Power management chip or rapid growth in the second half of the year

According to IHS, the semiconductor market for power management in the second quarter of 2013 will achieve the fastest growth in two years, and operating income is expected to reach US$7.56 billion, an increase of 6.6% from US$7.09 billion in the first quarter. The growth rate in the second quarter will be at least the highest level since the beginning of 2011. The growth rate in the previous nine quarters has never exceeded 3.8%, as shown in Figure 1. As a result, the rapid growth in the second half of the year is expected to kick off. There are signs that the industry is emerging from a weak state.

This is the first increase since the contraction in six months and will be the beginning of a good time in the power management industry. It is expected that the growth rate in the third quarter will be even higher, and it is usually the fourth quarter of negative growth. This year will also achieve positive growth.

This is a welcome change from the bleak market conditions in 2012. Last year, the data processing industry that dominated the PC market performed poorly, and wireless products also made it difficult for PCs to hold back, dragging down the power management chip industry. Due to the decrease in PC sales, PC makers have reduced their computer production, which in turn reduces the need for power management semiconductors.

This year, data processing and consumption areas using power management chips will continue to be weak. However, IHS believes that the wireless and industrial markets will perform strongly and are expected to sustain growth throughout the second half of the year.

In the wireless field, power management semiconductors are critical for smartphones and tablets. The power of these devices must be maximized for ease of use. For industrial applications, power management is very important to ensure energy efficiency in complex processes and machinery. In particular, this year will see strong growth in various industrial applications for building and residential control and automotive lighting.

This year, power management semiconductor revenue will increase by 4.8% from 2012, compared with a decrease of 8.2% last year.

Power Management The semiconductor market includes a variety of products that are dedicated to converting, distributing, and managing power supplies in electronic systems. Among these products, there are power management ICs such as voltage regulators, reference voltage chips, and power interfaces, as well as power interface ICs and dedicated power management ICs. Other important power management products include power discretes, such as power transistors greater than 1 W; rectifiers greater than 0.5 A; and thyristors.

These semiconductors are used in a variety of industries, including energy generation and distribution, military and civil aviation, home audio system components, medical electronics and automotive applications. In the consumer areas that people are most familiar with, common devices that use power management chips include digital set top boxes, liquid crystal and plasma televisions, game consoles, flat panel monitors, and PC servers, as well as cell phones, tablet computers, and general computers.