Reporter: Wang Xiaolei
The current development of Mini/Micro LED is accelerating, gradually being implemented in televisions, cinema screens, high-end displays, AR glasses, and automotive displays. In the next few years, it is expected to enter a consumer market valued in the hundreds of billions or even trillions. Mini/Micro LED is an industry that highly depends on advanced equipment, and its technological leadership directly determines the large-scale mass production of the entire Mini/Micro LED industry, making it extremely important.
At present, the main Mini/Micro LED equipment includes die bonders, sorters, inspection machines, repair equipment, as well as subsequent MLED screen calibration system equipment. In the die bonder field, the main companies are Xinyichang, Zhuoxing, and Hefei Xinyihua. In the sorting, inspection, and repair fields, companies such as Yibei Technology, Zhifang, and Guochuangke are active. In the calibration system field, the main companies are Novastar and Colorlight.
Currently, the smallest pixel pitch Micro LED product displayed in the market is 0.3 mm (not yet capable of large-scale mass production). With the advancement of Micro technology, pixel pitch will continue to shrink, which places higher requirements on related equipment technologies such as mass transfer. For this reason, manufacturers like us are continuously increasing R&D investment to iterate and upgrade equipment in order to meet customer and market demand. With the high chip quantity, die bonders are required to operate at very high production speeds to meet mass production needs. For example, high-speed models can reach 120,000 UPH (Units Per Hour).
In this field, domestic production is gradually increasing, with some areas reaching more than 50%, and high-end sectors are also being gradually replaced by domestic equipment. The main international competitors include Aixtron, a manufacturer of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) equipment; Veeco, a manufacturer of Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) equipment; Rohinni, a manufacturer of Mini/Micro LED transfer equipment; and ASMPT, a manufacturer of packaging equipment. Some Mini/Micro LED equipment manufacturers in China have laid out the entire product line, enabling faster technology upgrades and application advancement through upstream and downstream collaboration, thereby accelerating the commercialization process of Mini/Micro LED.
The equipment requirements vary depending on different processes. For example, in the fields of die bonders and inspection equipment, the requirements are extremely high, featuring the following characteristics:
Mini/Micro LED Die Bonders have high requirements for precision, speed, and stability, specifically including:
1. Precision Requirements
- Die Bonding Precision: The size of Mini LED chips is typically between 50–200 μm, while Micro LED chips are smaller than 50 μm. Die bonders are required to achieve a bonding precision of ±3–10 μm to ensure chips are accurately placed on the designated positions of the substrate.
- Angular Precision: For flip chips, angular precision requirements are strict, generally needing to be controlled within ±1 degree to ensure accurate alignment between chip electrodes and solder pad contact surfaces.
2. Speed Requirements
Production Efficiency: Since Mini/Micro LED displays have high pixel density and a large number of chips, die bonders must achieve very high production speeds to meet the demands of large-scale mass production. For example, high-speed models can reach 120,000 UPH (Units Per Hour).
3. Stability Requirements
Equipment Stability: Die bonders must maintain stable performance during long-term operation, avoiding production interruptions or product quality degradation due to equipment failure or precision drift.
Process Stability: Parameters for dispensing, die bonding, and other processes must remain stable to ensure consistent bonding strength and electrical performance of chips.
Long-Term Continuous Operation: High stability is required for long-duration continuous work, with yield rates needing to reach 99.9999%.
Currently, Mini/Micro LED die bonding technology is developing toward higher precision, higher speed, and increased intelligence.
Mini/Micro LED Inspection Equipment requirements vary depending on the inspection stage and application scenario, including:
1. High-Resolution Imaging Systems
Pixel Resolution: Must reach the micron level (e.g., 2.3 μm, 3.4 μm, etc.) to clearly capture the details of Mini/Micro LED chips and meet the inspection requirements of small-size (50–200 μm) chips.
Multi-Channel Light Sources: Equipped with RGB+W or UV light sources to enhance contrast and adapt to different materials and process needs (such as solder paste, solder pads, and chip positioning).
2. High-Speed Detection and Processing Capabilities
- Large Field of View (FOV): To accommodate large-size backlight boards. For example, Zhuoxing AS4096 supports 730 mm × 920 mm substrates and uses sapphire-based chip-picking technology to avoid electrode damage.
- Algorithm Optimization: Must support detection of hundreds of thousands of chips without software lag, requiring efficient image processing algorithms (such as sub-pixel positioning and AI deep learning).
3. Environmental Adaptability
- Temperature and Humidity Control: The equipment’s operating environment must remain stable to avoid board warping or thermal expansion/contraction that affects inspection accuracy.
- Anti-Interference Design: Must shield against electromagnetic interference to ensure the stability of the optical system.
With the continuous miniaturization of chip sizes (e.g., Micro LED chips smaller than 50 μm), inspection equipment must achieve even higher resolution and accuracy. To avoid contact-based detection from damaging fragile Micro LED chips, non-contact inspection technologies such as Photoluminescence (PL) and Electroluminescence (EL) will see broader application. Since mass transfer is a key step in Micro LED manufacturing, inspection equipment must adapt to the demands of detecting high-density, large-scale chip transfers. For example, developing high-speed, high-precision post-transfer inspection systems is essential to ensure the accuracy and integrity of chip transfers.
At present, the number of companies entering the Mini/Micro LED equipment sector is increasing, mainly coming from the semiconductor industry. This is primarily because of their inherent technological foundation and strong financial support. Some enterprises have already leveraged their capabilities to deploy across the entire product line, which is also a trend for the future.
Recently, multiple Mini/Micro LED equipment deliveries have taken place, driving technological progress in the industry and supporting the commercialization of Mini/Micro LED. For example, Weizu Semiconductor has become a placement machine supplier for JBD and will provide its independently developed and manufactured AM-10HB placement machine, which is one of the main packaging devices for Micro LED micro-display production. Weizu Semiconductor is a subsidiary of E-Town Holdings, which basically covers the relevant equipment needed for both the module assembly and back-end assembly process segments in VR/AR/MR manufacturing. Its products have already been recognized by customers such as SeeYA Technology.
JBD is a well-known Micro LED micro-display manufacturer, specializing in the research, development, and production of Micro LED technology. Its products are widely applied in near-eye displays (AR/VR), micro-projection, HUD (Head-Up Display), 3D printing, sports optical instruments, and light-field displays. The cooperation between the two companies will accelerate the mass production of products such as VR/AR glasses.
Conclusion
Mini/Micro LED equipment represents a promising niche market. With the continuous improvement of independent R&D capabilities in domestic equipment, the gap with international equipment is gradually narrowing. Domestic equipment manufacturers hold significant advantages in the domestic market due to their faster response to customer needs and stronger capabilities in equipment upgrades. In the future, they also have the opportunity to secure a larger share in the international market. According to industry data, the localization rate of mass transfer equipment and laser lift-off equipment has already exceeded 50%, and the share in high-end sectors continues to rise, providing strong technical support for industry development. Moving forward, we must continue to invest in R&D to develop equipment suitable for smaller-pitch Micro LED products, thereby driving deeper expansion of Micro LED technology into the consumer electronics market.
