Power management controls the world

PHOENIX, USA: Power management ICs (PMICs) are your friend. These overlooked, but very necessary devices, help manage and prolong battery life in the indispensable electronics we all rely on: iPhones, iPads, Droid phones, Blackberries, laptops, etc.

Jim Feldhan, president of Semico Research, delivered a presentation on analog market trends at the Analog Semiconductor Leaders' Forum in Korea on October 13. He focused on the power management IC as a important segment of the overall analog market. "The power management IC has become a critical component in virtually every electronics product today. At the heart of almost every electronic system is a power management IC," he said. "Much of this demand is being fueled by the global transition to green energy solutions."

Power management can be simple or complex, with different process technology required for each application. Complex applications contain logic intelligence and analog control circuitry, including many voltage regulators. Simple applications might include just a voltage regulator function for the system. Portable devices such as smart phones require high-efficiency power management. The sweet spot of the PMIC market is in the 5V to 24V range.

Power management will grow from over $30 billion in 2010 to almost $45 billion by 2014. Voltage regulators and power transistors and thyristors make up a large part of that growth.

Dongbu Hitek is the number one specialty foundry for analog. Analog-capable foundries can be found all over the world, from IBM in the Americas to XFAB in Europe to CSMC in Asia. There are 116 analog capable fabs today, and almost half of them are in the Asia-Pacific region. Another 38 percent of them are in the Americas, and 15 percent are in Europe. TI's RFAB is currently the only 300mm dedicated analog fab in the world. Six-inch and eight-inch make up the bulk of the analog-capable fabs.

Analog will increase its share of the total industry wafer demand. The analog wafer demand will rise from over 22 million 8" wafer equivalents to over 33 million by 2015.