HB-LED chip production to grow 2.8% to $13.179bn in 2017, then 2-5% annually during 2018-2022

Global production of high-brightness LED chips is expected to grow 2.8% year-on-year to US$13.179bn in 2017, then at 2-5% annually during 2018-2022, forecasts Digitimes Research.

The production value for automotive and display applications will rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13-15% and 8-11%, respectively, in 2018-2022, while lighting will see a CAGR below 10% because LED lighting penetration will approach saturation, the firm adds. The production value for backlighting applications for TVs, notebooks, monitors and tablets will continue to decline slightly in 2018-2022, while backlighting applications for handsets will drop significantly due to the increasing adoption of AMOLED panels for smartphones.

LED chip makers have developed infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) LED chips as well as mini LEDs, and they are also developing micro LEDs. IR LED chips have been widely used in sensing for biometrics (fingerprint, face and iris recognition), ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems) and IoT (Internet of Things) applications. LED chips have been used emitting at wavelength of 320-400nm (UV-A) for industrial and nail curing applications; at 290-320nm (UV-B) for skin medical care applications; and at 240-290nm (UV-C) for water and air purification applications.

Mini LED chips have begun to be adopted for fine-pixel-pitch displays, automotive displays and backlighting of high-contrast displays. However, micro LEDs still see technological bottlenecks, and commerical applications may not appear until 2018, concludes Digitimes Research.