Semiconductor Works Better when Hitched to Graphene

Experiments at SLAC Show Potential for Graphene-based Organic Electronic Devices

Graphene – a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon with highly desirable electrical properties, flexibility and strength – shows great promise for future electronics, advanced solar cells, protective coatings and other uses, and combining it with other materials could extend its range even further.

A material made of semiconducting polymer placed on top of graphene conducts electric charge extremely well and may enable new electronic devices. This work was featured on the cover of the journal Advanced Functional Materials. (David Barbero)

Experiments at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory looked at the properties of materials that combine graphene with a common type of semiconducting polymer. They found that a thin film of the polymer transported electric charge even better when grown on a single layer of graphene than it does when placed on a thin layer of silicon.

“Our results are among the first to measure the charge transport in these materials in the vertical direction – the direction that charge travels in organic photovoltaic devices like solar cells or in light-emitting diodes,” said David Barbero of Umeå University in Sweden, leader of the international research team that performed the experiments at SLAC’s Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), a DOE Office of Science User Facility. “The result was somewhat expected, because graphene and silicon have different crystalline structures and electrical properties.”

But the team also discovered something very unexpected, he said.

Although it was widely believed that a thinner polymer film should enable electrons to travel faster and more efficiently than a thicker film, Barbero and his team discovered that a polymer film about 50 nanometers thick conducted charge about 50 times better when deposited on graphene than the same film about 10 nanometers thick.

The team concluded that the thicker film’s structure, which consists of a mosaic of crystallites oriented at different angles, likely forms a continuous pathway of interconnected crystals. This, they theorize, allows for easier charge transport than in a regular thin film, whose thin, plate-like crystal structures are oriented parallel to the graphene layer.

By better controlling the thickness and crystalline structure of the semiconducting film, it may be possible to design even more efficient graphene-based organic electronic devices.

“The fields most likely to benefit from this work are probably next-generation photovoltaic devices and flexible electronic devices,” said Barbero. “Because graphene is thin, lightweight and flexible, there are a number of potential applications.”

Learn more about graphene market and publications that provide informed perspective and relevant analysis of emergent technologies.

 

 

Semiconductor Works Better when Hitched to Graphene

Impact of Oil Price Drop on Fiber Optic Sensors Market

The distributed fiber optic sensor market stood at $585 million in 2013. The market was projected to be $1.5 billion in 2018 with 70% associated with the oil and gas segments. The sudden and unexpected drop in oil prices will negatively impact the market with the overall forecast falling short of the $1.5 billion forecast according to an updated and revised market survey report conducted by the Photonic Sensor Consortium and offered by Electronics.ca Publications. The long term picture is still optimistic, but a short term contraction is likely.

Distributed fiber optic sensors are an enabling technology that creates smart systems in a variety of applications. The initial commercialization efforts focused on military applications. However, the need to function in harsh environments and the development of optical fiber technology that can survive in these applications has significantly impacted the oil and gas industry. These smart sensing systems provide benefits throughout the life of a well from exploration to drilling and completion, production and reservoir management. There is no other technology that can provide critical process control information spatially throughout well in real time over long periods. Without smart well technology, fracture monitoring and analysis and applications like steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) would be very difficult to effectively implement.

“A point that is under stated is that distributed fiber optic sensing systems have enabled smart well technology which has created the North American energy boom,” Dr. David Krohn, author of the 2014 Photonic Sensor Consortium Market Survey Report stressed. Krohn is Chairman of the Photonic Sensor Consortium and managing partner of Light Wave Venture LLC.

While energy is the leading market sector for this technology, it serves as a platform in many other applications shown in the accompanying figure.

The forecast covers distributed fiber optic sensing systems including sensor elements, fiber optic cables, interrogators and software.

The markets covered are defined below:

* Worldwide market excluding China * Market segments covered

• Oil & gas seismic


• Oil & gas in-well


• Oil & gas pipelines


• Wind energy turbines


• Geothermal


• Utility power lines


• Military – hydrophone


• Military – security


• Military – shipboard / avionic


• Homeland security – intrusion / chemical


• Infrastructure


• Industrial process control

Most physical properties can be sensed optically with fibers. Light intensity, displacement (position), temperature, pressure, rotation, sound, strain, magnetic field, electric field, radiation, flow, liquid level, chemical analysis, and vibration are just some of the phenomena that can be sensed. Fiber optic sensors have been used successfully for many years in military gyroscopes and hydrophones. However, their use in smart oil wells has been the key to enabling North America to be on a path to energy independence.

The following companies are profiled in the report: 4DSP, Baker Hughes, CGGVeritas, Fiber SenSys, FISO Technologies, Fotech, IFOS, Intelligent Optical Systems, Halliburton, LIOS Technology, Luna, Micron Optics, Northrop Grumman, NP Photonics, Opsens, Optiphase, OZ Optics, Petrospec Engineering, PGS, QinetiQ, Schlumberger, Sensornet, Silixa, Smartec (Roctest Group), TGS, US Seismic Systems, Inc. (USSI), Weatherford, and Zeibel.

The Photonics Sensor Consortium in conjunction with Light Wave Venture was started in 2003 as an independent organization to assist in the market development and commercialization of photonic sensor technology. The primary focus has been on distributed fiber optic sensors. Over the last 10 years, the Consortium has tracked the market and provided overall projections and market analysis for active participants. This report is the first to be available to the general photonics industry. Details of the new report, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications’ web site.  View the report: 2014 Photonic Sensor Consortium Market Survey Report.

Impact of Oil Price Drop on Fiber Optic Sensors Market

Worldwide Demand for Lighting Fixtures

Worldwide demand for lighting fixtures is projected to increase at a 7% annual rate through 2018 to $174.5 billion, improving upon growth that was recorded during the 2008-2013 period. Advances will be bolstered by industrialization efforts in developing nations. Specifically, locations that maintain significant and fast growing construction and motor vehicle production markets, such as India and China, will post the fastest gains in lighting fixture demand. In addition, the rebounding economies in much of the developed world will facilitate rising lighting fixture sales. Furthermore, the continued adoption of higher value lighting fixtures that are optimized for use with more efficient light sources, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), will fuel demand.

China to account for largest share of new demand

In 2013, China comprised 24 percent of worldwide demand for lighting fixtures. China is expected to account for the largest share of additional global demand through 2018 with 37 percent of sales gains. The country will continue to experience robust growth because of its rapidly growing construction spending, including a number of large-scale lighting fixture retrofit projects, and its status as the world’s largest motor vehicle manufacturer. However, India will increase at the fastest rate, driven by the country’s continuing expansion of its electric grid, modernization of its building stock, and growth of the nation’s vehicle production industry.

Key US market to see above-average growth

The US, which was the second largest national market in 2013 with 18 percent of global sales, is projected to achieve above-average gains, even as the rest of the developed world posts more moderate growth rates. Advances in the US lighting fixture market are largely the result of an ongoing economic rebound. However, sales increases in much of Western Europe, and Japan and Australia will be slower, hampered by a long-running shift in vehicle production capacity away from these areas and a less robust recovery from a weakened economic climate. Still, lighting fixture sales in these areaswill benefit from a pickup in consumer spending levels and construction activity, even given their much more mature lighting fixture markets.

Nonportable lighting fixtures to offer best opportunities

Nonportable lighting fixtures will continue to account for the bulk of demand, and experience the strongest growth in sales through 2018. Indoor and outdoor nonportable lighting fixtures will record comparable rates of growth through 2018, benefiting from the strong gains in construction spending that is expected in much of the world. Advances for portable lighting fixtures will be more modest, partly because many of the newer light technologies fit most legacy portable fixtures so an upgrade is not necessary to get greater energy efficiency.

Construction to be fastest growing market

The construction market for lighting fixtures is expected to post the fastest growth in demand through 2018. This market — which includes hardwired fixtures as well as the separately sold parts and accessories — is also the biggest outlet for lighting fixtures. Specifically, residential construction applications will post the fastest gains, with sales in this market segment benefiting from the expected gains in household construction.

Details of the new report, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications’ web site. View the report: World Lighting Fixtures.

 

 

Worldwide Demand for Lighting Fixtures

ZigBee Standards Will Be Used in Over 80% of 802.15.4 Chipset Shipments in 2020

ELECTRONICS.CA PUBLICATIONS, the electronics industry market research and knowledge network, announces the availability of a new report entitled “ZigBee Lights Up the Internet of Things: A Market Dynamics Report“.  New research finds that annual shipments of IEEE 802.15.4 chipsets nearly doubled last year and will increase by 550% over the next five years. In 2020, ZigBee standards will be used in 8 out of 10 of the 802.15.4 chipset shipments.

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“ZigBee has always provided flexibility for developers and now ZigBee is rapidly becoming the consumer technology of choice for emerging smart home products,” says Mareca Hatler, ON World’s research director. “This trend is expected to accelerate as ZigBee 3.0 unifies its application profiles and the Thread Group provides a standards based IP addressable wireless mesh network layer.”

Annual unit shipments for ZigBee/802.15.4 nearly doubled last year and will increase by 550% over the next five years. In addition to ZigBee PRO, the most widely adopted wireless mesh network protocol, the ZigBee Alliance also certifies ZigBee RF4CE devices for simple, ultra-low power remote controls and the ZigBee Alliance is also working on a new specification for outdoor wireless mesh networking using IEEE 802.15.4g and 6LoWPAN.

The Thread specification that is scheduled to be released this July will simplify and streamline the creation of smart home IoT products and services. Through a collaboration with the ZigBee Alliance, the Thread Group benefits from over a decade of development of application profiles and ZigBee 3.0 in particular. ZigBee 3.0 is scheduled to be completed this year and will unify commonly used ZigBee profiles such as ZigBee Light Link, ZigBee Home Automation, ZigBee Health Care and others into a single application profile suite, significantly streamlining product development and interoperability among vendors.

Applications for the IoT continue to expand with a growing number of IoT cloud providers such as Ayla Networks, Arrayent, GreenWave Systems, Helium, Kitu Systems, SmartThings (Samsung) and Wink (Quirky) that have recently raised $500 million in venture or equity investments.

By 2020, this new study projects that over 80% of IEEE 802.15.4 annual shipments will use a ZigBee standard. However, ZigBee is facing intensifying competition from low power variants of WiFi and Bluetooth Smart that are gaining tremendous momentum currently from the mobile, IT and consumer electronics industries. Within the next five years, the study projects that annual wireless sensor network chipset shipments will exceed 2 billion.

This report analyzes the evolving market forces, technology advances and competitive dynamics for 22 unique ZigBee markets and provides 5-year forecasts for 802.15.4/ZigBee and competing alternatives including WiFi, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, EnOcean and others. It also includes key findings from a recently completed survey with 1,000+ consumers and an extensive analysis of hundreds of ZigBee/802.15.4 products and services.

ZigBee Lights Up the Internet of Things

Details of the new report, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications’ web site.  View the report: “ZigBee Lights Up the Internet of Things: A Market Dynamics Report“.

 

ZigBee Standards Will Be Used in Over 80% of 802.15.4 Chipset Shipments in 2020

Image Sensor Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of 8.06% from 2014 to 2020

Image sensor is a vital part of any imaging device that converts the optical information into electrical signals. In 1960s, image sensors have gone through several technological advancements due to the continuous demand in the market for higher resolution, smaller form factor and lower power consumption.

Image sensors are being widely used in consumer sector like for digital cameras, mobile phones, tablet PC camcorders and so on. Other application area for image sensor is medical diagnosis, fault detection, visual feedback to controller, surveillance, infotainment, and entertainment since decades. Technology is never constant. Earlier, analog film based sensors and phosphor plates were used. The digitization of imaging technologies resulted in emergence of technologies such as, CCD and CMOS.

Currently, automotive and security are few sector where implementation of cameras has recently increased when compared with the earlier days. Implementation of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) is expected to boost the demand for cameras which leads to the higher demand for image sensor. According to estimation, more than 10 cameras may be implemented in a vehicle under ADAS. Growing awareness of security has also fueled the growth of cameras with special features such as; infrared enabled camera, ability to take picture even in low light. This has helped in the growth of image sensor market.

The figure below shows the estimated growth of the image sensor market from 2013 to 2020.

The image sensor market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.06% from 2014 to 2020. In the report, the driver, restraints, and opportunities for the market are covered. The major driving factors are increased demand for camera enabled mobile phones, digital cameras, tablets PC, implementation of machine vision, increased adoption of ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) systems in vehicles, increased awareness about security. High power consumption by CCD image sensor is considered as the major restraining factor in the development of market.

The players involved in the development of image sensor include Aptina Imaging Corporation (U.S.), Canon Inc. (Japan), CMOSIS (Belgium), OmniVision Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), ON Semiconductor (U.S.), Samsung Group (South Korea), Sony Corporation (Japan), STMicroelectronics N.V. (Switzerland), Teledyne DALSA (Canada), and Toshiba Corporation (Japan).

Geographically, the image sensor market is segmented into North America (the U.S., Canada, & Mexico), Europe (Germany, UK, Sweden, the Netherland, & France), APAC (China, India, & Japan), and Rest of the World (the Middle East, South America, & Africa). The APAC market accounts for the highest market size of 38.30% and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.15% from 2014 to 2020. RoW (Rest of the World) is also expected to grow at a significant CAGR of 9.75% from 2014 to 2020; this is mainly due to the fact that telecommunication infrastructure is improving in these region which is then translated to higher demand for camera enabled mobile phone and thus, will boost the demand for image sensor.

Details of the new report, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications’ web site. View the report: Image Sensor Market by Technology (CMOS, CCD), Spectrum, Array, Scanning Method, Application and by Geography – Analysis and Forecast 2013 – 2020.

 

Image Sensor Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of 8.06% from 2014 to 2020

Finding Success in the New IoT Ecosystem: Market to Reach $3.04 Trillion and 30 Billion Connected "Things" in 2020

A newly released IoT ecosystem forecast provides much needed clarity, defining the hardware, software, services, connectivity, and security that make up the evolving IoT ecosystem. The worldwide IoT market is forecast to grow from $1.3 trillion in 2013 to $3.04 trillion in 2020 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13%.

While most everyone agrees that the Internet of Things (IoT) is poised for explosive growth and represents boundless opportunities – billions of connected things driving trillions in revenue – understanding where the revenue opportunities lie across different technology layers has remained elusive.

The Internet of Things is defined as a network of networks of uniquely identifiable endpoints (or “things”) that communicate without human interaction using IP connectivity – be it “locally” or globally. IDC’s view of the IoT ecosystem includes intelligent systems, network equipment, connectivity services, data integration, and often other types of software, applications, services and security. As IoT moves beyond the hype and promise, a variety of vendor strategies and key players will emerge to find success in meeting customers’ needs as well as growing new revenue streams from this net new market opportunity.

“The opportunities presented by IoT are driving widespread attention among both traditional and non-traditional ICT vendors looking to take advantage of emerging revenue opportunities,” said Vernon Turner, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Infrastructure, Consumer, Network, Telecom and IoT Research. “We’re still in the early stages of maturation and IoT represents unparalleled opportunity in government, consumer, and enterprise environments.”

The homogeneity of connectivity needs has allowed the North American market to sidestep border-driven IoT adoption challenges and set the groundwork for IoT market growth. In addition, government mandates and more openly eco-conscious cultures will drive Western Europe and Asia/Pacific to outpace North America in terms of IoT revenues and installed base through 2020.

“There will be no one leader in this market,” said Carrie MacGillivray, Vice President, IoT and Mobile Service & Infrastructure. “The market will rely on partnerships, federation, and innovative services to create truly valuable IoT solutions.”

Additional findings from new IoT ecosystem market forecast include the following:

• In the IoT market, a collection of vendors, service providers and systems integrators must co-exist and integrate products and solutions to realize success.


• The installed and connected base of IoT units will reach approximately 30 billion in 2020.


• Startup vendors are working feverishly to carve out their strategies to attack this market and will drive the innovation pace of larger vendors.

The new study, Worldwide Internet of Things 2014-2020 Forecast: Forecast Update and Revenue by Technology Split, analyzes the Internet of Things (IoT) market at a worldwide level and provides forecasts for IoT installed base and revenue opportunity by technology segment as well as by region. It provides an update to the worldwide IoT market outlook published in Worldwide and Regional Internet of Things (IoT) 2014-2020 Forecast: A Virtuous Circle of Proven Value and Demand (May 2014). It updates the worldwide IoT units installed and revenues. The full breadth of the IoT ecosystem revenue is put forth in the revenue forecast, encompassing revenue from the IoT system shipments themselves as well as revenue from connectivity, infrastructure, purpose-built IoT platforms, applications, security, analytics, storage, servers and services attributable to the base of installed IoT systems. The study discusses the key themes contributing to and characterizing the worldwide and regional growth of the IoT.

 

Finding Success in the New IoT Ecosystem: Market to Reach $3.04 Trillion and 30 Billion Connected "Things" in 2020

Intelligent Systems Market Continues to Disrupt Traditional Industries Including Manufacturing, Energy, and Transportation

Intelligent Systems to Exceed $1 Trillion in 2019 as the Market Continues to Disrupt Traditional Industries Including Manufacturing, Energy, and Transportation

IDC study forecasts that the Intelligent Systems market will ship over two billion systems in 2019; with the Industrial, Transportation, Smart Home, and Energy segments growing fastest.

The deployment of billions of advanced systems across major industries over the next five years will be critical to enabling the vision around intelligent systems, according to a new International Data Corporation (IDC) study, Worldwide Embedded and Intelligent Systems 2014–2018 Forecast and Analysis.

The market for intelligent systems—defined by microprocessors, connectivity, and high-level operating systems/UI in systems excluding PCs, phones, servers, and tablets—will grow from 1.4 billion units and $755 billion in revenue this year to over 2.2 billion units and over $1 trillion in revenue by 2019, according to the  report.

Intelligent systems continue to play a critical role in disrupting traditional industries as connectivity, sensors, and HW SW intelligence enables the ability to drive more value for applications and data. The value chain for the embedded market is broad and fragmented across a large set of industries that span decades of development and commercialization. Solving business-specific challenges across each industry with technology and data integration will ultimately dictate the cadence of adoption and help crystallize the opportunity over the next five years.

In 2019, intelligent systems will represent over one fourth of a total available market (TAM) of more than 8.5 billion systems in the combined intelligent and embedded systems market. Among the top-growing segments are driver management and fuel management systems in the transportation sector, smart wearables and smart home lighting systems in the consumer sector, digital pathology and virtual metrology systems in the healthcare sector, and industry-specific gateway products in the industrial sector.

For this forecast update,  expanded the embedded and intelligent systems and microprocessor coverage to include 263 system segments, in areas such as energy, smart building, smart home, transportation, and wearables to provide more insight on the technology adoption of each market.

Worldwide Embedded and Intelligent Systems 2014-2019 Market Update , sizes and forecasts the traditional embedded systems and intelligent systems and microprocessor markets segmented across a broad set of industries and over 250 system categories. The study also provides the context of Intelligent Systems within the broader vision of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Intelligent Systems Market Continues to Disrupt Traditional Industries Including Manufacturing, Energy, and Transportation

Global Market for Fingerprint Sensors in Mobile Devices

ELECTRONICS.CA PUBLICATIONS announces the availability of a new report entitled “Fingerprint Sensors in Smart Mobile Devices”.  Research Capsule group expects fingerprint sensors to join the cast of now ubiquitous smartphone sensors though market penetration will vary by device. With more than 10 billion smartphones and tablets expected to be shipped during the coming five years, related component volumes are expected to soar.

2014 was a watershed year for fingerprint sensors in smartphones. Apple’s iPhone 6 coupled with the company’s new mobile payment service with a touch-type fingerprint sensor is creating a wow effect among consumers. The use of biometrics for authorizing financial transactions has a futuristic appeal and an allure of improved security and convenience.

Apple’s competitors have reacted quickly to match Apple’s sudden mobile payment lead. Samsung, for example, recently unveiled its own payment service coupled with a touch fingerprint sensor for authentication. It was an expected move, and the company’s use of a magnetic-stripe compatible technology could give Samsung the volume lead. Now other smart device vendors are expected to introduce a similar set of features in their next iteration of flagship phones.

This new report examines current and planned usage of fingerprint sensors in smartphones and tablets and forecasts implementations to 2019. The report coverage includes the market breakdown by touch and swipe sensors, and sales volumes and revenues by region: North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America.

The global market for fingerprint sensors in mobile devices is expected to become a multi-billion dollar market by 2019. While North America has been the key driver of fingerprint sensor adoption during the early years, adoption in the APAC region is expected to take the lead in 2015. Globally, the inclusion of fingerprint sensors in smartphones is reaching a critical mass driving it to become a mainstream smartphone feature in many markets. Research Capsule forecasts that 50% of smartphones sold in 2019 will have a fingerprint sensor.

Research Capsule believes that mobile payment will continue to be the primary driver for fingerprint sensors with the number of use cases expanding during the coming years. The volumes will be significant and though there are currently only a limited number of component vendors supplying the sensors, the flurry of activity is attracting both startups and established telecomm players to cater to this hot market.

Qualcomm’s recent introduction of its Snapdragon Sense ID ultrasonic-based fingerprint sensor could be a substantial disruptor to current component suppliers. The company’s wide industry footprint and relationship with most major smartphone vendors could propel it to a leadership position just as the market is reaching mainstream. Qualcomm’s entry into the fingerprint market was expected after it acquired Ultra-Scan several years back, but the demonstrations recently given at Mobile World Congress were impressive and shipments could happen sooner than expected. Other key competitors discussed in the report include AuthenTec, CrucialTec, Fingerprint Cards, IDEX, Next Biometrics Group, Validity Sensors, and Vkansee Technology.

Details of the new report, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications’ web site. View the report: “Fingerprint Sensors in Smart Mobile Devices“.

Global Market for Fingerprint Sensors in Mobile Devices

ZigBee Standards Will Be Used in Over 80% of 802.15.4 Chipset Shipments in 2020

ELECTRONICS.CA PUBLICATIONS, the electronics industry market research and knowledge network, announces the availability of a new report entitled “ZigBee Lights Up the Internet of Things: A Market Dynamics Report“.  New research finds that annual shipments of IEEE 802.15.4 chipsets nearly doubled last year and will increase by 550% over the next five years. In 2020, ZigBee standards will be used in 8 out of 10 of the 802.15.4 chipset shipments.

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“ZigBee has always provided flexibility for developers and now ZigBee is rapidly becoming the consumer technology of choice for emerging smart home products,” says Mareca Hatler, ON World’s research director. “This trend is expected to accelerate as ZigBee 3.0 unifies its application profiles and the Thread Group provides a standards based IP addressable wireless mesh network layer.”

Annual unit shipments for ZigBee/802.15.4 nearly doubled last year and will increase by 550% over the next five years. In addition to ZigBee PRO, the most widely adopted wireless mesh network protocol, the ZigBee Alliance also certifies ZigBee RF4CE devices for simple, ultra-low power remote controls and the ZigBee Alliance is also working on a new specification for outdoor wireless mesh networking using IEEE 802.15.4g and 6LoWPAN.

The Thread specification that is scheduled to be released this July will simplify and streamline the creation of smart home IoT products and services. Through a collaboration with the ZigBee Alliance, the Thread Group benefits from over a decade of development of application profiles and ZigBee 3.0 in particular. ZigBee 3.0 is scheduled to be completed this year and will unify commonly used ZigBee profiles such as ZigBee Light Link, ZigBee Home Automation, ZigBee Health Care and others into a single application profile suite, significantly streamlining product development and interoperability among vendors.

Applications for the IoT continue to expand with a growing number of IoT cloud providers such as Ayla Networks, Arrayent, GreenWave Systems, Helium, Kitu Systems, SmartThings (Samsung) and Wink (Quirky) that have recently raised $500 million in venture or equity investments.

By 2020, this new study projects that over 80% of IEEE 802.15.4 annual shipments will use a ZigBee standard. However, ZigBee is facing intensifying competition from low power variants of WiFi and Bluetooth Smart that are gaining tremendous momentum currently from the mobile, IT and consumer electronics industries. Within the next five years, the study projects that annual wireless sensor network chipset shipments will exceed 2 billion.

This report analyzes the evolving market forces, technology advances and competitive dynamics for 22 unique ZigBee markets and provides 5-year forecasts for 802.15.4/ZigBee and competing alternatives including WiFi, Bluetooth, Z-Wave, EnOcean and others. It also includes key findings from a recently completed survey with 1,000+ consumers and an extensive analysis of hundreds of ZigBee/802.15.4 products and services.

ZigBee Lights Up the Internet of Things

Details of the new report, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications’ web site.  View the report: “ZigBee Lights Up the Internet of Things: A Market Dynamics Report“.

 

ZigBee Standards Will Be Used in Over 80% of 802.15.4 Chipset Shipments in 2020

SMT Equipment Market is Projected to Reach US$4.5 Billion by 2020

ELECTRONICS.CA PUBLICATIONS announces the availability of a comprehensive global report on Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Equipment. The global market for Surface Mount Technology Equipment is projected to reach US$4.5 billion by 2020, driven by the strong demand for electronic products and the ensuing increase in production of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs).

The global market for Surface Mount Technology (SMT) equipment is driven by the telecommunications, computing and consumer appliances sectors, all of which are prolific users of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs). PCBs are vital components of the omnipresent IC chip technology present in virtually all modern electronic devices. Earlier, components were mounted onto a PCB board using the “through-hole technology” either manually or by using automated insertion mount machines. However, the miniaturization trend led to significant board size reductions, making integration of electronic components onto a board a daunting task. SMT today plays a vital role in the PCB assembling process by enabling mounting of active and passive electronic components directly onto the surface of PCBs. Over the years, SMT equipment has contributed significantly towards simplifying PCB assembly operations, and enabling mass production of electronic devices.

Future growth in the market is forecast to come from emerging opportunities in automotive electronics, medical device electronics, aerospace, defense and military electronics. Adoption of advanced SMT equipment will be driven by the shifting focus of end-use markets from defect detection to defect prevention. The scenario is also creating lucrative opportunities for sophisticated SMT placement and inspection equipment. Demand for SMT inspection equipment is driven by the need to reduce resource wastages stemming from manufacturing defects, improve manufacturing processes, reduce associated costs, increase yield and enhance margins. Rising demand for light emitting diodes (LED) technology is also fuelling demand for SMT equipment. Encouraged by the growing popularity of LEDs, SMT equipment manufacturers are planning production capacity additions to accommodate the increasing demand from commercial and consumer electronics sectors.

As stated by the new market research report on Surface Mount Technology, SMT Equipment market in Asia-Pacific represents the single largest market worldwide. The region is forecast to emerge as the fastest growing market with a CAGR of 7.9% over the analysis period led by robust pace of industrialization, and growth in consumer and automotive electronics. SMT placement equipment represents the largest product market supported by the miniaturization trend and the resulting need for higher accuracy in the placement of semiconductor active components such as transistors and diodes, among others. In the SMT Inspection Systems market, Automatic X-Ray Inspection (AXI) Equipment and Automatic Optical Inspection (AOI) Equipment are expected to witness strong growth. AXI equipment is expected to benefit from the integration of computer tomography and intuitive programming.

Major players in the market include ASM Assembly Systems GmbH & Co. KG, Assembléon Netherlands BV, Conceptronic, CyberOptics Corporation, Electro Scientific Industries, Fuji Machine Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Glenbrook Technologies Inc., Heller Industries Inc., Juki Corporation, Kabushiki Kaisha Hitachi Seisakusho (Hitachi, Ltd), Koh Young Technology Inc., Mycronic AB, Nikon Metrology NV, Nordson Corporation, Omron Corporation, Orbotech, Ltd, Panasonic Corporation, Saki Corporation, Speedline Technologies Inc., Teradyne Inc ., Test Research Inc., Universal Instruments, Viscom AG, and YXLON International GmbH among others.

The research report titled “Surface Mount Technology (SMT) Equipment: A Global Strategic Business Report”, provides a comprehensive review of market trends, issues, product innovations/introduction, mergers, acquisitions and other strategic industry activities. The report provides market estimates and projections in US Dollars for all major geographic markets including the US, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of World (Canada, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa). Product markets analyzed include Screen Print Equipment (Manual, Semiautomatic, and Automatic), Placement Equipment (High-Speed, Medium-Speed, and Low-Speed), Soldering Equipment (Reflow Oven, and Wave Oven), Cleaning Equipment, Inspection Equipment (Optical, X-Ray, and Laser), and Repair and Rework Equipment (Manual, and Semiautomatic).

SMT Equipment Market is Projected to Reach US$4.5 Billion by 2020

Next Generation Quantum Dot: Markets Change Rapidly

ELECTRONICS.CA PUBLICATIONS, the electronics industry market research  and knowledge network, announces the availability of a new report entitled “Quantum Dots: Market Shares, Strategy, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2015 to 2021”. Worldwide quantum dot markets are poised to achieve significant growth as next generation systems provide a way to improve traditional displays with vibrant color and decrease the cost of making electronic devices by decreasing manufacturing costs while increasing quality.

Quantum Dots: — Markets Reach $4.6 Billion By 2021

Quantum dot markets are set for rapid growth. Quantum dot market driving forces relate to technology maturity. TV displays, fuel cell catalysts, solar quantum dots, a range of applications depend on the ability to manufacture quantum dots consistently and in sufficient quantity to be useful in a commercial environment. Large screen TV displays represent one of the first commercial application for quantum dots.

This TV display market is a good market. The overall flat panel display (FPD) market is anticipated to reach US$110 Billion by 2017. Growth is driven by widespread use of devices that embed electronic displays. Displays fit in electronic TVs, notebooks, and mobile smart phones. Ample opportunities exist in the automotive sector as display mediums for entertainment and driver assistance systems.

FPDs can tap into opportunities in the advertising sector, where they are used for both outdoor and indoor ad displays. Public display systems are becoming more common. Technology innovation, lower prices, and robust demand bodes well for market development.

Quantum dot films inside FPDs are indispensable to electronic devices that require human operation and as a result LCD and plasma technologies are now commonplace. In the television industry. Quantum dot penetration of flat panel display markets promise to be huge. Demand for thin TVs is strong, with wall mounted TVs accounting for a major portion of the market. FPDs are popular for buildings and transport applications. They are used in digital picture frames.

Challenges to existing display technology comes from viewer desire for pure colors and low energy consumption. These features are provided by quantum dots. End-use of big TV displays are expected to drive quantum dot markets throughout the forecast period. Industries analyzed include information systems, personal computers, telecom equipment, instrumentation, consumer appliances, transportation equipment, stationary fuels cells, and medical devices.

Quantum Dot (QD) and Quantum Dot LED (QLED) Market is evolving. The quantum dot market depends on techniques for the development of commercial quantity production. Kilogram quantity mass production of quantum dots is a game-changer. High quality, high quantity and low price quantum dots increase the rate of change in consumer electronics markets.

Quantum dot technology offers screen quality far beyond what has been available previously. The quality of light is better for displays with quantum dots. New products are emerging as manufacturers learn to integrate high efficiency / luminescence quantum dots into display products. The level of change represents a paradigm shift that creates new industries, products, and jobs in science and industry.

The list of possible quantum dot applications is ever expanding. New applications are waiting for the availability of quantum dots.

• Gold Nanoparticles Illustrate Properties Of Colloidal Nanocrystals Size Dependency


• Intrinsic physical sizes are comparable to the critical sizes of many important properties of a given class of functional materials


• Wavelength of the electron wave function


• Diameter of photo-generated excitons


• Domain size of magnetic single domains


• Large surface-to-volume atom ratio alters the chemical potential of the structural


• Large surface-to-volume atom ratio different in comparison to corresponding bulk crystals


• Strongly size-dependent solubility of nanocrystals


• Presence of size dependent structures in the nanometer regime


• Electron band configuration


• Surface structure


• Surface reconstruction


• Unique crystal structures


• Unique catalytic properties of gold nanocrystals can be considered an example

Quantum Dot and Quantum Dot LED (QLED) market segments include HDTV and displays, solar, LED lighting, cancer imaging, personalized medicine, telco lasers, and ID tags. All segments are anticipated to achieve spectacular growth, with TV display technology and solar markets reaching over $1 billion per year in revenue by 2021. Qdot cancer imaging / personalized medicine reaches $750 million and quantum dot ID Tags go to $700 million dollars by 2021.

Vendors, including Nanosys and QD Vision synthesize these materials in solution, and formulate them into inks and films. Quantum Dot LEDs (QLED) enable performance and cost benefits.

Quantum Dot LED (QLED) commercial focus has remained on key optical applications: Optical component lasers are emerging as a significant market. LED backlighting for LCD displays, LED general lighting, and solar power quantum dots are beginning to reach the market. Vendors continue to evaluate other applications.

Medical applications are potentially large and beginning to reach a level of maturity that represents real market presence. Early stage work with University College London in cancer imaging is progressing.

According to Susan Eustis, lead author of the team that prepared the study, “Quantum dots QDs are nano-particles in the range of 2 nm to 10 nm diameter. Quantum dots are tiny bits of semiconductor crystals with optical properties that are determined by their size and shape more than material composition. Their small size is of nanoparticles is only now making them able to be manufactured in commercial quantities. They are made through a synthesis process. Strong growth is anticipated as companies master manufacturing techniques that allow consistent production”

Quantum dot markets at $306 million in 2014 are anticipated to reach $4.6 billion by 2021 as next generation devices, systems, and displays are triggered by quantum dots. Quantum dots represent the next wave of semi conductor revolution, giving sophisticated functionality based on the size and shape of the nanoparticle not the base material. Because the materials science is so easy to manipulate, the devices can be made very inexpensively with a lot of variety.

Details of the new report, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications’ web site. View the report: “Quantum Dots: Market Shares, Strategy, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2015 to 2021“.

Next Generation Quantum Dot: Markets Change Rapidly

World PCB Production in 2013 Estimated at $59.4 Billion

The world market for PCBs declined an estimated 2.2 percent in real terms in 2013, although real growth in North America was positive at 0.8 percent, according to IPC’s World PCB Production Report for the Year 2013. Developed by a team of the world’s leading PCB industry analysts, the annual study is the definitive source of PCB production data, indicating what kinds of PCBs are being made where. World PCB production in 2013 was valued at an estimated $59.4 billion.

The IPC report, World Printed Circuit Borads Production Report for the Year 2013,  contains estimates of 2013 PCB production value by 10 product categories and by 31 countries or sub-regions. PCB values of standard multilayer and integrated circuit (IC) package substrates are segmented by those having microvia structures and those with non-microvia structures. New in this year’s report is a further subdivision of flexible circuits into three sub-categories: one- and two-sided, multilayer and rigid flex. The report also includes updates on specialty laminates and metal-core PCBs, as well as historical data on regional shifts in PCB production.

The data show that the worldwide flexible circuit market grew in 2013, while the rigid PCB market declined. Regional trends are also examined, including China’s slowing production growth and Japan’s fall from second place in the list of top 10 PCB-producing countries to fourth place. Thailand and Vietnam experienced the highest growth in PCB production.

Despite evidence of a small on-shoring trend in North America and Europe, most large companies still produce a substantial share of their PCBs off-shore. The report shows that companies based in Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, for example, are responsible for nearly two-thirds of world PCB production. U.S. companies account for about 10 percent of world PCB production, although the United States has less than a 5 percent share of world production within its borders.

 

World PCB Production in 2013 Estimated at $59.4 Billion

Global Precious Metals Market is Projected to Reach $323.2 Billion by 2019

Precious metals are increasingly making a mark in a wide range of applications ranging from electronics, autocatalysts to photography. According to a new report, Precious Metals: Global Markets,  the global precious metals market totaled $217.1 billion in 2013. This should reach $323.2 billion by 2019, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.9% between 2013 and 2019.

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The oldest and the most established application segment for this industry is jewelry. However, several other applications, mainly technological applications, are gaining a share of the market.

Several applications for gold, silver, platinum and palladium are propelling markets such as automotive, industrial and other niche areas, where the metal actually performs chemical and metallurgical functions other than aesthetics.

The main impact has been on gold, which went from a $236.9 billion market in 2012 to a $170.4 billion market in 2013, for a drop of 28%. Silver declined 21.7%, from a market size of $32.7 billion in 2012 to $25.6 billion in 2013. Platinum group metals (PGM) was the only segment of the market that retained its market size with the value increasing slightly from $20.4 billion in 2012 to $21.1 billion in 2013, for a growth of 3.5%.

Over the past decade, gold prices rose, until 2012. Prices declined dramatically in 2013 but in 2014 are stabilizing. The recent turmoil in prices has been harsh on the industry, with several miners and processors feeling the financial pressures in the last two years.

Gold market is projected to grow back to $252 billion for a CAGR of 6.7% in the 2013 to 2019 period. The silver market is projected to grow a bit faster, at a projected CAGR of 8.8% to reach $42.5 billion from the current $25.6 billion.

Precious Metals: Global Markets

Precious Metals: Global Markets analyzes the current market scenario, the growth in the past few years, potential future gain and the changes taking place in the precious metals marketplace.

Global Precious Metals Market is Projected to Reach $323.2 Billion by 2019

Worldwide Market for Thermal Management Products to Reach $15.56 Billion by 2018

ELECTRONICS.CA PUBLICATIONS announces the availability of a new report entitled “Electronic Thermal Management – Technologies, Materials, Devices, New Developments, Industry Structure and Global Markets”. According to this study, the worldwide market for thermal management products is predicted to grow from about $8.8 billion in 2013 to $15.56 billion by 2018, at an average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.1%.

“Thermal management” denotes the array of problem-solving design tools and material technologies that systems manufacturers apply to regulate the unwanted heat caused by the normal functioning of an electronic system. Increasing power densities and decreasing transistor dimensions are hallmarks of modern computer chips. Both trends are increasing the thermal management challenge within the chip and surrounding packaging, as well as accelerating research progress on high conductivity materials.

Dramatic changes are underway in the computer, telecommunications and consumer electronics industries. There is a trend toward systems “convergence,” combining computer, telecommunications and consumer system functions all into one system. There is also a trend toward micro-miniaturization and microsystem technologies integrating digital, optical, radio frequency and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices. Microsystem packaging is at the heart of all of these products, since it is this technology that provides the system integration in addition to controlling the size, performance, reliability and cost of the final microsystem.

High-density packaging has been the trend in electronic circuits during the last decade, and that will continue for at least the next five years. In 2013, a typical megaprocessor could pack a staggering 41 million transistors onto a single chip. Running flat out, that chip would dissipate 130 watts of heat – more than a bright household light bulb – from an area the size of a postage stamp.

The trend line of the thermal management industry aligns with the developments of technology in the semiconductor, microprocessor and computer industries. For every advance in performance of these systems, there is a corresponding increase in the operating heat generated by the system. To simply say, however, that demands for thermal management products have increased as the requirements of applications have increased, does not do justice to the unique character of this industry. It is probably more accurate to state that the development of thermal management as an industry is the result of a synergy of solutions constantly engineered to manage excess heat in today’s electronic systems.

Details of the new report, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications’ web site. View the report: Electronic Thermal Management – Technologies, Materials, Devices, New Developments, Industry Structure and Global Markets.

Worldwide Market for Thermal Management Products to Reach $15.56 Billion by 2018

Intelligent Systems Market Continues to Disrupt Traditional Industries Including Manufacturing, Energy, and Transportation

Intelligent Systems to Exceed $1 Trillion in 2019 as the Market Continues to Disrupt Traditional Industries Including Manufacturing, Energy, and Transportation

IDC study forecasts that the Intelligent Systems market will ship over two billion systems in 2019; with the Industrial, Transportation, Smart Home, and Energy segments growing fastest.

The deployment of billions of advanced systems across major industries over the next five years will be critical to enabling the vision around intelligent systems, according to a new International Data Corporation (IDC) study, Worldwide Embedded and Intelligent Systems 2014–2018 Forecast and Analysis.

The market for intelligent systems—defined by microprocessors, connectivity, and high-level operating systems/UI in systems excluding PCs, phones, servers, and tablets—will grow from 1.4 billion units and $755 billion in revenue this year to over 2.2 billion units and over $1 trillion in revenue by 2019, according to the  report.

Intelligent systems continue to play a critical role in disrupting traditional industries as connectivity, sensors, and HW SW intelligence enables the ability to drive more value for applications and data. The value chain for the embedded market is broad and fragmented across a large set of industries that span decades of development and commercialization. Solving business-specific challenges across each industry with technology and data integration will ultimately dictate the cadence of adoption and help crystallize the opportunity over the next five years.

In 2019, intelligent systems will represent over one fourth of a total available market (TAM) of more than 8.5 billion systems in the combined intelligent and embedded systems market. Among the top-growing segments are driver management and fuel management systems in the transportation sector, smart wearables and smart home lighting systems in the consumer sector, digital pathology and virtual metrology systems in the healthcare sector, and industry-specific gateway products in the industrial sector.

For this forecast update,  expanded the embedded and intelligent systems and microprocessor coverage to include 263 system segments, in areas such as energy, smart building, smart home, transportation, and wearables to provide more insight on the technology adoption of each market.

Worldwide Embedded and Intelligent Systems 2014-2019 Market Update , sizes and forecasts the traditional embedded systems and intelligent systems and microprocessor markets segmented across a broad set of industries and over 250 system categories. The study also provides the context of Intelligent Systems within the broader vision of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Intelligent Systems Market Continues to Disrupt Traditional Industries Including Manufacturing, Energy, and Transportation

The Global Printed Electronics Market Sector Witness Miniaturization

The miniaturization of electronic devices is an upcoming trend in the global electronics market, specifically in the category of printed electronics. The technological advancements which are the primary key drivers of miniaturization of electronic devices have led the market with their efficient developments resulting in more compact and flexible electronic devices.

In that case, printed electronics solutions are considered as the perfect solution for miniaturization in the industry. With the help of this technology, giant companies in the electronics industry can now develop multifarious devices varying in different sizes and materials. Printed devices are robust, efficient in performance – consuming low power, and moderately priced. As a result, worldwide manufacturers have been increasingly approving of printed electronics technology for their particular industrial products.

There are many companies that act as the major key players in the Global Printed Electronics industry, and they are namely NTERA Inc., T-Ink Inc., Novacentrix., and Conductive Inkjet Technology. Speaking of the major drivers in the industry, the increasing need for eco-friendly electronic products is another key driver in the domain of electronics. As printed electronic products use non-hazardous raw materials for producing different electronic devices, it becomes more suitable for the technology to get incorporated with other eco-friendly electronic products.

The Global Printed Electronics market is expected to revolutionize the industry by introducing innovative and low cost products that can be manufactured with traditional silicon-based electronics techniques. The drivers for global printed electronics market are low manufacturing cost and its applicability in variety of substrates. The global printed electronics market is expected to grow at an estimated CAGR of 38% from 2012 to 2018. In Printed electronics industry, screen printing captures maximum share owing to its wise deployment whereas most applications are available in printed photovoltaic (PV) due to the rising demand for alternative energy sources globally.

Learn more about printed electronics market and publications that provide informed perspective and relevant analysis of emergent technologies.

The Global Printed Electronics Market Sector Witness Miniaturization

Global Market for Active Optical Cables is Projected to Surpass US$2 Billion by 2020

ELECTRONICS.CA PUBLICATIONS announces the availability of a new report on the global Active Optical Cables market, covering the industry segments, trends, growth drivers, market share, market size and demand forecasts.  Global market for Active Optical Cables (AOC) is projected to surpass US$2 billion by 2020, driven by bandwidth explosion, expansion of internet infrastructure, and advancements in fiber optics technology.

Need For Bandwidth Drives Demand for Active Optical Cables

Active Optical Cables present an integral part of contemporary data communication platforms. Defined as a cabling solution that provides electrical to optical conversion on cable ends for improved speed and distance efficiency, active optical cables are witnessing tremendous growth. Ever growing need for bandwidth and advancements in cabling technology represent fundamental factors driving growth in the region. Inherent advantages of active optical cables such as lower signal processing, enhanced signal integrity, greater airflow through smaller conduits, and superior flexibility routability and wider reach than conventional copper cables are driving their adoption.

Data Centers represents the largest end-use sector. Growth however, is forecast to come from emerging applications in personal computing, digital signage and Home Theater. Explosive growth in consumer Internet traffic worldwide driven by the surge in demand for mobile data and video services is yielding significant growth in demand for high speed and efficient transmission technologies. The scenario is driving expansion of existing capacity using Active Optical Cables to ensure efficient transmission of data. Traditionally, growth in the AOC market was driven by InfiniBand interface in commercial applications such as supercomputers and server applications. Over the years, the InfiniBand segment moved from the traditional 10G QSFP+ format to 14G FDR QSFP+ fiber optic cables, making it the strongest AOC application till date. Significant opportunities also lie ahead for QSFP and CXP active optical cables with 100 Gbps rate.

As stated by the new market research report on Active Optical Cables, the United States represents the largest market worldwide. Emerging markets are expected to spearhead growth driven by strong economic development and growing adoption of new communication technologies. Asia-Pacific is projected to emerge as the fastest growing regional market with a CAGR of 58.6% over the analysis period.

Major players covered in the report include 3M Company, Avago Technologies, Chromis Fiberoptics Inc., Emcore Corporation, FCI SA, Fujikura Ltd., Hitachi Metals Ltd., Siemon Company, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd., and TE Connectivity Ltd., among others.

The research report titled “Active Optical Cables: A Global Strategic Business Report”, provides a comprehensive review of trends, drivers, issues, and strategic industry activities of major companies worldwide. The report provides market estimates and projections for geographic markets such as the US, Canada, Japan, Europe (France, Germany, Italy, UK, Spain, Russia and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China and Rest of Asia-Pacific), and Rest of World. End-use segments analyzed for the global market include Data Centers, Digital Signage and Others.

Details of the new report, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications’ web site. View the report: “Active Optical Cables: A Global Strategic Business Report“.

 

Global Market for Active Optical Cables is Projected to Surpass US$2 Billion by 2020

Global Photonic Integrated Circuit (IC) Technology Market

The global photonic integrated circuit (IC) technology market is expected to grow to nearly $866.4 million by 2018, with a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33.2%. The Optical signal processing category, the fastest-growing segment in the overall market, is moving at a tremendous 35% CAGR.

Ongoing limitations of electronic integrated circuits in pursuit of more transistors over a single silicon substrate has spurred the industry to find alternatives that provide high speed with decreasing size and high-end functionality. Optical communications represent the single largest segment in this market, expected to reach $506.5 million by 2018.

However, optical signal processing applications, valued at $25.3 million in 2013, are expected to surge to $113.4 million by 2018.

Optical communication is expected to lead the market with its sub segments such as microwave and RF photonics, long–haul and transport networks, and optical datacom. Photonic IC is frequently used in microwave and RF photonics, but in the future it is expected to be dominated by other segments and in various applications such as biophotonics and optical signal processing.

PHOTONIC INTEGRATED CIRCUITS: TECHNOLOGIES AND GLOBAL MARKETS provides an overview of the global market for photonic integrated circuit (IC) technology. It presents analyses of global market trends, with data from 2012 and 2013, and projections of CAGRs through 2018. Also included is an in-depth breakdown and analysis of the photonic integrated circuit market by application, by components, and by materials; definitions of the market by supply chain, value chain, and future outlook and expectations; and company profiles of leading players in the industry.

 

 

Global Photonic Integrated Circuit (IC) Technology Market

Identifying Emerging and Disruptive Technologies - 2015 Roadmap

The iNEMI Roadmap has become recognized as an important tool for defining the “state of the art” in the electronics industry as well as identifying emerging and disruptive technologies.  It also includes keys to developing future iNEMI projects and setting industry R&D priorities over the next 10 years.

The 2015 Roadmap was developed by five Product Emulator Groups (PEGs) and 19 Technology Working Groups (TWGs). There is one additional chapter on Test, developed in 2013, also included.  The PEGs and TWGs are defined below. The TWGs responded to the inputs and requirements outlined by representatives of OEMs in the five Product Emulator Groups (PEGs). These groups included more than 500 direct participants from over 280 private corporations, consortia, government agencies, and universities in 20 countries.

Five Product Emulators for the 2015 Roadmap

Industry Sector	Product Characteristics
Automotive	Products that must operate in an automotive environment
Consumer/Office Systems	Driven by the need for maximum performance over a wide range of cost targets
High-End Systems	Products that serve the high-performance computing, server, data storage, networking, datacom and telecom markets
Medical	Products that must be highly reliable and, in some cases, support life-critical applications
Portable/Wireless	Produced in high volumes, cost is the primary driver; hand-held, battery powered products are also driven by size and weight reduction

 

The 2015 iNWEMI Roadmap  is now on sale. As the only industry roadmap that looks at the entire supply chain, the iNEMI Roadmap delivers in-depth information about the challenges and opportunities facing the electronics manufacturing industry over the next 10 years. It also provides direction regarding the technologies required to meet the ever-evolving needs of this rapidly diversifying and growing industry.

 

Identifying Emerging and Disruptive Technologies - 2015 Roadmap

Key Nano-technologies and Markets in 2015 and Beyond

Nanotechnology and nanomaterials are key enablers for a whole new generation of products and processes, some of which have come onto the market in 2014 in sectors such as consumer electronics.

The Nanotechnology Industry Review and Prospects Report is a comprehensive guide to materials, markets and products in nanotech over the past 12 months and future developments. This publication details leading developments within the industry during this period.

2014 witnessed numerous major advances enabled by nanomaterials in consumer electronics (quantum dots), medicine and coatings technology. The number of nanocellulose and graphene producers and applications developers has grown significantly. Other 2D nanomaterials are now the focus of widespread research.

The Nanotechnology Industry Review and Prospects Report focuses on the leading nanomaterials under development, with coverage on carbon nanotubes, graphene, quantum dots, nanocellulose and other key markets such as titanium dioxide nanoparticles and nanosilica. There are contributions from leading nanotech companies in the materials and coatings sectors, alliowing readers a unique market insight into these exceptional materials.

All the key breakthroughs and business developments in 2014 in graphene, carbon nanotubes, nanomedicine, nanocellulose, nanocoatings, nanomaterials regulation, nanowires, quantum dots and energy are covered. This publication provides a comprehensive review of the state of the nanotech sector at present, it’s development, and future prospects. Strategic analysis of the key global markets nanotech will impact is the core theme.

Key Nanomaterials Markets in 2015

• Nanomaterials in the Li-ion battery market


• The graphene market


• Keys to success in graphene


• Graphene in healthcare


• Nanomaterials in 3D printing


• Nanomaterials in Displays


• Nanomaterials in Filtration


• Nanomaterials in Energy


• The Nanocoatings Market


• Anti-fingerprint nanocoatings


• Nanocoatings in the automotive industry


• Nanocoatings in aerospace and aviation


• Nanocoatings in construction and exterior protection


• Nanocoatings in consumer electronics


• Nanocoatings in sanitary and cleaning 54 Nanocoatings in the oil and gas sectors


• Nanocoatings in the marine industry


• Nanocoatings in the textile industry


• Medical nanocoatings


• Waterproof nanocoatings


• Quantum Dots in Displays

Key Nanomaterials in 2015

• Self-Healing nanocoatings


• Gold nanoparticles


• The Carbon nanotubes market


• Single-walled carbon nanotubes prospects


• Fullerenes


• Nanosilver


• Nanowires in electronics


• Nanozirconia producers


• Titanium dioxide nanoparticles


• Nanoparticle inks for printed electroncs


• Plasma nanocoatings


• Nanosilica


• Cellulose nanocrystals

Key Industry Developments in the last 12 months

• Graphene industry developments


• Nanomedicine industry developments


• Nanomaterials regulation


• Carbon nanotubes industry developments


• Nanowires industry developments


• Quantum dots industry developments


• Nanocoatings industry developments


• Nanoenergy industry developments


• Nanocellulose industry developments

Learn more about nanotechnology and nanomaterials market and publications that provide informed perspective and relevant analysis of emergent technologies.

 

Key Nano-technologies and Markets in 2015 and Beyond

Some Questions Answered About IPC J-STD-001F and IPC A-610F

Two leading standards for the electronics assembly industry have been revised. IPC J-STD-001F, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies is recognized worldwide as the sole industry-consensus standard for soldering processes and materials. IPC-A-610F, Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies, is a post-assembly acceptance standard used to ensure electronics assemblies meet the most current acceptance requirements.

Some significant changes to IPC-J-STD-001F and IPC-A-610F standards include:

• Requirements added for two new SMT terminations
  
  • P-Style terminations
  
  
  • Butt/I terminations — Solder charged terminations
  
  


• Revised Class 2 plated-through hole vertical solder fill requirements


• Revised void criteria for BGA/CSP components


• Revised class 2 flux activity criteria


• Improved language for ease of readability and understanding


• Revised soldering requirements for plastic SMT components


• Expanded conformal coating section


• New photos added for clarity


• Simplified Imperial English dimensions utilized in the documents


• Explicit to IPC J-STD-001, revised appendices including guidelines for soldering tools and equipment and objective evidence on material compatibility

The changes listed above are only some of the highlights of J-STD-001F and IPC-A-610F. In order to stay current with best practices in the electronics assemblies industry you need the most current standards, J-STD-001F and IPC-A-610F.

Some Questions Answered About IPC J-STD-001F and IPC A-610F

Market Demand for Surge Protection Devices

Electronics.ca Publications announces the release of a comprehensive global report on surge protection devices market. The global market for Surge Protection Devices (SPDs) is forecast to reach US$2.4 billion by 2020, driven by the growing need to protect sensitive electronic equipment from power fluctuations.

Global Surge Protection Devices Market Report

Surge protection devices such as transient voltage surge suppressors and surge arrestors are growing in importance, given the billions of dollars of losses caused by voltage fluctuations and power line abnormalities. Widespread use of sophisticated electrical, electronic communication and data equipment is driving the importance of power management solutions including SPDs, in both developed and developing economies. Proliferation of home appliances, personal computers, heating and air conditioning equipment in residential homes, and installation of high-end industrial electronic equipment in manufacturing plants are driving growth in the market. Future growth in the market will continue to benefit from the increasing use of electronics in the rapidly growing world telecommunication industry.

The commercial end-use sector is expected to witness strong growth in the coming years. With nationwide alternate energy programs gaining popularity in Germany, China and other major economies, demand for surge protectors is expected to gain strength. Substitution of conventional coil and core street lamps with light emitting diodes for outdoor lighting is also opening up new growth avenues for SPD manufacturers. Miniaturization and clock speeds of microprocessors as dictated by Moore’s Law comes at a price, namely higher sensitivity of the chips to power transients, electromagnetic interference, radio frequency interference and electrical field transients. The increasing sensitivity of modern electronic devices to even split-second electricity fluctuations bodes well for sales of SPDs. The global market for SPDs is extremely competitive characterized by a high degree of fragmentation, and pricing pressures. The relatively commoditized SPD technology leaves very little scope for differentiation. Pure-play SPD manufacturers face stiff competition from large diversified electrical equipment makers.

As stated by the new market research report on Surge Protection Devices (SPDs), the United States represents the largest market worldwide. Developing countries are forecast to spearhead future growth in the market led by mounting issues related to stable power supply. Escalating demand for energy as a result of robust pace of economic development and industrialization, inefficient energy infrastructure and power shortages, are key reasons responsible for poor power quality in these countries. Asia-Pacific, led by China and India, is forecast to witness the strongest growth over the analysis period. Key factors driving growth in the region include the growing consumer appetite for expensive electronic devices, and migration of industries towards digitization and automation of production and business processes.

Major players covered in the report include Advanced Protection Technologies Inc., Belkin international Inc., DEHN + SONS GmbH + Co. KG, Eaton Corporation PLC, Emerson Electric Co., GE Industrial Solutions, Hubbell Incorporated, Koninklijke Philips N.V., Legrand SA, Leviton Manufacturing Co. Inc., Nexus Industries Ltd., Novaris Pty Ltd., OBO BETTER MANN GmbH & Co. KG, Panamax LLC, Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG, REV Ritter GmbH, Schneider Electric SA, Smiths Interconnect, Shenzhen Dowin Lightning Technologies Co. Ltd., Thomas & Betts Power Solutions LLC, Tripp Lite, and Weidmüller GmbH & Co. KG, among others.

The research report titled “Surge Protection Devices (SPDs): A Global Strategic Business Report“, provides a comprehensive review of market trends, growth drivers, challenges, issues, and strategic industry activities of major companies worldwide . The report provides revenue estimates and projections for all major geographic markets, including the US, Canada, Japan, Europe (France, Germany, Italy, UK, Spain, Russia and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, India, and Rest of Asia-Pacific), Latin America (Brazil, and Rest of Latin America) and Rest of World. The global and regional markets for SPDs are analyzed in US dollars by the following product types: Plug-In, Hard-Wired, Line Cord, and Power Control Center. The global SPDs market is further analyzed by end-use sectors comprising Communication, Consumer, and Others (includes Industrial, and Healthcare Applications, among others).

Market Demand for Surge Protection Devices

Competition for Graphene: Researchers Demonstrate Ultrafast Charge Transfer in New Family of 2-D Semiconductors

A new argument has just been added to the growing case for graphene being bumped off its pedestal as the next big thing in the high-tech world by the two-dimensional semiconductors known as MX2 materials.Illustration of a MoS2/WS2 heterostructure with a MoS2 monolayer lying on top of a WS2 monolayer. Electrons and holes created by light are shown to separate into different layers. (Image courtesy of Feng Wang group)

Illustration of a MoS2/WS2 heterostructure with a MoS2 monolayer lying on top of a WS2 monolayer. Electrons and holes created by light are shown to separate into different layers. (Image courtesy of Feng Wang group)

An international collaboration of researchers led by a scientist with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has reported the first experimental observation of ultrafast charge transfer in photo-excited MX2 materials. The recorded charge transfer time clocked in at under 50 femtoseconds, comparable to the fastest times recorded for organic photovoltaics.

“We’ve demonstrated, for the first time, efficient charge transfer in MX2 heterostructures through combined photoluminescence mapping and transient absorption measurements,” says Feng Wang, a condensed matter physicist with Berkeley Lab’s Materials Sciences Division and the University of California (UC) Berkeley’s Physics Department. “Having quantitatively determined charge transfer time to be less than 50 femtoseconds, our study suggests that MX2 heterostructures, with their remarkable electrical and optical properties and the rapid development of large-area synthesis, hold great promise for future photonic and optoelectronic applications.”

Wang is the corresponding author of a paper in Nature Nanotechnology describing this research. The paper is titled “Ultrafast charge transfer in atomically thin MoS2/WS2 heterostructures.” Co-authors are Xiaoping Hong, Jonghwan Kim, Su-Fei Shi, Yu Zhang, Chenhao Jin, Yinghui Sun, Sefaattin Tongay, Junqiao Wu and Yanfeng Zhang.

MX2 monolayers consist of a single layer of transition metal atoms, such as molybdenum (Mo) or tungsten (W), sandwiched between two layers of chalcogen atoms, such as sulfur (S). The resulting heterostructure is bound by the relatively weak intermolecular attraction known as the van der Waals force. These 2D semiconductors feature the same hexagonal “honeycombed” structure as graphene and superfast electrical conductance, but, unlike graphene, they have natural energy band-gaps. This facilitates their application in transistors and other electronic devices because, unlike graphene, their electrical conductance can be switched off.

“Combining different MX2 layers together allows one to control their physical properties,” says Wang, who is also an investigator with the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute (Kavli-ENSI). “For example, the combination of MoS2 and WS2 forms a type-II semiconductor that enables fast charge separation. The separation of photoexcited electrons and holes is essential for driving an electrical current in a photodetector or solar cell.”

In demonstrating the ultrafast charge separation capabilities of atomically thin samples of MoS2/WS2 heterostructures, Wang and his collaborators have opened up potentially rich new avenues, not only for photonics and optoelectronics, but also for photovoltaics.

“MX2 semiconductors have extremely strong optical absorption properties and compared with organic photovoltaic materials, have a crystalline structure and better electrical transport properties,” Wang says. “Factor in a femtosecond charge transfer rate and MX2 semiconductors provide an ideal way to spatially separate electrons and holes for electrical collection and utilization.”

Wang and his colleagues are studying the microscopic origins of charge transfer in MX2 heterostructures and the variation in charge transfer rates between different MX2 materials.

“We’re also interested in controlling the charge transfer process with external electrical fields as a means of utilizing MX2 heterostructures in photovoltaic devices,” Wang says.

Image: Illustration of a MoS2/WS2 heterostructure with a MoS2 monolayer lying on top of a WS2 monolayer. Electrons and holes created by light are shown to separate into different layers. (Image courtesy of Feng Wang group)

Additional Information

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world’s most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab’s scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.  For more, visit www.lbl.gov. – See more at: http://newscenter.lbl.gov/2014/08/26/competition-for-graphene/#sthash.BDDE2o1L.dpuf

Learn more about semiconductor market and publications that provide informed perspective and relevant analysis of emergent technologies.

 

Competition for Graphene: Researchers Demonstrate Ultrafast Charge Transfer in New Family of 2-D Semiconductors

New Electronics Assembly Standards IPC J-STD-001F and IPC-A-610F Revisions Cover More Advanced Technologies

Electronics Assembly Standards IPC J-STD-001 and IPC-A-610 Updated ‘F’ Revisions Cover More Advanced Technologies

 IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries® has released the F revisions of two of the industry’s most widely used standards,  IPC J-STD-001, Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies, and IPC-A-610 Acceptability of Electronics Assemblies. The documents have been updated to include technical advances in solder on plastic surface mount (SMT) components, new criteria for P-style and solder-charged Butt/I SMT terminations, a change to void criteria for BGAs, and enhancements to the language within the documents to provide ease of use and clarity. New photos facilitate further understanding.

The revision process involved dedicated volunteers from electronics companies in the Americas, Europe and Asia. With the mantra, “in data we trust,” IPC committee members focused major changes in areas such as the shrinking sizes of plastic packages that affect solder touching component bodies.

Dispelling past concerns that solder could not touch plastic components for fear of future failure, Teresa Rowe, IPC director of assembly technology, said “We [committee] didn’t find significant occurrences of failures when solder touched the plastic bodies.” Rowe explains that there was much discussion on this topic and expects that as research in this area continues, the committee will consider it in future revisions.

The chapter on conformal coatings also underwent significant changes. “We revised the way we look at conformal coatings, providing new information on coating thickness,” Rowe said. “We also looked at bubbles, voids and transparency, expanding our criterion for acceptance.”

The standards also cover Class 2 plated-through hole vertical solder fill requirements and Class 2 flux activity criteria.

IPC A-610

Often used as companion documents, IPC J-STD-001F and IPC-A-610F each has a unique purpose. Whereas IPC J-STD-001 is a material and process requirements document and is critical for use during manufacturing, IPC-A-610 is a post-assembly acceptance standard.

Translations of the F revisions and training programs based on the revised standards will be released in the coming months. For more information on IPC J-STD-001F, visit www.ipc.org/001; for more information on IPC-A-610F, visitwww.ipc.org/610

Details of the new IPC J-STD-001F and IPC-A-610F standards, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications’ web site: IPC J-STD-001F and IPC-A-610F.

New Electronics Assembly Standards IPC J-STD-001F and IPC-A-610F Revisions Cover More Advanced Technologies

Global Market for Transformers to Reach $48.3 Billion in 2019

ELECTRONICS.CA PUBLICATIONS announces the availability of a new report entitled “Global Markets for Transformers“.  The global transformers market is expected to grow to $48.3 billion by 2019, with a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3%.  The Asia-Pacific market, the fastest-growing region of the overall market, is moving at a significant 8.1% CAGR.

Tasked with the regulation of voltage output, transformers are critical to the electricity supply chain. Globally, the demand for this technology is driven by the increasing demand for electricity, replacement of older transformers, and environmental concerns, particularly in India and China.

Indeed, the Asia-Pacific region is the largest and fastest growing segment of the global market. Valued at just $13.2 billion in 2013, the Asia-Pacific market is expected to surge to $21.1 billion by 2019. Such rapid growth is attributed to improving economic conditions and the increasing use of the region as a hub for Western markets to outsource the manufacture of their transformers.

Meanwhile, the European and North American markets are projected to grow at a healthy CAGR of 7.2% and 5%, respectively.

The upgrading of existing networks and replacement of older transformers in Western regions offer a huge growth opportunity for the transformer market. This is especially the case for power and traction transformers, which have high performance properties to increase energy efficiency and reduce electricity losses. However, in the longer-term, the developing regions, including China, Brazil, India and others, will create huge opportunities for the transformer market with the increasing demand for electricity and increasing electricity production.

Increasing raw material prices and stricter environmental regulations on carbon emission levels have forced companies to focus on the development of advanced transmission technologies that will comply with current and future environmental regulations. The pressure to develop environmentally friendly transformers is increasing even in the Asia-Pacific and other developing regions.

GLOBAL MARKETS FOR TRANSFORMERS provides an overview of the global markets for transformers and related technologies. It includes analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014, and projections of CAGRs through 2019.

 

SAMPLE FIGURE

GLOBAL TRENDS OF THE HYDRAULIC PUMP MARKET BY REGION, THROUGH 2019

($ MILLIONS)

Global Markets for Transformers

Details of the new report, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications’ web site.  View the report: Global Markets for Transformers.

 

Global Market for Transformers to Reach $48.3 Billion in 2019