Market Trends of Industrial Discrete Semiconductor Industry
Power Transistor Segment Holds the Significant Market Share
- The demand for discrete semiconductors in the industrial sector is increasing as they offer high efficiency and performance improvements. They hold a crucial position in circumstances that require the management of high currents or voltages.
- The efficiency of motor drives is increasing as power transistors like IGBTs and MOSFETs are incorporated into them. Particularly, silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs are increasingly used in the power stage for motor drives. Due to their high current and high voltage ratings, IGBTs and SiC MOSFETs fit well in high-power AC power stage applications.
- SiC MOSFETs, however, differ from IGBTs in the switching frequency requirement. While IGBTs operate in a lower switching frequency range, SiC MOSFETs operate in a much higher switching frequency range. Switching at higher frequencies allows system benefits such as higher power density, efficiency, and heat dissipation.
- The rapidly advancing trend of Industry 4.0 has created a stream of opportunities for market participants, which is one of the factors driving the need for IGBTs in motor drive applications. Many businesses continue replacing conventional motors with advanced motor drives to simplify operations and improve output.
- For instance, in July 2023, Nexperia entered the insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) market by introducing a series of 600 V devices led by the 30 A NGW30T60M3DF. These devices are designed to enhance power density in various applications, including power conversion, motor drives, and industrial uses such as UPS, servo motors ranging from 5kW to 20 kW at 20 kHz, robotics, grippers, elevators, power inverters, photovoltaic strings, and induction heating and welding.
- The industrial sector across the globe is witnessing a rise in automation as a prominent trend, thus creating new opportunities for the vendors operating in the market. According to the Industrial Federation of Robotics, the demand for industrial robots is witnessing stable growth globally. For instance, in the previous year, the global market for industrial robots was expected to grow by 7% to more than 590,000 units worldwide.
- Similarly, according to vdma.org, last year, the German robotics and automation industries were forecast to record a combined domestic and export turnover of around USD 17.58 billion, an increase from the year before that.
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China is Expected to Hold the Significant Market Share
- China's economy has experienced substantial changes throughout the years. The policies implemented by the Chinese government have played a crucial role in fostering growth across different industries, with the goal of advancing the economy to higher-value-added activities.
- The rapid expansion of the industrial sector in China has positioned the country as a key player in global manufacturing. To continue fostering growth in this sector, the Chinese government has implemented various strategies in recent years, such as the ‘Made in China 2025’ initiative. This program aims to promote industrial companies' adoption of advanced technologies to improve production efficiency and uphold international quality standards.
- Similarly, in April 2024, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and six other departments released a notice unveiling the Implementation Plan for Advancing Equipment Renewal in the industrial sector.
- The scope of China's initiative to upgrade industrial equipment in manufacturing is extensive, covering various aspects such as substitution of outdated equipment, particularly machine tools that have been in use for over a decade; enhancement of equipment in critical sectors like aerospace, solar energy, and battery manufacturing; integration of industrial robots and the industrial internet; and adoption of green technology to promote environmental sustainability. As a result, these developments are expected to create new opportunities within the market.
- According to the 2023 World Robot Conference report, China's robotics sector has made remarkable advancements. In 2022, the industry generated a revenue of over 170 billion yuan (equivalent to USD 23.3 billion). Moreover, China's sales of industrial robots accounted for more than half of the global market share in 2022, maintaining its position as the top global leader for ten consecutive years.
- China is characterized by a rise in industrial operations and an increase in manufacturing. For instance, data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China revealed that in 2023, China's industrial sector contributed around 31.7% to the nation's GDP, serving as the main engine of economic growth. It is essential to highlight that China, as the world's second-largest economy, produced more value from its industrial sector alone than the entire economy of Germany.
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