The market for integrated circuits is forecast to post much stronger average annual growth through 2021 compared to the average market growth over the past 15 years, according to an analysis recently completed by IC Insights. Though IC unit growth is expected to slow, the IC average selling price is expected to jump into the positive range, and help boost average annual IC market growth to 8.0% per year from 2011-2021, an increase of 54% compared...

Despite reducing its 2012 planned capital spending by $1.0 billion on September 7, 2012, Intel and four other large semiconductor suppliers are still expected to account for almost two-thirds of industry-wide capital expenditures in 2012, according to new data released by IC Insights.

Spending on research and development by semiconductor companies worldwide is expected to grow 10% in 2012 to a record-high $53.4 billion compared to the current peak of $48.7 billion set in 2011, according to the Mid-Year Update of IC Insights’ 2012 McClean Report. The increase will lift R&D spending by chip companies to 16.2% of total semiconductor sales in 2012, which are now forecast to rise 3% to $329.8 billion from revenues of $321.4 bill...

Following a lackluster period of average annual market growth in the semiconductor industry, a significant upturn is in store for the next five years, according to data released in IC Insights’ Mid-Year Update to the 2012 McClean Report. The table below compares the cumulative average growth rates for the total semiconductor market and for several key product segments.

A ranking of the 1H12 top semiconductor suppliers will be included as part of IC Insights' upcoming August Update to The McClean Report. As shown in Figure 1, there are three pure-play foundries in the top 20 ranking. In total, these foundries logged a 20% increase in 2Q12/1Q12 sales.

After a decade of rapid growth mostly in cellphones and consumer electronics, Bluetooth wireless connection technology is now pushing into a broader range of applications in personal area networks. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group has expanded its marketing campaign to start a second major wave of growth in wireless PANs serving healthcare, smart energy, home systems, and other uses.

Semiconductor sensor sales will achieve double-digit growth rates and record-high dollar volumes each year through 2016 as more system products gain the ability to automatically control and protect themselves, understand movement, detect changes around them, and support new user interfaces, says IC Insights’ 2012 Optoelectronics, Sensors/Actuators, and Discretes Report. The new report shows sensor sales growing 18% in 2012 to $5.7 billion, sur...

IC Insights has raised its forecast for total shipments of personal computers and now expects total PC shipments to rise to 478 million units in 2012, an increase of 15% over 416 million units in 2011. According to the company’s Mid-Year Update to its 2012 IC Market Drivers Report, IC Insights forecasts total PC shipments will increase to 783 million units in 2015, which represents an average annual increase of 16% between 2010 and 2015.

A ranking of the 1Q12 top semiconductor suppliers is included as part of IC Insights' soon-to-be-released May Update to The McClean Report. Intel remained firmly in control of the number one spot in the ranking. In fact, Intel extended its lead over second-ranked Samsung by registering a 68% higher sales level than Samsung in 1Q12 as compared to a 48% margin for all of 2011.

After hitting a rough patch in the second half of the last decade, CMOS image sensors have finally regained growth momentum, and this once high-flying optoelectronics market segment is now expected to set record-high sales each year through 2016 (see Figure), according to IC Insights’ new 2012 Optoelectronics, Sensors/Actuators, and Discretes (O-S-D) Report.

Although only 2% growth was registered in the worldwide semiconductor market (including ICs and Optoelectronics, Sensors, and Discretes; O-S-Ds) in 2011, several companies posted results that were far different (Figure 1). Boosted by its acquisition of Sanyo’s semiconductor business, ON Semiconductor registered a 49% sales increase last year and moved into the top 25 ranking for the first time!

Continuing a trend that started a few years ago, total sales of optoelectronics, sensors/actuators, and discrete components (collectively, the O-S-D market), increased 8.4% in 2011, far surpassing the 0.4% growth in IC sales, according to data compiled in the newly updated 2012 edition of IC Insights’ O-S-D Report, A Market Analysis and Forecast for Optoelectronic, Sensor/Actuator, and Discretes components. IC Insights forecasts the O-S-D m...

New IC Insights report shows total O-S-D revenues reaching $61.6 billion in 2012

Strong demand for MEMS-based sensors, fiber-optic laser transmitters, CMOS image sensors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and power transistors enabled the optoelectronic, sensor/actuator, and discrete semiconductors marketplace to grow by a slightly better-than-average 8% in 2011 to a new record-high $57.4 billion despite a substantial pullback in most product categories at the end of the year, according to IC Insights’ new 2012 Optoelectronics,...

Over the past several years, the world has witnessed bloviating U.S. political leaders butting heads and verbally sparring with each other. Just when you begin to believe that pontificating representatives are unable to work together to resolve differences on significant issues, along comes an election year and it seems “leaders” put aside many of their differences.

IC Insights forecasts that 27 of the 33 major IC product categories defined by WSTS will experience growth in 2012, with 11 segments expected to grow better than the 7% forecast for the total IC industry. Six categories are forecast to show double-digit growth. The numbers stand in sharp contrast to the 15 products that showed positive growth and 18 that experienced a decline in 2011

Anxiety and uncertainty about future business conditions are currently running at extremely high levels. Economic growth is slowing, but, by how much and for how long? Can China stabilize the worldwide economy? Where is Japan on its road to recovery? Which IC market segments are still performing well, and why? What effect does worldwide GDP growth have on IC market growth, IC unit volume shipments, and capital expenditures?

Communication, safety, telematics, green initiatives to boost auto semi market 15% in 2011