Techniques to Reduce Power Consumption of Micro-LEDs
Micro-LED displays face a fundamental power challenge: each microscopic LED requires individual driving current, with typical pixel densities reaching 2 million per square inch. At these scales, even small inefficiencies in current delivery or light emission compound significantly across the display surface, leading to thermal management concerns and battery life limitations in portable devices.
The core engineering tradeoff exists between achieving high brightness and color accuracy while minimizing power consumption at the individual pixel level.
This page brings together solutions from recent research—including integrated driver circuits that reduce power overhead, monolithic growth techniques that improve efficiency, novel backplane architectures, and optimized color conversion layers. These and other approaches focus on practical implementations that can scale to commercial production while maintaining display performance.
1. LED Display Module with High Voltage Driven LEDs on Uniform PCB Layout
ZHEJIANG DEHE PHOTOELECTRIC TECH CO LTD, ZHEJIANG DEHE PHOTOELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2024
LED display module and screen that use high voltage to reduce energy consumption compared to standard low voltage displays. The modules have LEDs laid equally on the PCB board, driven by high voltage chips. This allows using higher voltages than the typical 5V for LED displays. The higher voltage reduces the current through the LEDs and PCB wiring, reducing power loss and heat generation compared to low voltage displays.
2. Energy-Saving Circuit for RGB LED Displays with Common Anode and Buck Converter Integration
XIAN QINGSONG OPTOELECTRONIC TECH CO LTD, XIAN QINGSONG OPTOELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2024
An energy-saving circuit for LED displays that reduces power consumption and heat generation of the constant current driver chips. The circuit is used in RGB LED displays with common anode connection. The circuit includes a power module, two constant current drive modules, and a buck converter. The red, green, and blue LED anodes connect to the power module. The red LED cathode connects to the first constant current drive module. The first buck converter connects to the first constant current drive module output and ground. The green and blue LED cathodes connect to the second constant current drive module inputs. This configuration raises the voltage level at the first constant current drive module using the buck converter, reducing its voltage drop and power consumption.
3. LED Display Control Method with Line-Specific Low Power Mode Activation Based on Channel State Parameters
SHENZHEN SUNMOON MICROELECTRONICS CO LTD, 2024
Energy-saving control method for LED displays that reduces power consumption by optimizing when the display driver enters low power mode. Instead of waiting for a full frame of zeros, it judges if a channel can go into low power mode based on the state parameters in the next scan line. This allows more frequent use of low power mode, reducing switch crosstalk and EMI while lowering power. The method involves acquiring the channel's parameters during line feed, then deciding if the driver should go into low power mode for the next scan line.
4. LED Driver Control System with Dual Control Units for Constant Current and Adaptive Voltage Regulation
SHANGHAI TANMU SEMICONDUCTOR TECH CO LTD, SHANGHAI TANMU SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2024
Control system and method for LED driver to optimize efficiency and reduce heat generation by maintaining constant current while minimizing voltage applied to the LEDs. The system has two control units, one to provide driving current to the LEDs and the other to adjust the bias voltage based on the current. This allows using lowest voltage to optimize efficiency while maintaining constant current.
5. MicroLED Display with Sub-Array Independent Power Supply and Dynamic Voltage Adjustment Controller
Lumileds LLC, 2023
Optimizing power supply for microLED displays to improve efficiency and color uniformity. The microLED display has sub-arrays of independently powered microLED pixels. Adjustable power supplies are connected to each sub-array. A controller measures the forward voltage of the microLEDs in a sub-array and dynamically adjusts the power supplied to that sub-array based on the measured voltages. This allows tailored power levels for each sub-array to match the specific voltage requirements of the microLEDs in that sub-array, improving efficiency compared to a single supply for the whole array.
6. LED Display Unit with Integrated Driver and Power Supply on Shared Substrate in Distributed Power Architecture
LG Innotek Co., Ltd., 2023
LED display unit with distributed power architecture to minimize thickness and power consumption of LED displays used in applications like electronic signs. The display has integrated module units containing both the driving driver and power supply on the same substrate. Multiple integrated modules are combined in a matrix. Each module operates as a distributed power unit. The integrated design reduces thickness compared to separate driver/power units. Cooperative operation between modules further improves power efficiency.
7. Multi-Channel LED System with Single Power Device for Simultaneous Current Amplitude and Width Adjustment
Shanghai Silergy Microelectronics Technology Co., Ltd., 2023
Balancing voltage drops and power consumption in multi-channel LED systems to improve efficiency and avoid overheating. The method involves adjusting the pulse width and amplitude of the LED current to maintain a constant product of current amplitude and duty cycle. This balances voltage drops across channels while keeping brightness the same. The circuit achieves this by using a single power device per channel to simultaneously adjust current amplitude and width. It also sets a phase offset between channels to reduce voltage ripple and fixes turn-off times to avoid voltage overshoot.
8. LED Display with Temperature-Responsive Dynamic Driving Voltage Adjustment Mechanism
HUAWEI TECH CO LTD, HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO LTD, 2023
Reducing power consumption of LED displays by dynamically adjusting the driving voltage based on screen temperature. A temperature sensor collects the average pixel circuit temperature. This value is used to control the power supply to dynamically adjust the driving voltage for each pixel's LED. By optimizing voltage per pixel at varying temperatures, power consumption can be lowered without affecting display brightness.
9. Dynamic Voltage Adjustment System for MicroLED Displays Based on Operating Conditions
Lumileds Limited Liability Company, LUMILEDS LIMITED LIABILITY CO, 2023
A dynamic power supply system for microLED displays that improves efficiency and reduces heat by adjusting the power supply voltage based on operating conditions like temperature and current. The system uses a control block to dynamically set the power supply voltage for an LED array based on data describing forward voltages and operating conditions. This avoids overvoltage and waste when fixed supply voltages are used.
10. LED Display Power Supply with Dynamic Voltage Adjustment Based on Individual LED Forward Voltage
XIAN QINGSONG OPTOELECTRONIC TECH CO LTD, XIAN QINGSONG OPTOELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2022
Reducing energy consumption of LED displays by dynamically adjusting the power supply voltage based on the forward voltage (VF) of the individual LEDs. The display's control system generates a voltage control signal for the power supply using the VF values of the LEDs. This allows targeted voltage provision to avoid overvoltage wastage and excessive heat in LEDs. It also prevents long-term high temperature damage to the LED junctions. By providing the exact voltage required by each LED, energy consumption is reduced compared to fixed high voltage power supplies.
11. LED Display with Dynamic Brightness, Timing, and Color Adjustment Based on Energy Consumption and Usage Monitoring
SHENZHEN LJX DISPLAY TECH CO LTD, SHENZHEN LJX DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2022
LED display energy consumption self-adaptive energy-saving control method and device to optimize LED display energy efficiency by dynamically adjusting brightness, timing, and color based on usage requirements. The method involves monitoring display energy consumption, temperature, and usage time using external devices. Based on this data, the brightness is automatically adjusted to conserve energy. The display timing is also adjusted to match brightness levels. The color can also be adjusted. Heat dissipation mechanisms are used to cool the displays. The goal is to avoid overconsumption and wastage by adapting to actual needs rather than fixed settings.
12. Micro-LED Display Panel with Integrated Driver Circuitry for Each Pixel
Hong Kong Beida Jade Bird Display Limited, 2022
A display panel that uses micro-LEDs and integrated driver circuitry to reduce power consumption compared to conventional display technologies like LCD and OLED. The display panel has an array of micro-LED pixels, each containing a micro-LED and an integrated driver circuit. This allows each pixel to control its own LED brightness and color directly without additional driver circuitry. The integrated driver circuitry reduces power consumption by eliminating the need for separate driver components for each pixel. The micro-LED pixels can be densely packed to achieve high-resolution displays with improved brightness and energy efficiency.
13. High-Density LED Display with Dynamic Drive Current and Voltage Adjustment Based on Channel Luminance Levels
HUAYUAN SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED CO, HUAYUAN SEMICONDUCTOR SHENZHEN LTD CO, 2022
Optimizing power efficiency and heat dissipation in high-density LED displays by dynamically adjusting the drive currents based on channel luminance levels. The display has multiple LED channels and a control circuit that maps individual luminance levels to average channel currents. It then selects a group current level that exceeds all channel currents. The circuit configures the channel duty cycles based on ratios of average to group current. This allows efficient driving at lower group currents while maintaining brightness. The shared supply voltage is set based on channel voltages. The group current and voltage are dynamically adjusted frame-by-frame.
14. LED Display Driver with Power Conversion Circuit for Minimum Critical Power Extraction
Shenzhen Jiangming Technology Co., Ltd., SHENZHEN JIANGMING TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2022
Reducing power consumption in LED displays by using a power conversion circuit to extract the minimum critical power required to drive the LEDs to a specific brightness. A driver chip with a power conversion circuit, brightness detection, and logic control. The conversion circuit converts the power supply voltage to the critical power needed by the LEDs. The brightness detection circuit checks LED brightness and the logic control adjusts conversion output to match. This prevents excess power consumption when driving LEDs from a full supply versus optimized critical level.
15. LED Display System with Inverter-Controlled Driving Circuit and Energy Storage for Zero Switching and Conduction Losses
Shenzhen Unilumin Technology Co., Ltd., SHENZHEN UNILUMIN TECHNOLOGY CO LTD, 2022
LED display system with reduced losses and improved efficiency. It uses a specialized driving circuit with an inverter, energy storage, and charging to achieve zero switching and conduction losses. The inverter controls when the driving circuit is on versus charging circuit. When the driving circuit is off, the charging circuit charges. When on, the driving circuit draws power from the energy storage instead of the main supply. This avoids switching losses when turning on and conduction losses when on. The energy storage returns power when turning off.
16. Micro-LED Display Panel with Graphene Thermoelectric Conversion Layers
SHENZHEN OUTOELECTRON CO LTD, 2022
Micro-LED display panel, display module, and LED display with improved heat dissipation and performance by using graphene thermoelectric conversion layers below the circuitry. This prevents heat buildup and damage to the micro-LED chips and circuitry. The graphene layer converts some of the heat back into electricity, aiding in dissipation. It also reduces the need for thick PCB layers, which accumulate heat, by allowing the circuitry to be stacked vertically. This improves cooling, reduces size, and simplifies manufacturing compared to side-by-side PCB layers.
17. Modular Micro LED Display with Selective LED Module Deactivation Capability
SHENZHEN OUTOELECTRON CO LTD, 2022
Energy-saving Micro LED display screen that reduces power consumption by allowing individual LED modules to be turned off when not in use instead of the entire display. The display has a main control module, power supply module, and multiple LED modules. Each LED module has an interface to connect to the control and power modules. The control module converts video data and sends it to the LED modules. The power module supplies power to the display. When a module is not needed, the control module can disable power to that module instead of the whole display.
18. Segmented Micro-LED Chip with Series Electrical Connection Configuration
SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS SEMICONDUCTOR DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., 2022
Micro-LED display technology with reduced power consumption. The display uses a segmented micro-LED chip, separating each segment and electrically connecting in series. When driven, this increases the voltage across the chip, reducing power consumption versus a single-segment chip. It solves micro-LED displays' high power consumption and low drive efficiency problems.
19. LED Display Structure with Series-Connected Lamp Beads and Shared Voltage Configuration
GENTURE ELECTRONICS CO LTD, 2021
Energy-saving structure for LED displays that reduces power consumption by optimizing the connection of the LED lamp beads to the power supply. The structure involves connecting the lamp beads in series first and then connecting them to the power supply ground terminal. This allows sharing of the supply voltage between the beads rather than having separate power channels for each color. The ground terminal is connected to the negative pole of the power supply. The lamp bead colors are connected as follows: red to ground and 2.8V, green to ground and 3.8V, and blue to ground and 3.8V. This enables sharing of the supply voltage between the beads rather than having separate power channels for each color.
20. Micro-LED Display Backplane with Conductive Protection Layer Formed in Single Mask Step
Ordos Yuansheng Optoelectronics Co., Ltd., BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., 2021
Micro-LED display backplane with a simplified manufacturing process and reduced power consumption compared to existing designs. The backplane has a bonding layer to connect to the micro-LEDs. The bonding layer has a conductive protection layer on top of the bonding metal layer, both formed in a single mask step. The protection layer prevents shorts between the metal and the LEDs. The backplane also has other layers like TFTs and traces.
21. Micro LED Display with Individually Controllable Subpixels for Independent Duty Cycle and Emission Time
VueReal Inc., 2021
Micro LED display with improved color accuracy, power consumption, and gamma correction. The display has individually controllable subpixels in each pixel. Each subpixel can have independent duty cycle and emission time. This allows optimizing power and color without affecting gamma. The display drives each subpixel independently to adjust brightness and duration for better color mixing and overall efficiency.
22. Monolithic Wafer-Integrated Microdisplay with Micro-LEDs and Thin-Film Transistors
INTEL CORPORATION, 2021
Monolithic microdisplays with LEDs and TFTs on the same wafer for applications like AR/VR headsets. The displays use micro-LEDs and TFTs to achieve high pixel density, brightness, contrast, and power efficiency. The LEDs emit light, and the TFTs control the LED pixels. By integrating the LEDs and TFTs on the same wafer, monolithic microdisplays can be made with high pixel density and performance in a compact size.
23. Monolithic Nanowire LED Pair Growth and Transfer for Micro-LED Display Fabrication
Intel Corporation, 2021
Micro-LED display manufacturing technique using monolithic growth and transfer to reduce cost and power consumption. The technique involves growing pairs of nanowire LEDs on a wafer and transferring them to form pixels on the display backplane, eliminating the need for individual LED transfers. For example, growing blue and green nanowire LEDs are transferred as a pair for one pixel. Other pairs, like green and red, are also grown and transferred.
24. Matrix-Arranged LED Micro-Display with Integrated Electronic Backplane and Color Converter Layer
Facebook Technologies, LLC, 2020
A low power consumption high brightness display with integrated LED micro-display. The display is made by fabricating an array of red, green, and blue LEDs directly on a substrate, with each LED emitting a primary color. The LEDs are arranged in a matrix to form a high-resolution display. The LEDs are driven by an electronic backplane layer underneath. A color converter layer on top of the LEDs absorbs the primary colors and emits the desired secondary colors.
25. Monolithic Multi-Color Micro-LED Growth and Transfer on Single Wafer Substrate
Intel Corporation, 2020
Micro-LED display technology has reduced power consumption and manufacturing complexity compared to conventional micro-LED displays. The improvement is achieved by growing different-colored micro-LEDs monolithically on a single wafer and transferring them together to form a pixel. This eliminates the need for separate growth and transfer steps for each color micro-LED. For example, a blue and green micro-LED can be grown together and transferred as a unit. The monolithic growth of micro-LEDs of different colors on a single substrate enables simplified manufacturing without losing color performance.
26. Stacked Multi-Layer Micro-LED Arrays with Integrated Pixel Driver Circuitry
HONG KONG BEIDA JADE BIRD DISPLAY LIMITED, 2020
Fabricating integrated multi-color LED display panels using techniques that enable high-resolution displays with low power consumption. The method involves stacking multiple layers of micro-LEDs on top of each other, with each layer bonded and patterned to form micro-LED arrays. This allows the integration of pixel driver circuitry with the micro-LEDs. The stacking enables dense pixel packing with one micro-LED layer per color.
27. LED Display Board with Individual Color Current Control and Fault Detection Mechanism
Baek Sun-young, 2019
Power saving LED display board that reduces power consumption and improves efficiency by individually controlling the current for each color (R, G, B) LED in a display. The board has a controller that senses the current consumed by each color LED and switches to standby mode if a fault is detected. It also allows separate current and voltage settings for each color to optimize brightness. This prevents unnecessary current waste in LEDs with different voltage requirements.
28. LED Display Driving Circuit with Separate Grounding and Adjustable Voltage for Each Chip
Shenzhen Junlue Technology Co., Ltd., 2019
LED display driving circuit, driving method, and LED driving chip to reduce power consumption and heat in LED displays. The circuit separates power supply grounds for each driving chip to allow adjusting the power supply voltage for each LED bead. The main control module sends display data to each chip. This enables optimizing voltage for each bead type to eliminate unnecessary heat dissipation resistors.
29. Integrated LED Micro-Display with Substrate-Embedded Electronic Driving Circuitry and Color Conversion Layers
Oculus VR, LLC, 2018
A low power consumption high brightness display with an integrated LED micro-display that provides efficient light generation and color conversion. The display features an array of red, green, and blue LEDs with color conversion layers to create a full-color display. The LEDs are directly integrated into a substrate with electronic driving circuitry. This eliminates the need for external light sources and components, reducing power consumption compared to displays using separate LEDs and pattern generators. The integrated design also allows precise matching of LED emission wavelengths for optimal color quality.
30. LED Display Drive Structure with Individual Constant Current Driver Chips and Standby Mode Functionality
Shenzhen Unilumin Technology Co., Ltd., 2018
LED display drive structure that improves energy efficiency and reduces input voltage compared to traditional LED displays. The structure uses constant current driver chips to individually power each LED instead of a row driver. This allows lower input voltages since each LED can be driven at its optimal voltage instead of the row driver needing a higher voltage for all LEDs. The constant current chips also enter standby mode when not driving LEDs to further save power.
31. LED Array Brightness Control System with Junction Temperature Feedback and Multi-Stage Adjustment
GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC, 2017
Controlling the brightness of an LED array in a display with a liquid crystal layer using junction temperature feedback. The display has a driver circuit to control the LED array brightness. A control module monitors the LED junction temperature via the driver circuit. It then enters different brightness control stages based on the junction temperature. This allows optimizing LED efficiency and lifetime by reducing brightness at higher temperatures.
32. LED Display with Temperature-Responsive Selective Cooling System
HUBEI INMEI ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT CO LTD, HUBEI INMEI ENTPR DEV CO LTD, 2017
Selective cooling LED display that saves energy by dynamically controlling cooling based on local temperature. The display has a box frame, LED modules, heat sinks, temperature sensors, and a control device. The control device receives temperature readings from the sensors and selectively activates cooling fans on the heat sinks for overheated modules. This targets cooling where needed instead of fixed fans which can overcool or miss hot spots.
33. LED Display Driving Circuit with Integrated Voltage Regulator and Direct MOSFET Red LED Drive
GENESIS SYSTECH CO LTD, 2016
LED display screen driving circuit and chip that reduces power consumption and heat in high resolution LED displays. The driving circuit uses a voltage regulator to lower the voltage drop in the column constant current driver chips, reducing heat and power consumption. The chip also integrates an MOSFET to drive the red LED column directly instead of using a series resistor. This eliminates the red LED series resistance and associated power loss. The chip has a data interface, processing module, and MOSFET to implement this optimized driving scheme.
34. LED Display Light Output Control via Junction Temperature Estimation and Current Adjustment
KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV, 2016
Controlling the light output of high-resolution LED displays to overcome issues of heat-induced intensity variations and non-uniformity. The method involves estimating the temperature of the LED junction locations on the heat sink, which allows predicting the intensity of each LED at video rates. This is done by determining the desired light output, estimating heat generation, solving heat flow equations, estimating junction temps, and setting driving currents based on those temps. This compensates for temperature variations to maintain consistent LED intensity across the array.
35. LED Display Power Supply System with Feedback-Based Voltage and Frequency Adjustment
Shenzhen Zhongqingwei Technology Development Co., Ltd., SHENZHEN ZHONGQING MICRO TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CO LTD, 2015
LED control system that allows intelligent adjustment of power supply voltage to LED displays based on feedback from the displays themselves. The system has a control module to send display commands to the LED housing. An adjustment module connects to the power supply and senses the display's operating state. It generates an adjustment signal to change the power supply frequency and voltage. This allows manual adjustment of display voltage for optimal brightness and efficiency.
Although lowering micro-LED power consumption is necessary for mainstream adoption, micro-LED technology presents prospects for environmentally friendly displays and lighting in a variety of industries. Appropriate solutions are provided by the most recent developments covered. However, further progress is also needed in other important domains.
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