ASM Wire Bonding Machine Metaverse Detonated "Virtual and Real Card Position Battle", ASM Pacific assisted in all directions

    The Metaverse boom has emerged, and many big manufacturers are rushing to seize business opportunities. With the Meta high-end VR glasses "Quest 2 Pro" expected to come out in the second half of the year; ByteDance has also actively strengthened its marketing in the Chinese market after the acquisition of Pico, and will launch new devices. Apple and Sony are also expected to occupy a place in the market in 2023. Various signs have repeatedly shown that the "virtual and real card position war" is about to start. Whoever masters the necessary technology will get the key ticket to the Metaverse.

According to the second quarter research of TrendForce, the global AR/VR device shipments will reach 13.85 million units this year, an annual increase of 40.5%. Among them, Microsoft HoloLens 2 and Meta Oculus Quest 2 will win the AR and VR market share respectively. .

Liu Junting, senior business development manager of ASM Pacific (ASMPT), pointed out that opening the "door" of the metaverse, from 5G, 6G processors, semiconductors and other hardware, battery life, and even sensing devices, technology development components, are one of the elements to enter, The most important of these is display technology. At present, ASM Pacific is working with major players in the market to develop new technologies, and is committed to making the elements the key to the metaverse.

The key to VR has been formed, and AR needs to master the heat ▼ With the hot topic of the metaverse, it will accelerate the development of various manufacturers' investment in headsets and promote the growth of the headset industry. At present, the direction of the Metaverse is divided into VR (Virtual Reality) and AR (Augmented Reality)/MR (Mixed Reality). VR glasses detect human movements through external cameras or infrared sensors, and the industry is relatively mature.

Overall, the technology required for VR technology is relatively mature, and most manufacturers can already manufacture it. Liu Junting said that ASM Pacific packaging equipment has covered the needs of VR semiconductor devices, such as power management IC, microcontroller (MCU), RF radio frequency communication, micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) and sensing, memory, lens and other technologies. There are already quite a few VR devices produced by ASM Pacific Equipment.

In contrast, the AR key to the metaverse may have to wait for a while.

Ideally, AR glasses must have high brightness, high resolution, and lightweight equipment, which can help fight ambient light and cause no pressure when wearing them. Therefore, the mastery of the display and optical system becomes the key.

Generally speaking, AR glasses are reflected by light engines such as Micro LED, Micro OLED, and LBS, and imaged on the glasses lens. Since Micro LED is superior to the latter in terms of contrast, reactivity, lifespan, and power saving, long-term viewing Best for developing AR technology.

TriLite, CEA-Leti, Jade Bird Display Liu Junting pointed out that due to the space for AR glasses and the pursuit of high resolution, microchips must be miniaturized, such as Micro LED chips, which need to be smaller than 5 microns, so we are developing Micro LED transfer welding technology. , did face many challenges. Thanks to ASM Pacific's strong R&D capabilities, it was able to overcome the difficulties and successfully transfer RGB Micro LEDs in large quantities and solder them to the light engine using its patented technology of Micro LED packaging.

Another key technology in AR glasses is the optical waveguide, which is designed to effectively guide the image from the edge of the lens to the center. In the process of stacking optical waveguides, attention must be paid to the accuracy of mirror reflection projection, while taking into account the characteristics of lightness and thinness, which is more difficult to manufacture. In this regard, ASM Pacific has worked closely with the major AR players in the market to develop a machine for stacking optical waveguides, which can fully automatically scribe, stack and cure two or three lenses with high precision, perfectly meeting mass production requirements.

Liu Junting said that at least 80% of the Micro LED exhibits on the market and in the exhibition hall are from ASM Pacific Micro LED patented packaging equipment. In addition, for light source assembly, follow-up integration services and emerging technologies required for AR, ASM Pacific has cooperated with the industry Collaborating with key players to develop CMOS sensors, miniature eye tracking technology and ultra-miniature lenses to improve the accuracy of tracking positioning, eyeballs and gestures, he said confidently, "The metaverse market is developing rapidly and gradually penetrates into our daily life. In life, it is not far from reaching the popular stage. ASM Pacific actively cooperates with leading companies to develop key packaging processes, especially in terms of new technologies, such as optical engines, optical waveguide processing, etc., can provide complete solutions and accelerate product entry into the market. time schedule."

▼TrendForce estimates that by 2026, the output value of display chips for Micro LED AR glasses will be US$41 million. In addition, with the gradual maturity of technologies such as red light chips, laser transfer, wafer bonding and full-colorization from 2025 to 2026, it is expected to improve yields, reduce production costs, and further increase output value.

After Micro LED AR glasses and the Metaverse industry mature, it is expected to be applied in special fields first, such as medical surgery or testing instruments, environmental monitoring or maintenance tools in factories, military applications, etc. When the technology is refined, the cost price will be reduced to commercialization. At this stage, it has the opportunity to be applied in consumer full-color display products.

Liu Junting believes that the current Metaverse and AR applications still need 2-3 years to mature, and cost, mass production, and application will be the main considerations for development. Although the pricing range of products is uncertain, with Apple's launch of head-mounted devices in 2023 After that, the future scene application will be clearer. At the same time, as manufacturers gradually optimize their products and technologies during this period, it is believed that in the near future, every user can have their own virtual and real world at the same time.