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Compound semiconductors are the future of the semiconductor industry, enabling all megatrends

When we talk about megatrends affecting our life, they include electrification of mobility, data centers and 5G. Of course, the semiconductor industry is at the heart of these changes. But what has changed dramatically in the last five years is the use of materials other than silicon. Transportation electrification is driving power SiC and GaN devices. Next-generation microLED displays are based on GaAs as well as innovative GaN LED manufacturing processes. 5G wireless communication and the evolution to 6G is totally dependent on GaN-on-SiC. Autonomous driving and Lidar are using new GaAs- and InP- based lasers. Security and defense applications are also very dependent on access to innovative radiofrequency (RF) and photonic devices, all based on compound semiconductors. The total compound semiconductor substrate market will reach $2.3B in 2027, more than doubling compared to 2021. The compound semiconductor device market opportunity will become worth tens of billions of dollars.

The compound semiconductor industry is essential to implement electronic system innovations. It also has quite a different industry structure compared to the mainstream semiconductor industry. Multiple substrates are used as starting materials, being SiC, GaAs and InP for the bulk of the applications. Epitaxial layers, or epilayers, are essential to get the right device specifications. Front-end processing uses different equipment compared to silicon. Packaging and tests are all unique to these materials. Yole’s teams are tracking the industry structure and its evolution, the value flow across all the players. They also track technology revolutions, the impact on production costs, and the performance of the most innovative devices.

In an ever-changing industry, Yole’s products provide the right analysis about where the compound semiconductor industry is heading. They describe the involvement of the different players and the supply chain of the most innovative devices and what can we expect from China. By using Yole’s products, you can get access to a world of answers and move faster in your decision making.

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