GaAs semicon market grows 17pc YoY

BOSTON, USA: Strategy Analytics' "GaAs Semiconductor Market Grows to Over $3.6 Billion in 2007," concludes that total GaAs device market exhibited year-on-year growth of 17 percent in 2007, beating the lackluster growth observed in the mainstream semiconductor market, and in-line with previous Strategy Analytics expectations.

Overall the market was worth $3.6 billion with RFMD, Skyworks and TriQuint continuing to dominate the landscape and accounting for 50 percent of the total market.

Seven out of the top 10 ranked GaAs device manufacturers were based in North America, specifically, the US, including Avago Technology and M/A-COM. Mitsubishi Electric remained the largest Japanese supplier of GaAs devices, and it was joined by Eudyna Devices in the top 10. Win Semiconductor ranked tenth in the Strategy Analytics 2007 GaAs device manufacturer rankings.

"Strong market growth was driven by demand from cellular handsets which we estimate to have represented 65 percent of the merchant market in 2007," noted Stephen Entwistle, VP Strategic Technologies Practice. "GaAs-based RF modules accounted for nearly 90 percent of the cellular handset market in 2007; and these modules will continue to be key to future mobile handset designs."

"The overall metrics for GaAs market growth remain strong and the industry remains on track," notes Asif Anwar. "While macroeconomic uncertainties will affect the primary end markets for diminishing year-on-year GaAs growth in 2008, the market leaders will strengthen their leadership as a result of the industry consolidation that has taken place over the past 12 to 18 months."