Pico Projectors & Light Engines 2008

MEMS and SSL sources for displays and scanning

Light engine devices combining micro-mirror architectures and light sources are finding their way into numerous applications with various degrees of success and performance. Once promising, shipments of rear-projection TV (RPTV) devices are now flat and will probably be declining until a successful combination of micromirrors with solid state light sources (using LED or LD) are is achieved. Video projector display devices, based on Texas Instruments (TI) DLP are still dominant, but other segments are now showing growth promises with a set of players ready to challenge TI. Pico-projectors devices are certainly the most promising new application in volume whether in standalone configurations or integrated in mobile phones. Barcode readers, head-up displays and head mounted displays are next.

What will be the best choice of light sources for their design? Two technical solutions are competing: LED (light emitting diodes) and LD (laser diodes). The challenge is to achieve a successful integration and ask a few question: at what price? Thermal management? Brightness levels? Speckle effect for lasers?

Competition is getting ready!

In the projector market, TI Challengers have never been so close!

Microvision has presented a standalone single mirror based pico-projector at the CES 2008 show for a market introduction in 2009. 3M is another challenger with the same time to market. Miradia is preparing a demonstrator system with plans for market introduction in two years. Once quiet, fabless companies are now communicating. TI is not standing still: new Wafer Level packaging (as revealed by a Chipworks report) allowes for significant cost reduction... All players are racing for consumer applications, making partnerships between system integrators, MEMS and LEDs/LDs manufacturers necessary.

This new report from Yole Dveloppement will present market figures for the different market segments, analyzing the market drivers and challenges across the value chain with a focus on solid state light sources technologies and prospects.

Markets impact

The Light Engine market is still growing since numerous new products based on micro mirrors are close to commercialization (bar code readers, head up displays, head mounted displays, ...). Pocket projectors will contribute to this growth in 2009 (see figure). Bar code readers are a strategic application for numerous startups planning to prove their technology on niche markets. With a forecast of 520,000 units of MEMS based bar code readers by 2012, this is much easier to address than consumer markets.

Technical Challenges

For DLP RPTVs, LEDs can be used as light source as they have longer lifetime than UHP, more saturated colors, quick switching time, no color wheel is necessary and they produce less heat. Thinner TV's can also be manufactured with LEDs. Laser diodes are competing with LEDs for this application as well as for pico-projectors.

However technical issues have to be solved:

• cost (FPDs are extremely price sensitive and LEDs must compete with lamps on price, not just performance),
• performance (projectors require very high lumens/mm),
• availability for green LEDs,
• safety (laser),

Thus, mixing SSL & MEMS requires innovative solutions mixing optics, thermal management, electrical power conversion, electronic drive circuitry. A system engineering approach is then mandatory. Collaborations have already started between MEMS suppliers and SSL companies to realize an optical engine with a cost under $ 100. The development of an optical engine could trigger many applications e.g. HUDs, micro-projectors ...

Companies in the report

3M, Arcoptix, Aurora, Axsun, Barco, Bohringer Ingelheim, bTendo, Citizen Miyota, CRAIG Technologies, Displays, DisplayTech, EpiCrystals, Explay, FhG-ISIT, Hiperscan, Intermec, JVC, LedEngin, Light Blue Optics, Luminus Devices, mMicroPparts, Microvision, Miradia, Nippon Signal, Novalux, NuvVision, Osram, Polychromix, QPC Lasers, Qualcomm, Samsung, Scanlight Imaging, SMIC, Sony Ericsson, Symbol, Syndiant, Texas Instruments, TSMC, Upstream, Vaisala, Young Optics.