The Picoprojectors & Light Engine Report 2008

© 2008

The Picoprojectors & Light Engine 2008 Report

• Report name : Light Engine• Publication date : May 2008

© 2008• 2Light Engine 5/2007 Copyrights © Yole Développement SARL. All rights reserved

Content

• Executive summary

• Light engines– Definition

– The applications

• Overview of the technologies– Microdisplays

– Lighting

– Packaging

• Description of the different lighting technologies

• Applications overview– Market forecast

– Pico‐projectors (module & standalone)

• Head Mounted Displays (HMDs)

• Head Up Displays (HUDs)

– Rear Projection TV (RPTV)

– Barcode readers

– Microspectrometers

• Conclusions

• Appendices– The MEMS & MOEMS market forecast

– 2007‐2012 MEMS markets (in MUS$ & Munits)

– TOP30 MEMS players

– The MOEMS markets

– Company profiles:

– Axsun

– Barco

– BI microParts

– bTendo

– EpiCrystals

– Explay

– Hiperscan

– Ion Optics

– LedEngin

– Light Blue Optics

– Luminus Devices

– Microvision

– Miradia

– Nippon Signal

– Novalux

– Nuvision

– Osram

– Polychromix

– QPC Lasers

– Scanlight Imaging

– SMIC

– Texas Instruments

– Upstream

– TSMC

– Vaisala


Introduction to light engines

• Today, the need for thinner TVs, portable electronics devices and more compactoptical devices requires innovative optical technologies to shrink the lightmanagement module at the heart of many applications (such as RPTVs).

• Mixing MOEMS technology (MEMS‐based micro‐mirrors) with solid state lighting(LEDs, HBLEDs and/or laser diodes) is a new, unique solution to achieve a potential lowcost and compact light engine. The successful development of a compact & low costlight engine will improve existing products (DLP RPTV) and drive new market such aspicoprojectors or smaller head‐up .– Although the RPTV market is decreasing, some players are developing laser‐based RPTV to

get thinner and better quality (resolution) images it could led to a rebirth of the RPTVmarket.

– A tiny colour display projector suitable for use in a mobile phone has been demonstrated byUS firm Microvision at the Globalpress Summit Conference in San Francisco in April 2008.

Source Samsung Source Microvision Source TI


Introduction to light engines (ctned)

• But mixing solid state lighting and MOEMS requireinnovative solutions mixing optics, thermalmanagement, electrical power conversion, electronicdrive circuitry. Today, a system engineering approachis thus required!

• There are however open technical issues to be solvedregarding packaging, thermal management,cost/performance ratio, green laser lifetime …. andmarket access.

• The new Yole report “Light engines and pico‐projectors markets” is an update of our 2007 versionand will give a market description for everyapplication requiring a mixed approach with MEMSand Solid State Lighting: RPTV, pico‐projectors,HUDs, HMDs, barcode readers, micro spectrometers.

Pico-projector examples from CES2008

Source Miradia


Example of light engine applications

RPTV

Barcode reader

Handheldpicoprojector

Module picoprojector

HMD

HUD

µmirrors + SSL

Spectrometer


Advantages and drawbacks of each micro‐display technology

Advantages DrawbacksScanning mirrors - Electronics less complex than for

arrays-Small size system

-Scanning principle-Only works with laser light source

DLP -Good contrast-Good brightness-Large diagonal available-Works with all kind of light source

- Expensive technology- Rainbow effect-Screen door effect

LCoS -Electronics directly integrated under liquid crystals-Smooth pixels-Works with all kind of light source

-Low response time-Four beam splitters are needed-Difficult to manufacture-Bulky and heavy

LCD -Good resolution can be reached-Works with all kind of light source-Not susceptible to burn-in

-Bad black level-Difficulties to go down to low resolution if necessary-Low response time-Limited view angle-Prone to screen-burning-Screen door effect


Advantages and drawbacks of each light source technology

Advantages DrawbacksLEDs - No speckle effect

- Robustness- Small size of the final device - Low cost

- Focus to do for sharp picture- High power consumption- Poor brightness (<10 lumens)- No association with micromirrors

Lasers - High resolution- High brightness- Low power consumption- Unidirectional light beam

- Important speckle effect- Safety issue- Not every color is available at low cost

Hybrid technology(blue LED with red & green LDs)

- Almost the same advantages as lasers with lower cost

- Not a standard fabrication- Big size- Complex optical system needed- Not a long term solution (not a standard)


Motivations for pico projectors

• Using pico projection, "you can make an image larger than the size of the device you carry," says research scientist Ramesh Raskar of the Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories in Cambridge, MA.

• The Pico Projector enables large sized projections from the mobile phone device onto any logical surface. Other than the usual applications of video and TV streaming (Mobile TV is growing fast –more than 50 000 Mobile TV users in Korea), Pocket Projectors open up several other possibilities for social interactions, personal sharing, and group activity.

• The first pocket‐sized projectors, available in volume within the next two years, will probably be stand‐alone accessories priced at $300 to $900 (consumer price and professional price), the companies predict, but the ultimate goal is to fit them inside handhelds. And with camera phone owners snapping photos by the thousands ‐‐manufacturers will ship an estimated 1 billion camera phones by 2008 ‐‐ a built‐in projector that displays photos in larger formats could be a big draw for cellular customers. (source MIT Technology Review)


Definition of pico projector

• A handheld (or companion) picoprojector is a compact projector with no other functionalities

• A picoprojector module is integrated into another electronic portable device:– Mobile

– Digital camera (DCS)

– Portable media player (PMP)

– Gaming

– Laptops

– HUD (head‐up displays)

– HMD (head mounted displays)

Picoprojector from Microvision

Picoprojector module from 3M

Source: Explay website


Pico projectors per supplier

3M

Texas Intrument

Microvision

Light Blue Optics

Iview

Young Optics

SCRAM

Explay

http://www.gizmag.com/light-blue-optics-miniature-projection-systems/8624/picture/41008/


The picoprojector market forecast in MUS$


Company Profile

EpiCrystals (FIN)

EpiCrystalsHermiankatu 8 D33720 TampereFINLANDPhone : +358 3 316 5900www.epicrystals.com

Key ManagerTomi Jouhti – [email protected] executive Officer

Company overviewFormed in 2003 as a spin-off of Tampere University of Technology’s Optoelectronics Research Center - Employees: 10EpiCrystals Inc. develops advanced light sources for the next generation projection display applicationsTurnover 05 : NALight source activities.Main ProductsPatented DeCIBELTM laser platform with frequency-doubled semiconductor diode lasers (GaAs)Currently in development : ultra-compact and cost-efficient projectors with superior image quality and long lifetime (2008-2009).

Tom Jouhti (left), CEO of EpiCrystals, is pictured after winning the 2006 European Venture contest


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The Picoprojectors & Light Engine Report 2008