Silicon more-than-Moore to drive MEMS, RF, LEDs
While silicon is well known as the basic material for analog and digital integrated circuits but it has traditionally been complemented by compound semiconductors for optical and RF circuits. But that is changing as older amortized silicon fabs are being put to work making on silicon what used to be made on smaller more exotic wafers.
As a result these markets are growing faster than the overall semiconductor industry and are likely to do so for many years to come. The so-called more-than-Moore sector will show a long-term compound annual growth rate of 15 percent, with a total market in 2015 already expected to reach $60 billion.
More-than-Moore markets to 2025, Source: Yole Developpement.
It is notable that the three main markets, MEMS, LEDs and power are dominant with about a third of the market each and will remain so with only small in-roads being made by microfluidic devices and printed electronics, at least by value.
The combination of silicon and MEMS manufacturing technologies is the enabler of the ‘More Than Moore’ revolution, but with one notable exception – power, said Yole.
Silicon wafers are the dominant means of manufacturing power semiconductors but the need for higher voltages and higher temperature of operation for electrification of cars, trains and buses is prompting a move to silicon-carbide substrates.
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