The SOI market is expected to be valued at USD 1,859.3 Million by 2022, growing at a CAGR of 29.1% between 2017 and 2022, according to a new market research report “Silicon on Insulator Market by Wafer Size (200mm, 300mm), Wafer Type (RFSOI, FDSOI), Technology (BESOI, ELTRAN, SoS, SiMOX, Smart Cut), Product, Application (Automotive, Computing & Mobile, Entertainment & Gaming, Photonics) – Global Forecast to 2022,” published by MarketsandMarkets,
The factors that are driving the growth of this market include the growth in the consumer electronics market, low wafer and gate cost, low operating voltage, and miniaturization of semiconductor devices.
“300mm SOI wafers expected to hold the largest size of the SOI market by 2022“
300mm SOI wafers are expected to lead the overall SOI market by 2022. 300mm wafers is the latest size category in the SOI market. FDSOI wafers-the latest addition to the SOI wafer type segments-are built on the 300mm wafers. Besides that, the production of 300mm RF chips has already been started, which will further boost the demand for 300mm wafers. Soitec, in partnership with its Chinese partner Simgui, is planning to roll out the production of 300 mm RFSOI wafers. Also, the leading chip manufacturers, including Broadcom (U.S.), Qorvo (U.S.), Qualcomm (U.S.), and Murata (Japan), are planning to start the production of 300mm wafers.
“SOI market for FDSOI wafers expected to grow at a high rate between 2017 and 2022“
The SOI market for FDSOI wafers is expected to grow at a significant rate between 2017 and 2022. FDSOI is the next version of PDSOI wafers. FDSOI wafers stand out from the conventional bulk CMOS wafers as they have two additional layers. FDSOI wafers are around 4-5 times costlier than the conventional bulk CMOS, but they provide enhanced performance of the chips produced, power efficiency, and reduction in the energy consumption. FDSOI wafers are produced over the 300 mm SOI wafers and are competing with the FinFET technology.
“APAC expected to lead the SOI market between 2017 and 2022“
APAC is one of the key growth regions for the SOI market. APAC has been the fastest in adopting SOI products compared with other regions. This early start has kick-started the market; thus, from the demand side, APAC is a major player. APAC is witnessing high applicability of SOI owing to the presence of a large number of consumer electronics companies, smartphone manufacturers, and advanced ICT technologies. The high demand for smartphones is one of the key factors contributing to the market growth, as 99% of the smartphones make use of SOI wafers.
The major players operating in the SOI market are Soitec (France), Shin-Etsu (Japan), GlobalWafers (Taiwan), GlobalFoundries (U.S.), STMicroelectronics (Switzerland), NXP Semiconductors (Netherlands), Murata Manufacturing (Japan), Sony Corporation (Japan), MagnaChip Semiconductor (South Korea), TSMC (Taiwan), and Qualcomm (U.S.).