Innovation Accompanies Steady Growth In Power Devices
By Dr. Philippe Roussel Project Manager, Yole Développement www.yole.fr
The power devices market may be small, but it has a strong tradition of pioneering important advanced technologies.
Within the microelectronics world, the
power devices industry stands apart.
There are very few standards, and overall
it represents only about 10% of the
mainstream semiconductor business.
Applications cover a broad range,
including industrial, automotive, traction
motors (used in transportation and
heavy industries), high voltage DC, home
appliances and wind power.
However, its overall impact defies its size:
the power devices industry is characterized
by very high levels of innovation. New,
advanced technologies like deep etching,
the use of SOI, SiC, GaN or thin wafers
are examples of some of the solutions
pioneered by this industry. Thin wafers
and SOI, which are being developed to
significantly reduce the on-state resistance
(Rds(on)) for greater efficiency are targeting
mid-power devices (< 600V). GaN and
SiC are targeting mid to very high power
density (600V to more than tens of kVolts)
applications.
While the overall growth rates are not
subject to the explosive spurts seen
elsewhere in the microelectronics world,
the power devices sector of the industry is
generally marked by relatively strong and
steady growth. In recent years, it grew at a
rate of about 25%, from about $16 billion
in 2003 to $20 billion in 2004.
Current market growth is slowing slightly
to about 15-20%. In 2007, Yole forecasts
that it will reach $25 billion, following the
mainstream semiconductors trend.
One small but high-growth sector is SiC
power devices. While SiC represented
only $12M in 2004, we expect it to grow
more than eight-fold in the next few years,
reaching more than $100M by 2009, with
a very high penetration rate expected
in the automotive industry (hybrid cars)
and consumer applications, following a
decrease in SiC device price.
