Return to Record Sales Seen in Opto, Sensors, and Power Discretes

March 26, 2009 - PRLog -- ELECTRONICS.CA PUBLICATIONS, the electronics industry market research and knowledge network, announces the availability of a new report entitled "Market Analysis and Forecast for Optoelectronics, Sensors and Discretes".

After 2009 decline, many O-S-D categories will reach new record levels in 2010-2011

Despite the disastrous final months of 2008, semiconductor sales of optoelectronics, MEMS-based accelerometers, CMOS image sensors, power transistors, and overall discrete devices set record-high revenue levels last year, based on a detailed market analysis in a new 2009 Optoelectronics, Sensors, and Discretes (O-S-D) Report. After substantial declines in 2009, these semiconductor markets and product categories are forecast to recover and reach new sales records in the next two years, according to the 2009 O-S-D Report, which becomes available at the end of March.

Collectively, O-S-D sales reached an all-time high of $43.0 billion in 2008, despite the beginning of a major semiconductor recession late in the year. The new 280-page report shows 16.4% of total semiconductor revenues were generated by the O-S-D markets in 2008. O-S-D revenue growth continues to outpace IC sales - thanks to strong annual growth rates in a handful of optoelectronics and sensor product categories. By 2013, the O-S-D markets will represent 17% of total semiconductor sales due to a higher compound annual growth rate (CAGR) than IC revenues in the next five years, according to the 2009 report. O-S-D sales are expected to rise at a 7% CAGR in the 2008-2013 period compared to 6% for ICs.

Nearly all product categories in optoelectronics, sensors/actuators, and discretes were flying higher until November 2008, when the markets fell into a tailspin after the economic crisis deepened in 4Q08. In 2009, optoelectronics sales are now expected to decline 12% to $16.9 billion. The MEMS-heavy sensors/actuator segment is forecast to drop 26% to $4.1 billion in 2009, and the commodity-filled discretes segment will fall 21% to $14.3 billion, according to the projections in the new O-S-D Report. Total O-S-D sales are forecast to rebound 14% in 2010 and increase another 17% in 2011, reaching a new record-high of $47.3 billion that year.

Optoelectronics - driven by strong sales momentum in CMOS image sensors, optical network lasers, and high-brightness LEDs - managed to end 2008 with revenues being up 13% to a record $19.3 billion for the entire year. Optoelectronics exceeded discretes sales by $1.1 billion in 2008 - marking the first year in history that optoelectronics topped the market for discretes. After falling in 2009, the optoelectronics market will grow 15.4% to a new record-high $19.5 billion in 2010, the O-S-D Report reveals.

Among the other key findings in 2009 O-S-D Report are:

Acceleration/yaw sensors: Built with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology - crossed the $1 billion sales mark for the first time ever in 2008 and became the largest semiconductor sensor product category. Sales in this category climbed 23% in 2008, thanks to tremendous growth in low-cost accelerometers for smart phones and consumer electronics. After a 19% drop in 2009, sales in this MEMS-based Chip category are forecast to grow 21% in 2010, followed by another 24% increase in 2011, which will result in a new record high of $1.3 billion that year.

CMOS image sensor sales:  Recovered in 2008 from a rare decline in 2007. After hitting a record-high $5.0 billion in 2008, CMOS image sensor sales are expected to drop 10% in 2009, but will then bounce back with a 23% rise in 2010 to a new record of $5.1 billion.

Power transistor revenues: Led by MOSFET and IGBT products - reached $10.0 billion for the first time ever in 2008, but sales in this discretes category are forecast to drop 20% in 2009 due to widespread weakness in all end-use systems markets. Power transistor sales are then forecast to recover in 2010, growing 13%, and will reach a new record high of $10.4 billion in 2011.

Details of the new report, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications' web site. View the report: http://www.electronics.ca/publications/products/Market-An...

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