15 July 2011

Energy efficiency driving demand for power management ICs

Power management integrated circuits (PMICs) accounted for 3.5% of the $298.3bn global semiconductor market in 2010, according to a new report ‘Power Management Integrated Circuits (IC) Market to 2020 - Alternative Energy Markets and Energy Efficient Portable Gadgets to Drive Sales Growth’ from Companiesandmarkets.com. PMIC market growth is driven by consumer interest in portable devices such as smartphones, and their need for energy-efficient technologies. PMIC sales are being boosted by increasing consumer spending in Asia in particular.

PMICs have applications in the communication, IT, industrial, automotive, medical, defence and electronics sectors. A factor encouraging growth is the interest in energy-efficient technologies, in order to combat rising energy prices and consumer adoption of portable electronic devices. Alternative energy technologies used to harness solar and wind power are driving demand, as power semiconductors use power management integrated circuits to minimize energy wastage and ensure efficient power distribution. The PMIC report indicates that energy-efficient technologies could reduce global electricity usage by up to 30% by 2025.

Manufacturing companies are seeking improvement opportunities for their power devices, and substrate technology is of interest. The report highlights a trend for the use of gallium nitride (GaN) instead of silicon carbide (SiC) in power semiconductors (which use PMICs), as it enhances power density, breakdown voltage, switching frequency, resistance and system efficiency.

Thermal management is another opportunity to minimize cost and improve efficiencies of power management semiconductor PMICs. Improvements to packaging systems will equip PMICs to cope with fluctuations in current, and subsequently enhance energy management.

Key firms profiled in the report include: Infineon Technologies AG, Linear Technology Corp, National Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics N.V. and Texas Instruments.

See related items:

Military spending and GaN adoption driving RF power semiconductor markets

Tags: Power management integrated circuits GaN power semiconductors

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