Nichia, with investment of JPY60 billion (US$549 million), is setting up dedicated production capacity for miniLED chips for backlighting applications in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, with completion scheduled for July 2021 and production to kick off at the end of September 2021, according to Dai Tsuan-jia, general manager for Nichia Taiwan.

Monthly production capacity will be about 50,000 miniLED chips initially and expanded to 200,000 chips at the end of 2021, Dai said, adding that the monthly capacity is aimed to be gradually expanded to two million miniLED chips in 2-3 years.

Initial monthly production capacity has been booked up by notebook vendors for 16- and 17.3-inch notebook backlights, Dai noted.

Nichia has unveiled Light Cluster series miniLED chips for backlighting, consisting of Type J for desktop monitors, Type V for notebooks and tablets, and Type M for smartphones and other hand-held devices.

Compared with other miniLED chips used in backlighting, Type V Light Cluster features an optical design that can restrict diffusion of emitted light to maximize efficiency in straight lighting and minimize halo, said Dai.

While the maximum brightness is 400nits for OLED panels and 500nits for general miniLED chips, Light Cluster can reach a maximum brightness of 1,000nits for the entire screen and 2,000nits for local zones, with a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, said Dai.

While a miniLED-backlit 12.9-inch iPad Pro uses over 10,000 miniLED chips, only about 1,000 Light Cluster chips are needed for a 16-inch notebook with 1,000 local diming zones, Dai indicated.

Although Light Cluster chips are more expensive than other miniLED, they have higher yield rates for surface-mounting process, use fewer chips and less power consumption, Dai noted.

Source: Nichia, compiled by Digitimes, May 2021

By DIGITIMES