Automotive drives MEMS & Power – By Ben Lee and Mike Rosa, AMAT

There’s no question that smartphones require a large number of MEMS sensors and power devices. However, as smartphone growth shows signs of a slowdown due to market saturation, where is the next big growth area?

The consensus among leading analysts points toward automobiles. It’s clear that electronics content in automobiles has grown substantially in the past few years. Gartner analyst Jim Hines estimates that the electronics content of automobiles will reach $350 per vehicle this year, up from about $250 in 2000. Gartner sees a 6.4 percent CAGR in automotive semiconductor revenues between 2012 and 2018.

This growth is expected to increase exponentially as more and more sensors, power devices, and other electronic components make their way into automobile systems. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas early this year showcased car manufacturer exhibits featuring multiple forms of electronics-based technology. While autonomous drive was huge at CES, there were also demonstrations of readily available capabilities such as sensors that detect when a driver is intoxicated or drifting across driving lanes, and systems that provide pre-crash warnings.

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Source: Nanochip Express, Applied Materials