays is typically 4K resolution or higher; however, the currently commercialized, mass-producible pixel pitch remains at 0.5 mm. Continued efforts to reduce pixel pitch are essential to further differentiate MicroLED from MiniLED video wall, along with overcoming challenges like low yield rates in driver connections and issues with panel seams.

Cost optimization is also shifting toward the backplane, where simplifying the manufacturing process can improve yields, and reducing the number of seams can cut down assembly steps. This contributes to overall cost reductions.

Transparent displays hold great promise; non-display applications open new doors
MicroLED technology also shows strong potential in transparent display applications. These can be categorized into direct-view and micro-projection systems, with the key differences lying in viewing angles and focal distance management.

In terms of use case, transparent direct-view displays are better suited for public environments where multiple people view content, and MicroLED’s combination of high brightness and high transparency makes it an ideal technology.

Meanwhile, micro-projection systems hold greater promise in privacy-sensitive personal electronic devices, where MicroLED offers ultra-miniaturized light engine solutions and is seen as the best option for micro-display technology in AR applications. Overall, MicroLED has significant room for expansion across diverse transparent display segments by developing both TFT and CMOS backplane platforms.

TrendForce emphasizes that the immediate priority for the MicroLED industry is to scale up the market quickly in order to realize economic efficiencies. As a result, non-display sectors have increasingly become important avenues for growth in addition to focusing on display applications.

These non-display opportunities span a wide range, including optical communication applications accelerated by AI, biotechnology-related medical uses, and industrial production areas such as 3D printing and photopolymerization. Ongoing innovations in these areas are adding further momentum to MicroLED’s market expansion.

-- TrendForce, Taiwan.