The global design and manufacturer of semiconductor, LED and electronic assembly equipment company, Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ: KLIC) delivers its next-generation mini- and micro-LED platform – LUMINEX – to a leading LED manufacturer.
LUMINEX’s throughput and operational flexibility accelerate the adoption of high-volume backlighting and self-emissive display technologies. The platform supports the sorting, mixing and pitch adjust steps apart from the final placement process, expanding Kulicke & Soffa’s market access to this emerging advanced display opportunity.
According to TrendForce, a world leading market intelligence provider, mini- and micro-LED wafer production is expected to grow at a 55% CAGR, 2021 through 2025, creating a significant and long-term capital equipment opportunity. Currently, mini-LED enabled backlighting is revolutionizing the premium LCD market and is anticipated to transition to the value-oriented, high-volume display market starting in 2023. By 2024, the Company anticipates micro-LED adoption will accelerate supporting new self-emissive displays serving specialty markets such as large commercial displays and wearables initially, with the potential to move into higher-volume premium display markets such as smartphones. Due to the density of LED die, the self-emissive micro-LED market is expected to create a significant and material layer of demand for K&S solutions.
Over the past two years, Kulicke & Soffa has led this advanced display transition with its market disruptive PIXALUX™ system which currently represents the largest install base of ultra-fast mini-LED final-placement equipment globally. Since development for PIXALUX initiated in 2017, the Company has expanded its competencies supporting this unique opportunity, including its February 2021 acquisition of Uniqarta. LUMINEX represents a culmination of these efforts and the company’s first advanced display solution developed exclusively with K&S technology. LUMINEX is positioned to support both the mini- and micro-LED transitions.
K&S has been heavily involved with the traditional LED market for over a decade and has a broad network of customers prepared to enable this fundamental industry transition. The Company is currently engaged with multiple industry leaders to hasten this long-term and significant technology transition and targets to formally release LUMINEX to the broad market by the end of calendar 2021.
