Power semiconductor demand is expected to increase 10-fold in SiC and 60-fold in GaN by 2030

Demand for next-generation power semiconductors (SiC and GaN) is expected to increase in the automotive, electrical, information and communications equipment sectors, according to Fuji Keizai's June report on the global power semiconductor market.It is expected that by 2030 (compared with 2018) SiC will grow by 10 times, GaN by 60 times and Si by 45.1%.

The SiC power semiconductor market is mainly expanding in China and Europe, with growth of 41.8 percent to $370 million from 2017 to 2018, the agency said.At present, the SiC-SBD (schottky barrier diode) accounts for 70%, and the demand is increasing mainly in the field of information and communication equipment.The introduction of 6-inch wafers has brought costs down and is expected to increase further.In addition, SiC-FET (field effect transistor) is mainly expanded in the field of automotive and electrical equipment.

Overseas automakers plan to use SiC power semiconductors to drive inverter modules around 2022, and expect increased demand for cars and electrical components.Europe and China, in particular, are leading the way, with the adoption of large commercial vehicles and luxury cars expanding, with mainstream adoption expected to begin around 2025.Currently, Si power semiconductors are used to drive inverter modules, car chargers and dc-dc converters, but are expected to be replaced by SiC power semiconductors.Demand for new high-speed vehicles is increasing in the rail sector and is expected to be more common in high-power equipment-related applications in the industrial sector.

Although the market has been slowing down, GaN power semiconductor is expected to be widely used mainly in the automotive and electrical components due to the high voltage resistance in the future.The market is currently expanding at a slower pace than SiC power semiconductors, and entry-level manufacturers expect demand to grow across the board in 2022.

As GaN power semiconductor has advantages in high-speed switching performance, the demand for base station power in the field of information and communication equipment and mining server power for virtual currency trading is expected to increase.In the automotive and electrical sectors, demand is expected to increase for machine tools and medical equipment equipped with wireless power sources for EV and high-frequency pulse power circuits.In consumer electronics, high-end audio, wireless power systems and AC adapters are promising.

When GaN power semiconductor is installed, changing the circuit design on the user side is one of the obstacles to diffusion.However, future adoption is expected to increase as the development of packaging products for control circuits integrated into IC is under way.Applications are expected to expand as mass production leads to lower prices and higher breakdown voltages.

The power semiconductor market based on gallium oxide is expected to be fully launched in 2019, by which time major manufacturers will mainly produce SBD.In addition, FET samples are scheduled to be shipped around 2020, and it is expected that their actual use will take place after that.Power is expected to be used in consumer devices at the beginning of mass production.Initially, 600V and 10A products were planned, but from now on, due to the current value increase, the application is expected to expand to the industrial field.