EMagin Says It's Poised to Produce VR Microdisplays for ‘Tier 1' CE Customer

OLED microdisplay producer eMagin is using direct-patterning technology to build “proof of concept” displays for augmented- and virtual reality headsets “with a tier 1 consumer electronics company,” said CEO Andrew Sculley on a Q4 earnings call Thursday. “The addition of advanced production machinery, which we expect to have online next year, will produce the displays “in production quantities at our fab,” he said. “Tool qualification will begin in the first half of 2023 as we prepare to shift from R&D to production.” Compared with white OLED microdisplays with color filters, the direct-patterning displays have more brightness and much better power efficiency, said Sculley. EMagin expects the direct-patterning technology will “ultimately replace current full-color OLED technologies,” he said. Peak brightness of 10,000 nits, which the direct-patterning OLEDs can achieve, “is an important threshold for VR headset customers, including the tier one for whom we have designed a high resolution VR display,” he said.