Porotech creates world’s first native red InGaN microdisplay

University of Cambridge spin-out Porotech has created the world’s first microdisplay based on native red indium gallium nitride (InGaN) – with an active area of 0.55 inches diagonally and a resolution of 960×540.

Until now, it has only been possible to produce blue and green microdisplays using GaN-based light-emitting devices – with red emission relying on devices based on aluminum indium gallium phosphide (AlInGaP). But AllnGaP struggles at the small pixel sizes required by AR, so there is a drastic efficiency drop as the device size decreases. And, to produce a full-colour display, the light from different panels has had to be combined.

The Porotech breakthrough means that, for the first time, all three light-emitting elements can be produced using a single toolchain – and it removes the complexities of mixing devices based on different material structures.