On the eve of the explosion of Micro LED optical interconnection technology in 2026, companies will

Looking back at 2025, Micro LED optical interconnection technology continues to set off a global boom. Whether it is technology giants or start-ups, it has launched early technical verification and strategic layout to accelerate the opportunity to seize the track. Entering 2026, this technology has become the core direction of the LED industry's common focus. Recently, the industry has welcomed heavy cooperation, injecting strong impetus into the commercialization of technology.

BOE Huacan and Xinxiang Micro have reached in-depth cooperation, focusing on the Micro LED optical interconnection core track. On January 15, 2026, BOE Huacan Optoelectronics and Shanghai Xinxiang Microelectronics officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The two parties will focus on chip manufacturing + drive design. The collaborative model is the core, focusing on Micro LED optical interconnection technology, and is committed to the development and mass production of low-power, high-bandwidth, and high-reliability Micro LED optical interconnection modules suitable for smart computing centers. Among them, BOE Huacan has achieved stable mass production and commercial delivery of Micro LED wafers and pixel devices with its first large-scale mass production line, building a solid foundation for downstream application scenarios such as optical interconnection. Hardware support.

As a well-known display chip design company in China, Xinxiang Micro has transformed its technical accumulation in the fields of image compression, built-in capacitor design and innovative architecture research and development into efficient driving capabilities for Micro LED optical modules. In optical interconnection application scenarios, the driver chip not only needs to realize high-speed modulation functions, but also needs to solve power consumption and thermal management problems within a very small package size. The new phase micro technology empowerment just makes up for this core shortcoming, forming complementary advantages of hardware + drive.

In addition to the field of optical interconnection, the two parties also plan to carry out in-depth cooperation on cutting-edge tracks such as AR smart glasses and ADB smart lights to jointly develop Micro LED micro display modules suitable for AR/AI smart glasses, and Micro LED module technology suitable for smart ADB lights comprehensively promotes the commercialization of new Micro LED applications.

Technical advantages are highlighted. Micro LED optical interconnection has become the key to breaking the AI era. The strategic alliance between BOE Huacan and Xinxiangwei essentially stems from the unique physical advantages demonstrated by Micro LED optical interconnection technology in solving the bottleneck of AI interconnection. With the rapid iteration and large-scale popularization of artificial intelligence technology, the internal computing throughput of data centers has grown exponentially, and the bandwidth bottlenecks and energy consumption pressures faced by traditional interconnection solutions have become increasingly prominent.

When dealing with high-speed transmission, traditional copper interconnection technology is limited by the physical limits of severe signal attenuation, difficult to control crosstalk and low energy efficiency ratio, making it difficult to meet the needs of the AI era; although silicon photonic interconnection solutions have high capacity characteristics, However, there is still much room for optimization in terms of bandwidth density, cost control and energy consumption per bit. In contrast, the Micro LED optical interconnection solution shows significant advantages: the power consumption of the full link can be controlled below 1pJ/bit, and a single chip can integrate hundreds of light-emitting units, supporting Tbs-level aggregation bandwidth; At the same time, its optical signal is not subject to electromagnetic interference and is highly compatible with CMOS processes. It can achieve high-density integration with logic chips, shorten electrical interconnection distances, and significantly reduce the impact of parasitic parameters.

TrendForce Consulting pointed out in the "2025 Micro LED display and Non-Display Application Market Analysis" that as data center demand continues to expand, the industry is actively exploring more cost-effective light source solutions. Micro LEDs rely on low power consumption and high data transmission density and excellent temperature stability, are gradually becoming the core candidate for optical interconnection light sources. Qiu Yubin, senior deputy general manager of Jibang Consulting, previously revealed that Micro LED optical interconnection technology, which meets the internal interconnection needs of AI server cabinets, has entered the evaluation vision of technology giants such as Apple, Microsoft, and NVIDIA, and the commercial verification process is accelerating.

Many forces have increased their layout, and the track competition landscape has begun to show. Faced with the continuous upgrading of computing power and data needs in the AI market, as well as the broad prospects of Micro LED optical interconnection technology, many companies have increased their layout. Two days before the announcement of the cooperation between BOE Huacan and Xinxiang Micro, Neptunitron Technology and Optics Technology had reached a strategic collaboration to jointly develop a next-generation optical interconnection platform for AI and HPC scenarios. The two parties integrate Nepttronics's high-efficiency Micro LED light-emitting array, as well as Optical-Tracking Technology's ultra-sensitive GeSi avalanche photodiode (APD) array and two-dimensional array vertical coupler (2D-AVC), aiming to create an optical interconnection system with an energy consumption of less than 1pJ/bit and a bandwidth density of Tbps/mm ², replacing traditional active cables (AEC) and improving the operating efficiency of AI accelerators and high-density data centers.

Domestic companies core-based semiconductors have also recently launched special research and development of Micro LEDs for optical communication applications. As an early company in the field of GaN Micro LEDs, Core Base relies on the independently developed 4-6-inch DPSS GaN epitaxial platform to achieve mass production of blue Micro LED arrays with pixel size less than 10 microns. The measured modulation rate of the single channel exceeded 8Gbps. Currently, the company is focusing on improving current injection efficiency and optimizing pixel isolation. At the same time, it is exploring integration solutions with CMOS driver ICs, and is fully committed to developing communication-grade GaN light emitting chips suitable for optical interconnection scenarios.

In addition to the above-mentioned companies, LED manufacturers such as Zhaochi, San 'an, Qianzhao, Dongshan Precision, and ams OSRAM, as well as well-known technology companies such as TSMC, Microsoft, and Mosun Technology, have launched the research and development of Micro LED optical interconnection technology in 2025. With cooperation, many forces have gathered together to accelerate the maturity of the track.

2026 will be the first year of technological development, and the accelerated construction of ecological closed-loop has long been regarded as the ultimate display technology after oled. Under the wave of AI computing power revolution and data center transformation, its application boundary is constantly being broadened. In 2026, with the strong alliance between BOE Huacan and Xinxiangwei, as well as the technological breakthroughs of companies such as Neptunitron Technology and Core Yuanji, Micro LED optical interconnection technology has officially entered a critical period of development.

Although global industry participants generally expect that large-scale product implementation will be after 2027, and relevant interface standards are still being formulated, 2026 is expected to be the first year of development of Micro LED optical interconnection technology. Looking forward to the whole year, it is expected that more companies will flock to the track. All parties in the industry chain will gradually complete the ecological closed-loop construction from materials, chips, modules, and systems through capital operations, strategic alliances, etc., and promote Micro LED optical interconnection technology has become the core hardware force supporting the continued evolution of the AI industry in the future.