Seoul Biosys has entered the mass production phase for a new generation of white micro LEDs that do not require rare earth elements. In traditional LED manufacturing, white light is typically produced by combining blue light-emitting chips with rare earth-based phosphors, such as yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG). This process often requires additional packaging materials like silicone resin, plastic, and lead frames to house the components. Seoul Biosys's new approach, based on its third-generation WICOP technology, removes these requirements, allowing for the creation of white light directly on chips smaller than 100µm without separate packaging or rare earth materials.
The company's first mass-produced product is a micro LED measuring 25µm x 10µm. It currently achieves a light efficiency of approximately 100 lumens per watt (lm/W) while producing light that falls within the white region of international CIE coordinates. By eliminating rare earth elements and traditional packaging materials, Seoul Biosys claims it can reduce manufacturing costs by up to 50% and lower the environmental impact of production. The company has set a target to double this efficiency to 200 lm/W within the next two years.
Beyond standard display applications, the WICOP technology is intended to support the growth of the micro LED market, which is projected to reach approximately $6.8 billion by 2032. Seoul Biosys plans to expand its technology into augmented reality (AR) displays and optical communication for artificial intelligence (AI) data transmission. This includes developing methods to transmit data using densely arranged micro LEDs as small as 10µm. While the current technology successfully produces light in the white region of the CIE diagram, the specific color balance—such as whether the light leans toward blue or yellow—remains a factor for future refinement as the technology scales for diverse display needs.