Thin-Film IPDs

Introduction

Abstract

A 2X GROWTH IS EXPECTED IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS WITHIN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY

From a commodity technology initially developed to replace bulky discrete passive components, thin-film Integrated Passive Devices (IPDs) are now a growing industry trend driven by RF, High Brightness LEDs, ESD and EMI protection, and Digital and Mixed Signal applications. This new research study on thin-film Integrated Passive and Active Devices estimates the total IPD market to grow from more than $610M this year to over $1.2B by 2017 with a CAGR of 12%.

Thin-Film IPD Market Forecast per Function (in M$)

ESD and EMI protection IPD revenues are stabilizing, primarily due to the recent decline of NOKIA in the mobile space. NOKIA has been the main driving OEM for the integration of IPDs in volume, with many handsets having from 10 to 15 ESD and EMI protection IPDs per system. It remains to be seen which OEMs will take over NOKIA's leadership in the integration of IPDs? If Sony-Ericsson and Motorola have adopted the technology to limited volume, Apple recently started to adopt more and more IPD components into its end-products, while Samsung recently has been quite conservative in adopting this technology.

With a CAGR of almost 25%, the ESD and TVS protection of high power LED will be the fastest growing field of application for IPD protection components in the next five years. RF IPDs are also growing, with a CAGR of ~17% expected in the next 5 years. Next generation RF (such as UWB, ZigBee, LTE, etc...) is the highest growth sub-sector, as RF IPD technology offers the best value proposition in terms of matching accuracy performance, miniaturization, flexible chip to package configuration and fastest time to market solution. Digital and Mixed Signal IPD is still a very small market space. This application has the potential to take-off once IPDs reach the density and electrical performance requirements of DC-DC converter modules and high performance 2.5D silicon digital interposer substrates. Ramp-up is likely to take-off in the 2013-2015 time frame for both applications.

Still, important commercialization opportunities exist for ‘custom designed' IPDs in niche and specialty markets, such as medical pace-makers, camera-pills, smart-meters and high reliability applications such as automotive, power electronic, aerospace and defense applications.

TOP 3 PLAYERS HOLD ALMOST 60% OF THE MARKET: NXP, STMicroelectronics & ON SEMICONDUCTOR

Europe is still by far the largest geographical area for the production of thin-film IPDs with the support of STMicroelectronics (FR), NXP (NL), IPDiA (FR) and Infineon (DE).

Thin-Film IPD - 2011 Revenue Geographical Breakdown

Following is North America with an important number of power, analog and mixed signal semiconductor companies such as Texas Instruments (US), Semtech (US), MicroSemi (US), Littlefuse (US), Protek (US) and ON Semiconductor (US), which acquired two IPD companies recently: CMD (US) in 2009 for $108M and SDT (US) in 2010. On Semiconductor is now the third largest IPD company worldwide and is in the position to challenge well established European players STMicroelectronics (FR) and NXP (NL).

Japan may keep lagging because of the presence of the largest discrete IPD makers locally (Murata, Panasonic, Epcos-TDK, Kyocera, Taiyo-Yuden...) which are not yet aggressively pushing this technology in the market.

More and more packaging, assembly and test companies (also called ‘OSATs'), STATS ChipPAC (SG), Amkor (KR) and SPIL (TW) have entered the IPD market through very different business models. Taiwan related activity is set to increase significantly in the next few years with the entrance of ASE (TW) and TSMC (TW) into this business

MANY KEY TECHNOLOGIES IN THE STARTING BLOCKS OF THIS INDUTRY'S ROADMAP

In terms of component structures and materials, different evolutions are expected in the thin-film IPD technology roadmap. New inductor technologies will enable ever higher integration densities and Q-factor. New capacitor technologies such as 3D trenches will break out the 500nF/mm2 density challenges and enable new applications un-targetable before. New material depositions and techniques will be applied to get along with ferroelectric IPDs and meet with new ROHS regulations. New approaches, such as Paratek (US) acquired by RIM (CA), will be developed to build antenna tuner components for multi-band and multi-mode wireless products.

The importance of packaging has a strong impact on IPD technology. Several different evolutions are expected beyond the used of standard assembly techniques, including the emergence of TSV ‘Through-Silicon-Vias' and TGV ‘Through-Glass-Vias' interconnects, as well as Embedded chip in PCB and FOWLP type of packages

In terms of manufacturing infrastructure, a slow transition is happening: if the initial commercialization of IPD technology was supported by 150mm wafer fabs, 200mm is today the main infrastructure supporting recent IPD technology commercialization. Many 8'' factories are now in operations, such as STMicroelectronics (FR) in Tours, NXP (NL) in Hamburg Germany, ON Semiconductor (US) in Arizona, STATS ChiPAC (SG) in Woodland, and in Taiwan ASE and TSMC. It is becoming clear that at some point, a larger infrastructure on 300mm will be needed to support the commercialization of this technology, as cost pressure and volume adoption increases and IPDs are penetrating further the wireless consumer market.

Thin-film IPD Technology & Industrial Roadmap

KEY FEATURES OF THE REPORT

• 4 applications fields investigated (ESD/EMI protection, HB-LED ESD / TVS protection, RF and Digital & Mixed signal IPD)
• Market trends and figures provided both in $M, Munits and wafer size equivalent
• Technology roadmap and complete technologies and material tool-box analysis
• 30 detailed company profiles of key thin-film IPD players (320+ slides PPT)

This new study exhaustively lists the existing and upcoming technologies and applications for IPDs. The report describes the thin-film IPD market, growth opportunities and the associated technologies deep inside each application.

Each market sub-segment is exhaustively detailed with:

• Drivers and benefits of IPDs
• Sub-segment size and expected growth rate
• Value chain analysis
• Global market evaluation per application: volume in units, wafers, and market size ($).
• Evaluation of the major market players (market share)
• Key thin-film IPD product detailed teardown analysis

Aiconn, AMD, Amkor, Analog Devices, Apple, apm, ASE, Avago, AVX, AzureWave, Broadcom, Bourns, Bridgelux, CMD, Cree, CSR / Samsung, Energy Micro, Epcos - TDK, Kyocera, Fairchild Semi, Flip-Chip International, Fraunhofer-IZM institute, Freescale, Fujikura, Fujitsu, Gemtek, Icera / nVidia, Ibiden, IBM, IMEC, Infineon, IPDiA, Ibiden, IME, IMEC, Intel, ITRI, Qualcomm - Atheros, Leti, Littlefuse, LG Innotek, Lumileds, Maxim IC, Microsemi, Murata / SyChip, Nichia, NEPES, Nokia, Nordic Semiconductor, NXP, OnChip Devices, ON Semiconductor, Panasonic, Panjit Semiconductor, Paratek, ProTek Devices, Renesas, RFMD, RIM, Samsung, Sequans Communications, Shinko, Silex Microsystems, SiGe Semiconductor, Skyworks, Semtech, StatsChipPAC, STEricsson, STMicroelectronics, Sony, SPIL, Transfer Jet, Telephus / SEMCO, Taiyo Yuden, Texas Instruments, Touch Microsystems Technology, TSMC, Toshiba, Triquint, Tyndall, USI, Viking Tech, Vishay, Wavenics, Wi2wi, Wispry, Zarlink and more...

Jérðme Baron is leading the semiconductor packaging market research at Yole Développement. He has been following the 3D packaging market evolution since its early beginnings at device, equipment and material levels. He was granted a Master of Science degree from INSA-Lyon in France.

Jean-Marc Yannou joined Yole Développement as technology and market expert in the fields of advanced packaging and IPD. He has 15-years of experience in the semiconductor industry. He worked for Texas Instruments and NXP semiconductors where he was Innovation Manager for System-in-Package technologies.

Founded in 1998, Yole Développement has grown to become a group of companies providing marketing, technology, strategy consulting, and media, in addition to corporate finance services. With a strong focus on emerging applications using silicon and/or micro manufacturing, the Yole Développement group has expanded to include more than 50 associates worldwide covering MEMS, Compound Semiconductors, LED, Image Sensors, Optoelectronics, Microfluidics & Medical, Photovoltaic, Advanced Packaging, Nanomaterials and Power Electronics. The group supports industrial companies, investors and R&D organizations worldwide to help them understand markets and to follow technology trends to develop their business.

Table of Contents

Objectives of the Study

Introduction, Definitions & Scope of the Report

• Overview of discrete versus integrated passive solutions
• Integrated active and passive structure definitions (inductor, capacitor, resistors, diodes, combinations...)
• Comparison between thin-film / thick film IPD technologies (including ceramic LTCC)
• Executive summary

Thin-Film IPD Applications and Market Drivers

• ESD/EMI protection
• LED Lighting protections
• RF IPD
• Digital & Mixed Signal IPD
• For each category, you will find the analysis of
  • IPD current and future applications
  • IPD benefits and market driver descriptions for each IPD function and application
  • IPD functionalities by category

Thin-Film IPD Market Status & 2011-2017 Forecasts

• IPD market forecasts are provided both in $M, Munits and in wafer eq. with attached CAGR
  • Volume shipments for IPD by application (cell-phone, mp3 players, medical, automotive...)
  • IPD shipments by category (ESD/EMI protection, LED silicon submount, RF IPDs, Digital & Mixed signal IPDs)
  • Specific applicative breakdown and forecast evolution for each category
  • IPD shipments by substrate type (Silicon, Glass,...) and wafer size (6" / 8" / 12")
  • IPD shipments by integration choice (discrete, Above IC, SiP package...)
  • IPD shipments by packaging platform (WLP, Wire bond, Flip-chip, Embedded, Silicon submount, 3D TSV interposer, Fan-Out plastic laminate...)

Thin-Film IPD Supply Chain & Players

• Geographical mapping of different players
• IPD player market shares and revenues
  • "Top 10" IPD players' 2008 revenues
  • Market share breakdown for ESD/EMI protection and RF IPD applications
• Business model analysis for IPD
• Summary of IPD player capabilities

Thin -Film IPD Technologies

• Overall IPD Technology roadmap
• IPD technology requirements & options
  • Performance and integration capabilities
  • Inductors (multilayer planar inductors, 3D inductors...)
  • Capacitors (planar versus trench geometries, SiO2 versus SiN versus BST versus PZT capacitors...)
• IPD Manufacturing challenges and related equipment & material tool-box
  • Substrate choice technology comparisons:
  • Dielectric layer options (low k / high k)
  • Trend for ferroelectric IPDs
  • Available photoresists, oxide and other layer solutions, impact of layer thickness
  • Metallic layer formation (Al, Copper, Gold...)
  • Process options (line width, multiple layer IPDs, lithographic versus non lithographic patterning, advanced depositions...)
• IPD Design, Simulation and predictability through system level co-design

Thin-Film IPD Architecture, Assembly & Packaging

• Integration, packaging and assembly platforms options for IPDs
• Through-Silicon-Via manufacturing: a necessary step to reach the 3rd dimension
• Fan-Out Wafer level packaging and embedded die technologies

Conclusions & Perspectives

Thin-Film IPDs published by Yole Developpement in November 5, 2012. This report price starts from US $ 5390.