The growth in demand for handset power amplifiers offset a shift away from GaAs technology for handset switches in 2011. The result of these two opposing trends was growth of GaAs epitaxial substrate production of nearly 3%. Despite this small increase the overall value of the GaAs epitaxial substrate market grew by 19%.
However, Strategy Analytics believes the disruptions caused by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan temporarily increased substrate pricing and this revenue growth is not sustainable. Strategy Analytics has recently released a spreadsheet model and Forecast and Outlook report from their GaAs and Compound Semiconductor Technologies Service (GaAs) entitled “Markets for Semi-insulating GaAs Epitaxial Substrate Markets: 2011-2016”. This report forecasts that total demand for semi-insulating (SI) GaAs epitaxial substrates from manufacturers such as IQE, VPEC, Kopin, RFMD, Hitachi Cable, Intelliepi and Sumitomo reached slightly more than 30382-kilo square inches (ksi) in 2011. The report estimates that this demand resulted in nearly $601.5 million in revenues. The forecast indicates demand will continue to show slow growth, reaching nearly 35490 ksi by 2016. With disruptions in the supply chain easing, the report forecasts that substrate price erosion will return to a more conventional profile and GaAs epitaxial revenue will decline to $544 million in 2016.
“The small growth in overall GaAs epitaxial substrate production in 2011 masked two more significant trends”, noted Eric Higham, Director of the Strategy Analytics GaAs and Compound Semiconductor Technologies Service (GaAs). “MOCVD material production increased sharply, fueled by growth in HBT-based handset PAs. Nearly offsetting this growth completely was a sharp decline in production of wafers using MBE epitaxy.”
Asif Anwar, Director in the Strategy Analytics Strategic Technologies Practice (STP) added, “The chief use of GaAs MBE wafers has been for HEMT devices in handset switching applications but device manufacturers have been moving away from GaAs for these switches. We believe the bulk of this technology conversion is complete and the MBE market will return to slow growth.”
The Strategy Analytics forecast segments the SI GaAs epitaxial substrate market by diameter, geography, epitaxial processing technique, application and supplier. The report also addresses trends and recent developments in these segments.
