World’s No.1 Technology Targets EV and Autonomous Vehicle Markets
2025.07.02
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Seoul
Semiconductor, Global No.1 in LED Backlight, Begins Supplying Mini LED for
Automotive Displays from May
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WICOP
Mini with No-Wire, No-Lens, No-Package Surpasses OLED in Brightness, Color
Performance, and Cost Competitiveness
SEOUL, South Korea--Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:
046890), the world’s No. 1 company in LED backlight, announced on July 2nd that
its proprietary No-wire technology, WICOP, has been supplied to the automotive
market in the form of Mini LED displays since May. As the world’s first No-wire
LED technology, WICOP has already proven its performance across various
applications—including smartphones, TVs, lighting, and automotive headlamps. Recognized
for its superior brightness and durability even in extreme automotive
environments, WICOP has now officially entered the automotive display market.
The No-wire WICOP technology applied to Mini LED enables ultra-slim display
designs, making it ideal for full array local dimming. This allows for deeper
contrast and higher brightness, delivering full support for High Dynamic Range
(HDR) in automotive displays. With a peak brightness of up to 1,200 nits, the
display ensures excellent visibility even under direct sunlight, while also
reducing power consumption to improve overall vehicle energy efficiency. In
addition, WICOP offers exceptional durability, maintaining stable performance
under vibrations and high-temperature conditions typical of driving
environments—making it an optimal solution for automotive displays. Furthermore,
it is up to 25% more cost-effective than OLED, offering outstanding economic
value.
Building on its proven technology and reliability, Seoul Semiconductor is
actively strengthening its patent rights for WICOP as global adoption continues
to expand. The company has secured legal victories in 9 countries, leading to
injunctions, recalls, and disposal orders against unauthorized use of its WICOP
technology—further validating its technological leadership and intellectual
property on a global scale.
Yong-Hyuk Lee, Executive Vice President of Global IT Sales at Seoul
Semiconductor, stated, “As autonomous
driving becomes more widespread and vehicles evolve into living and working
spaces, the importance of in-vehicle displays is growing rapidly. WICOP not
only delivers superior visibility and energy efficiency, but also offers strong
patent protection—further strengthening its position beyond displays and into
the broader automotive market.”
About Seoul Semiconductor
Seoul Semiconductor is the world’s third-largest global optoelectronics
(LED) company, specializing in LED technology for over 30 years. With the
vision of "Making the world clean, healthy, and beautiful through
light," Seoul Semiconductor leads a new paradigm of light across various
industries, including lighting, automotive, IT (such as backlighting), and its
subsidiary, Seoul Viosys, which specializes in MicroLED, UV, Sensors, and
Datacomm(SD).
Some of the groundbreaking technologies developed by Seoul Semiconductor
include the world’s first innovative No-wire LED technology WICOP, the SunLike
LED, which replicates natural sunlight spectrum, the high-voltage LED Acrich,
the ultra-bright nPola LED (10 times brighter than conventional LEDs),
the RGB one-chip MicroLED WICOP Pixel, and UV sterilization technology Violeds.
Seoul Semiconductor holds an impressive portfolio of over 18,000 patents,
and in the last 20 years, the company has won over 100 cases in patent
litigation across 8 countries. Believing that the patent system provides hope
for young people and serves as a foundation for building a better world, the
company is actively engaged in intellectual property protection. For more
details, visit our official website (www.seoulsemicon.com or www.seoulviosys.com) and our
social media channels (LinkedIn).
[Figure] Comparison
of 1st-Generation LED and 2nd-Generation ‘WICOP’ Structure (Image: Seoul Semiconductor)