Global GaN Semiconductor Industry Report

Gallium Nitride is an upcoming alternate material to pure silicon in the field of semiconductors and electronics. Several advanced features of gallium nitride proved useful for semiconductors such as high-brightness emission and intensity when used in opto-semiconductors. High power efficiency, superior high frequency handling capacity, and flexibility are generally used in opto-semiconductors alongside various substrates such as Si, sapphire, SiC were discovered. Extensive research studies took place in the past decade to utilize gallium nitride for semiconductor devices and electronic systems in two major segments – power-semiconductors and opto-semiconductors. 

The penetration of GaN was the first in opto-semiconductors in 2001, followed by power semiconductors (merging both, pure-power and RF-power semiconductors) in 2007. Commercialization of GaN power semiconductors (discretes and ICs) started at a medium scale in 2008. While the penetration growth rate is healthy and substantial in opto-semiconductors, the penetration rate in power semiconductors is explosive. One of the prime reasons for this is the growing application areas in the medium-voltage (200 to 1 KV) ranges, where GaN offers unique and unbeatable power efficiency over pure silicon. Another reason is the superior capability offered by GaN to handle high switching frequencies (>1 GHz), particularly for RF-power functions such as power amplification and switching in RF devices. In power semiconductors, several transistors and diodes (and rectifiers) have been in the market since 2008, with extraordinary growth in the volume of power discretes (HEMTs, Diodes, and Rectifiers and FETs) boosting the total revenue of the SiC power semiconductors market. Another factor for revenue growth was from GaN power ICs, where new power ICs (hybrids) such as MMICs and RFICs were launched commercially every year by industry players after extensive R&D efforts on developing new technologies to enable the same. The complete GaN power semiconductors industry shifted to a mass-production scenario in 2011 with the success and revenue potential drawing the focus of several power semiconductor market giants.

The global GaN semiconductor industry’s value chain has grown to a vast network of players involved in various segments. There have been tremendous changes in the landscape of the value chain with several developments in segments such as raw material suppliers, EDA and design tool vendors, wafer manufacturers, wafer equipment vendors, foundry models, fabless players, fab facilities, IDMs, ODMs, OEMs, ATP players, and so on. The wafer manufacturers’ and wafer equipment manufacturers’ landscape is very dynamic, with increasing number of players in these two segments, and has a high level of collaborations, agreements, and partnerships activities among the players. The ODMs, IDMs segments are obviously the fastest growing segments with several new product launches, new technology launches taking place every year. In the supply chain landscape, both – upstream and downstream sectors have different landscapes, with new wafer manufacturing technologies related to epitaxy process, dyeing, etching, and wafer diameters playing a major role in the upstream and new device fabrication technologies related to technology node, circuit design, and assembly and packaging making their mark in the downstream.

Asia-Pacific (excluding Japan) holds the largest share in GaN semiconductors market among all the geographic segments. Owing to huge market potential, increasing focus of the semiconductor industry and diversifying and strengthening value chain segments in the upcoming markets such as China, South Korea, and Taiwan, the revenue share from APAC (excluding Japan) is expected to grow at the fastest rate. North America and Europe are the primary establishment base markets for GaN semiconductors.

Currently, GaN wafer market is majorly in “Research & Development” phase. Several research organizations are currently involved in numerous research activities in all the fields of GaN wafer development to produce the high purity material with improved thickness.

As the high thickness wafers such as 6-inch are already introduced in the market, the market value would decrease across the forecast period for low thick wafers. ASP of 2-inch wafers are preferable for R&D purpose, however, for commercial use larger wafers are preferred. Thus, the decrease in demand in the coming years is expected to bring the price down for smaller wafers.

GaN has been identified to have superior properties; however, it is not yet commercialized to its fullest extent. The main reason for this is the ultra-high prices of the raw material and complex manufacturing processes. The expenditure is very high to produce the material with high quality aspects. Furthermore, this will not affect the market in the long term as the average selling prices are expected to come down in the future.

GaN wafers have the capability to serve a vast pool of applications especially in military and defense, consumer electronics, and industrial among others. However, GaN competes with SiC in these verticals due to its affordable prices.

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Details of the new report, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications’ web site:  Gallium Nitride Semiconductor Devices and Substrate Wafer Market Forecast & Analysis to 2013 – 2022.

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Global GaN Semiconductor Industry Report

Partial List of Tables:

Table 1 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue, By Geography, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 2 Global GAN Semiconductor Devices &Substrate Wafer Market, 2013-2022 ($Million)

Table 3 Properties of the Major Semiconductor Materials

Table 4 Global GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Versus Overall Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue, 2013 – 2022 ($Billion)

Table 5 Global GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue, By Application Sectors, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 6 Global GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Volume,By Application Sectors, 2013 – 2022 (Million Units)

Table 7 GAN Wafer Market Revenue, By Application Sector, 2013-2022 ($Million)

Table 8 Computers Sector: GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 9 Computers Sector: GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Volume, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 10 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Computers Hardware Power Modules, By Geography,2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 11 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from UPS Systems, By Geography, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 12 Communication Infrastructure Sector: GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 13 Communication Infrastructure Sector: GAN Semiconductor Devices Volume, 2013 – 2022 (Million Units)

Table 14 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Signal Amplifiers & Switching Systems, By Geography,2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 15 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Wireless Applications, By Geography, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 16 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Wired Communication Devices, By Geography,2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 17 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Satellite Communication Applications, By Geography, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 18 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Radar Applications, By Geography, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 19 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from RF Applications, By Geography, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 20 Consumer Electronics Sector: GAN Semiconductor Devices Revenue, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 21 Consumer Electronics Sector: GAN Semiconductor Devices Volume, 2013 – 2022 (Million Units)

Table 22 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Inverters in Consumer Applications, By Geography, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 23 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Led Lighting in Consumer Applications, By Geography, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 24 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Switch Mode Consumer Power Supply Systems, By Geography,2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 25 Automotive Sector: GAN Semiconductor Devices Revenue, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 26 Automotive Sector: GAN Semiconductor Devices Volume, 2013 – 2022 (Million Units)

Table 27 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Electric Vehicles & Hybrid Electric Vehicles, By Geography, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 28 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Automotive Braking Systems, By Geography, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 29 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Rail Traction, By Geography, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 30 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Automobile Motor Drives, By Geography, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 31 Industrial, Power, Solar and Wind Sector: GAN Semiconductor Devices Revenue ($Million), 2013 – 2022

Table 32 Industrial, Power and Solar Sector: GAN Semiconductor Devices Volume (Million Units), 2013 – 2022

Table 33 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Smart Grid Power Systems, By Geography, 2013 – 2022 ($Million)

Table 34 GAN Semiconductor Devices Market Revenue from Wind Turbines and Wind Power Systems, By Geography,2013 – 2022 ($Million)

 

Global GaN Semiconductor Industry Report