Code Engraving | Seeya Technology Digs Deep into Near-Eye Display Technology: Finding the Right Industry Direction, Focusing on Innovative Development

Originally published in: People's Daily | Reporter: Han Junjie | Headline: Finding the Right Industrial Direction, Focusing on Innovative Development (Visiting Enterprises, Seeing High-Quality Development)

Step into Seeya Technology, located in the Hefei Comprehensive Bonded Zone in Anhui province, put on a VR headset, and play an opera video — instantly, high-definition images appear before your eyes: vibrantly colored costumes, the subtle expressions of performers seemingly within arm's reach. The visual impact is stunning.

"We combine semiconductor and display technologies to fabricate active-matrix OLED devices on monocrystalline silicon wafers," said Feng Hua, senior vice president of Seeya Technology. Through optical magnification, it's equivalent to placing a movable 120- to 200-inch screen at a distance of 3 to 5 meters.

1

Full Industry Chain Coverage

Between infrastructure and scenario entry points, human-machine interaction interfaces serve as the bridge — VR/AR glasses, smartwatches, and other wearable devices are the most intuitive gateways. Founded in Shanghai in 2016, Seeya Technology positions itself as a visual technology supplier for the metaverse, focusing on near-eye display technology.

"A 100-inch physical display might cost tens of thousands of yuan and can't be moved. With silicon-based OLED microdisplay technology, you can achieve the same visual effect for just a few thousand yuan," Feng said.

A microdisplay device the size of a fingernail is the company's key product. "Compared to large screens fabricated on glass substrates, silicon-based displays can be made much smaller. On a display of just 0.49 inches, we've lithographically patterned over 6 million sub-pixels," Feng explained. Using monocrystalline silicon as the driver backplane, the precision far exceeds that of conventional devices, enabling VR and AR products to deliver more realistic, more immersive visual experiences while remaining lighter and more comfortable.

Today, Seeya Technology has become a national high-tech enterprise specializing in the R&D and manufacturing of silicon-based OLED microdisplays, with full industry chain coverage spanning IC design, microdisplay device production, optical system design and manufacturing, and smart wearable terminals. It has been recognized as a national-level "Little Giant" enterprise and a pilot unit for national intellectual property management.

2

Key Technologies Applied Across Multiple Scenarios,

Market Share Continually Expanding

Seeya Technology has built a silicon-based OLED microdisplay production line dedicated to 12-inch wafers, with a monthly capacity of 9,000 12-inch wafer starts. Compared to conventional 8-inch wafers, 12-inch wafers offer lower costs and a more advanced technology platform. Through independent R&D, the company has successfully mastered a range of key technologies including current driving, high refresh rates, wide color gamut, and tandem white OLED devices. To date, Seeya Technology has filed over 420 patent applications.

"The company is currently advancing construction of a second production line, with equipment expected to be installed this May, which will further meet the capacity demands of various customers," said Li Yanmin, head of Seeya Technology's board office. The existing factory can accommodate three production lines, with maximum wafer start capacity reaching 27,000 wafers per month.

IC design is another core competitive strength. Seeya Technology has assembled a formidable R&D team and established provincial- and municipal-level enterprise technology centers and other innovation platforms, giving the company deep technical accumulation and maintaining its leading position in the industry. The designed integrated circuits are sent to foundries for wafer fabrication, then returned to Seeya Technology's factory for evaporation, encapsulation, color filter, module assembly, and other processes.

"The downstream application market for silicon-based OLED microdisplays is continually expanding, and the industry is entering a period of rapid growth," Feng projected. The company expects to leverage the natural fit between silicon-based OLEDs and wearable devices to rapidly expand its market scale and share, entering a phase of high-speed growth.

Seeya Technology's silicon-based OLED microdisplays are already being deployed at scale in the market. For photography enthusiasts, this technology enables clearer images and more accurate color reproduction, achieving true "what you see is what you shoot."

Currently, Seeya Technology is focusing on applying microdisplay technology to endoscopic clinical surgery, and foldable AR glasses designed for convenient cycling are also set to hit the market soon. Feng noted that silicon-based OLED microdisplay technology will be widely applied in industrial scenarios going forward, playing a greater role in business office applications, healthcare, emergency response and firefighting, education and training, and industrial internet.

3

Deeply Embedded in Industry and Supply Chains

The year after its founding in Shanghai, Seeya Technology chose to build its production base in Hefei. Now, its headquarters has also relocated there.

"After visiting Seeya Technology in April 2017, I determined they would be significant for extending and strengthening Hefei's new display industry chain," said Wang Houliang, then deputy director of the Anhui Provincial Economic and Information Technology Department. The two sides quickly reached agreement on the company's landing in Hefei's Xinzhan High-Tech Industrial Development Zone.

Product R&D, equipment procurement — as a startup, Seeya Technology's upfront investments once constrained its development. At the critical moment, Hefei Xinzhan Industrial Investment and Hefei Industry Guidance Fund provided timely capital injections through a combined "debt + equity" investment approach. Now, after three rounds of financing, Seeya Technology has grown into a well-known unicorn company in the industry. Over the past three years, the company's cumulative R&D investment has reached 800 million yuan.

Microdisplay, within the new display industry, serves as the terminal foundation of the information age and an important domain of the digital economy, with fundamental, pioneering, and strategic characteristics. As a chain-leading enterprise in the new display industry, Seeya Technology is driving the joint development of upstream and downstream companies in the industry.

With full industry chain capabilities from wafers to wearable devices, Seeya Technology has chosen to focus on IC design, optical R&D, and display panel fabrication, committing to developing "hard tech" to provide world-class visual interaction hardware platforms for the metaverse industry ecosystem. "Now numerous leading domestic and international companies come directly to us for customized products and business partnerships," Li Yanmin said. "The company is dedicated to providing comprehensive solutions for enterprise users."

Beyond its Hefei headquarters, Seeya Technology has also established R&D teams and sales companies in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and other locations. "The company will deeply integrate into the new display industry and supply chains, collaborating with upstream and downstream partners to drive metaverse construction and consumer electronics upgrades," Feng stated.