Smartkem receives patent for new microLED display manufacturing method

MANCHESTER - Smartkem, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMTK) has been granted a UK patent for a new method of manufacturing microLED displays, the company announced Monday. The semiconductor technology company, currently valued at $4.4 million, maintains a strong balance sheet with more cash than debt and a healthy current ratio of 2.68x, according to InvestingPro data.

The patent covers a technique for patterning organic thin-film transistor (OTFT) backplanes on top of microLEDs and selectively removing them from a source wafer.

According to the company, the patented process allows for selective transfer of only necessary LEDs from a growth substrate to a display substrate, rather than fabricating the entire display on a single substrate. This approach enables the source wafer to be reused multiple times, potentially reducing production costs.

The manufacturing method involves preparing a microLED wafer with an adhesion layer that leaves selected microLEDs exposed. An OTFT backplane is then deposited onto this layer and aligned to connect with the exposed LEDs. This assembly is subsequently removed from the original wafer and transferred to a new display substrate.

"This patent covers a novel technique for microLED display manufacturing that not only enhances efficiency, but also has the potential to significantly reduce material waste and production costs," said Ian Jenks, Smartkem’s Chairman and CEO, in a press release statement. With 18 additional InvestingPro Tips available and comprehensive financial analysis, investors can gain deeper insights into Smartkem’s market position and growth potential through an InvestingPro subscription.

The company reports that this patent adds to its intellectual property portfolio, which now includes 140 granted patents across 17 patent families, as well as 40 codified trade secrets.

Smartkem develops semiconductor polymers for electronic display technologies, including microLED, LCD, and AMOLED displays, as well as applications in computer chip packaging, sensors, and logic.

In other recent news, SmartKem announced the automatic conversion of its Series A-1 Convertible Preferred Stock into common shares and warrants. This conversion resulted in the issuance of 690,788 common shares and Class C warrants to purchase an additional 1,282,412 common shares. Following this action, SmartKem reported a total of 4,431,165 common shares outstanding, aligning with the company’s corporate strategy. Additionally, SmartKem and Manz Asia are collaborating to showcase a new inkjet printable dielectric technology at SEMICON® SEA 2025 in Singapore. This partnership aims to address the growing demand for complex chip packaging, particularly for AI applications. The collaboration leverages Manz Asia’s inkjet printing equipment and SmartKem’s dielectric materials. The companies claim their approach can enable more efficient panel level chip packaging, projected to be a $600 million market by 2030. This development is part of SmartKem’s broader efforts to innovate in the electronics industry.

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