Interviews & Panel Discussions

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Micro-LED technology is widely regarded as a key enabler for next-generation displays and emerging photonic applications; however, its large-scale commercialization remains constrained by the complexity, cost, and yield limitations of transfer, bonding, and repair processes. In this masterclass, I present SITRAB (Simultaneous Transfer and Bonding), a laser-based technology developed by ETRI that fundamentally addresses these challenges by integrating micro-LED transfer and bonding into a single process step.

SITRAB is based on a Laser-Assisted/Compression Bonding process combined with a proprietary material that has already been commercialized. The technology eliminates multiple conventional process steps, reduces thermal stress, and enables high-throughput, high-yield assembly. Importantly, SITRAB is not limited to laboratory demonstrations; both the material and the associated equipment have been deployed at OSAT companies, allowing the micro-LED supply chain to transition from R&D to manufacturing readiness.

In addition, ETRI has developed a complete laser-based micro-LED transfer platform, encompassing first-, second-, and third-stage transfer technologies. Using this platform, we demonstrate full-color micro-LED displays fabricated with approximately 20 µm × 30 µm devices, as well as a 4,000 PPI monochrome micro-LED display targeting AR/VR applications.

This masterclass will focus on the practical implementation of SITRAB, lessons learned from commercialization, and its implications for scalable micro-LED manufacturing across advanced packaging, display, and photonic integration ecosystems.

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Stretchable temperature sensors and temperature responsive heater elements are essential components for emerging applications such as wearable health monitoring, textile heating applications or soft robotics. For these uses, sensors must combine reliable thermal sensitivity with mechanical robustness under repeated deformation. We will show screen-printable hybrid conductive inks for stretchable temperature sensing and heating based on a hybrid filler network in a stretchable matrix and first prototypes how they can be applied.
Results show unique long-term behaviour of the inks. The printed composites were characterized in the temperature range from 20 to 120 °C and under repeated thermal and mechanical cycling. Optimized formulations showed a linear resistance response to temperature, with temperature coefficients, that allow for thermal sensing in case of sensor elements, or active temperature control for controlled heating solutions even at several tens of thousands strain cycles.
These results highlight the potential of hybrid metal–carbon inks as a versatile platform for robust, printable temperature sensors and heating that can be integrated into deformable electronic systems in textiles or can be used as stretchable sensing components in medical applications like smart wound dressing.

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This presentation explores the principles, challenges, and advantages of polymer-based 2D waveguides for AR displays. Diffractive and reflective technologies are compared for advantages and shortcomings where molded polymer reflective waveguides are shown to offer lightweight, low-cost, and color-uniform alternatives with superior efficiency (5× higher). The talk concludes with challenges and looks ahead to future trends.

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The success of display-less AI glasses suggests that user acceptance is driven less by technological sophistication and more by perceived daily value, comfort, and social compatibility. AR glasses with displays promise richer visual augmentation, yet they struggle to justify their compromises in weight, power consumption, and price. This tension reveals a growing gap between what AR technologies can deliver and what users are willing to adopt.

In this keynote, we examine the challenges in democratizing AR glasses by aligning microdisplay performance, waveguide design, and system architecture with realistic user value propositions. Rather than pursuing maximal specifications, the discussion emphasizes the importance of “good-enough AR” optimized for real-world use cases. The talk proposes a shift in design philosophy—from feature-driven development to adoption-driven engineering—as a pathway toward scalable AR glasses.

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Imagine a world where your smart clothing charges as easily as your phone, transfers data seamlessly, and connects to any device without fuss. Right now, e-textiles—the future of wearable technology—are held back not by innovation, but by a lack of standardization in connectivity.

Just as the USB revolution enabled the explosive growth of consumer electronics and reuse of devices by providing a universal interface, a unified textile connector (T-USB) could be the tipping point that moves e-textiles from niche prototypes to everyday
products. Without it, manufacturers face fragmentation, consumers face incompatibility, and the industry stalls before it even reaches mainstream adoption.

This talk will discuss the vision and latest results of the recently funded Horizon Europe project, SoftIE, as it develops a ubiquitous connector solution to e-textiles via our T-USB Standard concept using novel soft and flexible materials and adhesives that allow interchangeable interposer layers tailored to specific textile/e-textile substrates.

The system has sustainability at its core and all materials are designed to be removed and recycled or re-used at end of life and help tackle the unanswered question of where do all these e-textiles go?

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For years, the AR industry has faced a critical challenge: how to combine the precision and efficiency of laser illumination with the proven performance of LCoS, the most mature and compact microdisplay technology. Traditional attempts have been hindered by coherence artefacts and uneven illumination.

Vitrealab, a pioneering photonics company, has developed a breakthrough solution — the Quantum Light Chip. This Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) acts as a unique laser light source that delivers uniform, artifact-free illumination to LCoS panels in the most efficient way. By bridging the strengths of lasers and LCoS, this innovation paves the way for brighter, more efficient, and truly scalable AR smart glasses.

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