CAMBRIDGE, UK – Porotech, a Cambridge pioneer in GaN-based semiconductor technology and global fabless MicroLED company, has joined forces with Taiwan’s Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) to advance MicroLED Microdisplays for Augmented Reality applications.

Hon Hai is the world’s largest electronics manufacturer and technology service provider.

The partnership will assemble Porotech’s world leading technologies in PoroGaN® MicroLED-on-Silicon (uLEDoS), Dynamic Pixel Tuning® (DPT®), GaN-on-Silicon platform and Foxconn’s proprietary technologies in semiconductor wafer manufacturing, packaging, IC drivers, CMOS backplanes, module assembly and system assembly.

The end product will target ultra-high-density and energy efficient MicroLED Microdisplays for AR applications, wearable and smart devices.

The microLED device for AR applications has great potential, but at the same time is quite challenging. It involves multiple disciplines including semiconductor wafer manufacturing, hybrid bond, IC design, optoelectronics, quantum physics, and optics. Integration across these different fields is difficult and progress has been slow.

In the past, no single company possesses such a big portfolio of expertise. With this partnership, the partners expect to expedite the research and productisation of MicroLED technology and push the AR application to a new era. Foxconn’s strength in supply chain management is also expected to contribute at the mass production stage.

Porotech and Foxconn share the vision and goal of MicroLED Microdisplay technology for AR applications. Both parties are enthusiastic about the potential outcomes of this collaboration to reshape the AR landscape.

Dr Tongtong Zhu, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Porotech, commented: “Our collaboration with Foxconn signifies a momentous step forward for MicroLED Microdisplays and AR. This strategic partnership speaks volumes about our shared dedication to innovation and excellence.

“GaN on Silicon’s role in uLEDoS tech advancement is undeniable. An exciting road lies ahead with Foxconn, propelling MicroLED Microdisplays with our mutual partners and customers with collective triumph and significant growth in the MicroLED revolution!”

Dr Bob Chen, GM of Foxconn’s semiconductor business group, added: “Our strategic alliance with Porotech will accelerate development of MicroLED Microdisplays. It is one step closer to tapping into the tremendous opportunities that AR can bring to the world. We are excited to collaborate with Porotech to integrate many technologies from different fields.”

Porotech Technologies is a trailblazer in MicroLED and gallium nitride (GaN) material technology, headquartered in Cambridge UK with an R & D centre in Hsinchu (Taiwan) and sales office in Chandler, Arizona.

Established in 1974 in Taiwan, Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) is the world’s largest electronics manufacturer and leading technological solutions provider, ranking in the top 30 among the Fortune Global 500.

In 2022, revenue totalled TWD6.62 trillion (approx. $220 billion). The group’s market share in electronics manufacturing services tops 40 per cent and covers four major product segments: smart consumer electronics; cloud and networking; computing; and components and others.

The Group operates 173 campuses across 24 countries and is one of the world’s largest employers with over a million people during peak manufacturing season. It has expanded its capabilities into the development of electric vehicles, digital health and robotics, and three key technologies – next-generation communications technology, AI, and semiconductors – which are key to driving its long-term growth strategy.