MicroLED/LED electro-optical integration techniques for non-display applications

MicroLEDs offer an extraordinary combination of high luminance, high energy efficiency, low cost, and long lifetime. These characteristics are highly desirable in various applications, but their usage has, to date, been primarily focused toward next-generation display technologies. Applications of microLEDs in other technologies, such as projector systems, computational imaging, communication systems, or neural stimulation, have been limited. In non-display applications which use microLEDs as light sources, modifications in key electrical and optical characteristics such as external efficiency, output beam shape, modulation bandwidth, light output power, and emission wavelengths are often needed for optimum performance. A number of advanced fabrication and processing techniques have been used to achieve these electro-optical characteristics in microLEDs. In this article, we review the non-display application areas of the microLEDs, the distinct opto-electrical characteristics required for these applications, and techniques that integrate the optical and electrical components on the microLEDs to improve system-level efficacy and performance.