microLED display developer Plessey to work with Facebook

03 Apr 2020

Objective is to help Facebook prototype new optical technologies for applications in AR/VR space.

UK-based embedded technologies company Plessey, which develops microLED technology for augmented and mixed reality display applications, is to work with Facebook to help achieve the social media company’s vision of the next-gen interactive computing platform.

Under the new commercial agreement, Plessey’s LED manufacturing operations will be dedicated to helping Facebook prototype and develop new technologies for potential use in the AR/VR space.

With consumer devices like Oculus Quest and what the company calls “a continued legacy of breakthrough research”, Facebook considers itself to be one of the companies best-positioned to make consumer-ready AR glasses a reality.

Future vision

Plessey’s announcement stated, “We share that vision for a future where technology and the barriers between people disappear. Over the past two years, Plessey has been making the pivot from our legacy semiconductor business into micro LED’s for AR displays, garnering numerous accolades and industry recognition.

“In working with Facebook, we are charting an exciting path forward for Plessey and as we move into the next phase, we want to thank partners and customers who have been such a key part of our journey to date.”

Dr Keith Strickland, Co-CEO and CTO at Plessey, commented, “We are delighted to announce this new commercial agreement with Facebook. Plessey has been at the forefront of micro LED display development and this agreement recognizes the significant advances in our capabilities that we have made in recent years and we very much look forward to working with Facebook to help bring their vision to life.”

Plessey provides full-field emissive microLED displays that combine high-density RGB pixel arrays with high-performance CMOS backplanes to produce high-brightness, low-power and high-frame-rate image sources for head-mounted displays, AR and VR systems. The company operates 150mm wafer processing facilities to undertake design, test and assembly of LED products, and a suite of photonic characterization and applications laboratories.