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10 August 2007

 

RFMD, Skyworks and Triquint grew GaAs device market share to 55% in 2006

Total GaAs device revenues (merchant and captive) grew 10% year-on-year in 2006 to $3.1bn, with market leaders RFMD, Skyworks and TriQuint consolidating their collective share from 47% in 2005 to 55% in 2006, reckons market research firm Strategy Analytics in its annual ranking of the world's top ten GaAs device manufacturers.

Nine out of the top ten GaAs device makers in 2006 are based in North America, which continues to cement its dominance of the market. Of the top three, TriQuint grew fastest, with its GaAs device revenues rising 37% year-on-year.

The market is now split between companies that target high-volume applications and those that have chosen to focus on high-value industry applications. “TriQuint is the only company out of the top three that has consistently had its feet planted firmly in both the high-volume commercial and high-value infrastructure and specialist camps,” the report notes. This allows the firm to balance cyclical high-volume markets with demand for its products in high-value applications, it continues. “TriQuint has shown that it can cope with a changeable and unusually active marketplace over the past year and compete in key accounts at the top tier of the handset market [now supplying production volume for four of the top five handset makers], while also consolidating its own leadership positions in infrastructure and military markets.” TriQuint also remained the world's largest GaAs foundry in 2006.

The only Japanese firm in the top ten is Mitsubishi Electric. However, “Switch complexities are increasing, which could potentially provide Japanese companies with an opportunity to regain lost ground in the cellular handset market,” notes Asif Anwar, director of Strategy Analytics’ GaAs service. “Japanese market requirements may be particularly demanding, which will play to the strengths of companies like NEC, Sony and Eudyna Devices,” he adds.

In Europe, the top GaAs device suppliers in rank order were Filtronic, UMS and OMMIC. “Filtronic was the largest European GaAs device supplier in 2006, but missed out on a top ten place,” says Stephen Entwistle, VP of the market research firm’s Strategic Technologies Practice. “UMS was close behind, and Filtronic’s time as the number one European GaAs device supplier may be short-lived [especially since main customer RF Micro Devices is taking all pHEMT switch production in-house, starting in September].”

See related items:

Demand grows for SI GaAs bulk substrates

GaAs device market set to grow by 76% over next five years, driven by cellular handset and Wi-Fi demand

GaAs defense market to grow at 9% to 2010 before shift to GaN

Top 10 GaAs device makers in 2005 joined by Hittite, Mitsubishi Electric and Toshiba at expense of Eudyna, Sony and NEC

Visit: http://www.strategyanalytics.com