RF power semiconductors near $1.5B for 2017 with GaN driving the way

Spending on RF power semiconductors (for < 4GHz and > 3W) was still moving forward in 2017. The wireless infrastructure segment was flat but other markets – notably the military/defense – are moving forward, according to ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm providing strategic guidance on the most compelling transformative technologies. Additionally, Gallium Nitride (GaN) – long seen as the likely promising new “material of choice” for RF power semiconductors – is continuing its march to capture share.

“Gallium Nitride (GaN) has the promise of gaining market share in 2018 and is forecast to be a significant force over the next few years,” noted ABI Research Director Lance Wilson. “It bridges the gap between two older technologies, exhibiting the high-frequency performance of Gallium Arsenide combined with the power handling capabilities of Silicon LDMOS. It is now a mainstream technology which has now achieved measurable market share and in future will capture a significant part of the market.”

Wireless infrastructure while representing about two-thirds of total sales has been anemic recently. Growth for other segments outside of wireless infrastructure are showing mid-single digit CAGR over the forecast period of 2018 to 2023.

The vertical market showing the strongest uptick in the RF power semiconductor adoption business, outside of defense, is Commercial Avionics and Air Traffic Control, which Wilson describes as being now “a significant market.” While the producers of these devices are in the major industrialized countries, this sub-segment market is now so global that end equipment buyers can be from anywhere.

POST A COMMENT

Easily post a comment below using your Linkedin, Twitter, Google or Facebook account. Comments won't automatically be posted to your social media accounts unless you select to share.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

NEW PRODUCTS

Leak check semiconductor process chambers quickly and reliably
02/08/2018INFICON,a manufacturer of leak test equipment, introduced the UL3000 Fab leak detector for semiconductor manufacturing maintenance teams t...
Radiant Vision Systems announces new automated visual inspection system
11/06/2017Radiant Vision Systems, a provider of high-resolution imaging solutions for automated visual analysis of devices and surfaces, an...
SEMI-GAS Xturion Blixer enables on-site blending of forming gas mixtures
10/03/2017The Blixer provides a cost-effective alternative to purchasing expensive pre-mixed gas cylinders by enabling operators to blend ...