New applications driving convergence of micro-mirrors and solid state lighting
April 9, 2007, Lyon, France--A new report from Yole Developpement on MOEMS and lighting describes the market and technical challenges for the development of optical engines for TVs and portable applications.
According to "The Light Engine Report," which will be available at the end of April, micro-mirrors applications are attracting new comers. Although the MOEMS market is still dominated by Texas Instruments' DLP, new challengers are coming: Microvision, Stanley Electric, Matsushita, and Philips … These players are today all targeting portable consumer applications, Yole says.
For example, during 2007 CTIA Wireless convention, Texas Instruments demonstrated a prototype of a DLP pico-projector small enough to fit in cellular phones, digital cameras and portable media players. The DLP pico-prototype further advances TI's mobile projection technology, building on the 2006 introduction of DLP-based pocket projectors. This announcement could really boost the developments for a cost-effective, high luminance optical engine for portable electronics for the TI's competitors.
Microvison and Symbol have already announced serial production of micro-mirrors for pico-projector for 2008 as stand alone device first. In 2010, pico-projector could be integrated into cell phones. Yole forecasts that the pico-projector market could grow to more than 1 million units by 2010.
The development of an optical engine requires an engineering approach. Thus, collaborations are being set up between MEMS companies and LEDs/LDs manufacturers such as Novalux, Osram, Luminus, Light Blue Optics, which have already announced the developments of lighting source for portable applications.
DLP RPTVs are another application for solid-state lighting sources. 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 can also be manu-factured with LEDs but laser diodes are competing with LEDs for this application.
The years to come will be crucial in terms of technical developments to achieve an optical engine for TVs and portable electronics. There are technical issues still to be solved:
--LEDs cost/performance will not be competitive before 2010
--UHP technology is still progressing but does not fit for compact projector today.
Yole concludes that mixing solid-state lighting and MEMS will require innovative solutions in optics, thermal management, electrical power conversion, and electronic drive circuitry.
For more information, go to Yole Developpment.