Financial

MarketsAndMarkets has published a new research report (Global Pico Projector Market, 2010 - 2015) in which they say that pico-projector market revenue will reach $6 billion by the end of 2014. In terms of units, sales will grow from 220,000 in 2008 to 39 million in 2014. Embedded projectors will be the fastest growing segment, with 18 million units by 2014.

Microvision has announced that Azimuth Opportunity (an investment company) will be buying 17.7 million shares for $60 milion. Azimuth has actually only agreed to buy as many as 17.7 million shares while Microvision will decide if and when the shares will be sold. Microvision sure needs the money - in 2Q 2010 they have lost $11.1 million.

Microvision has announced their financial results for 2Q 2010: revenue was $2.1 million (up from 1$ million for 2Q 2009) and net loss was $11.1 million, a little more than last year. Microvision's backlog grew to $20.1 million, and this includes a new $3.4 million follow-up order from their initial OEM customer (they probably mean Uniden).

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $50,000 SBIR phase 1 grant for Mezmeriz, to develop their carbon-fiber MEMS laser pico projector. This is actually a continuation of an earlier grant of $150,000 from earlier this year.

Formosa Epitaxy say they have shipped one million green LED chips in May to three pico-projector vendors in Taiwan and South Korea. They expect pico projector shipments to account for 10% of revenues, about NT$70-80 million (US$2-2.5 million), at year's end.

With patent licensing for high-power LED from Luminus Device, Formosa Epitaxy's green LED chip achieved an efficiency of more than 100lm/W (they say it's the highest in the industry). Standalone pico projectors typically require four green LED chips and built-in models need two.

Digitimes report that the cost of LEDs used as light sources in pico projectors is expected to drop by 10% in the second half of 2010. Currently, the main supplier is Osram, but a couple of Taiwanese based LED companies are expected to enter the supply chain for built-in pico projectors.

Formosa Epitaxy plans to divert one LED production line for pico projectors, using technology licensed from Luminus Devices. LiteOn is also is entering the market, packaging LEDs and LCoS into projector modules.

Maradin is working on a laser 2D MEMS scanning mirror (and a mix-signal ASIC to control it) for pico projectors. They say that their chip-set is now pre-production ready with production and assembly processes in place. Maradin expects the Bill Of Materials (BOM) to be as low as one digit number (in US dollars). In addition Maradin already received several RPQs from companies in different verticals. Maradin will present a working demo at SID later this week.

Maradin is focusing only on the projection chip itself. The mirror's dimensions are 4.05 X 6.05mm, and it can scan both X and Y axis using electro-magnetic and electro-static engines.