CONNECTING THE COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR COMMUNITY editorialview
November / December 2009
Volume 15 Number 8
Editor-in-Chief
David Ridsdale dr@angelbcl.co.uk
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Consultant Editor
Richard Stevenson PhD
richardstevenson@angelbc.co.uk
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Publisher
Jackie Cannon jc@angelbcl.co.uk
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Account Handlers
Shehzad Munshi sm@angelbcl.co.uk
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The noughties: a period of transition
Tommy Beazley tb@angelbcl.co.uk
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Design & Production Manager
Mitchell Gaynor mg@angelbcl.co.uk As this decade draws to a close an obvious question comes to mind: has it been a successful
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period for the compound semiconductor industry? I’d have to argue for a yes, because I’m
Circulation Director convinced that we are in much better shape than we were ten years ago, thanks to far greater
Jan Smoothy js@angelbcl.co.uk
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diversity.
Subscriptions Manager
Debbie Higham dh@angelbcl.co.uk
At the start of the millennium all the talk was of how the internet was going to revolutionize the
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world for ever. And this was undoubtedly good news for many, because the roll-out of supporting
Commercial Director infrastructure was driving substantial shipments of pricey lasers and detectors, and giving these
Stephen Whitehurst stephen@angelbc.co.uk
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chip manufacturers excellent profit margins.
Directors
Stephen Whitehurst, Jan Smoothy
But as we all know, this over-hyped growth didn’t last long, and when the internet bubble burst, it
Bill Dunlop Uprichard
inflicted scars that remain to this day. Share prices tumbled – JDSU, for example, which peaked at
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over $1000, now trades at low double-digits figures – and far more alarmingly, thousands lost their
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jobs. These events kicked-off a squeeze in profit margins that continues to this day, and a battle for
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Fortunately, many of the chipmakers that serve
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the telecoms sector have turned to new revenue
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streams, such as sales to fiber laser
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manufacturers. But by far the biggest change in
the noughties has been the rising sales of III-V
Compound Semiconductor is published eight times
a year on a controlled circulation basis.
chips to consumer electronics manufacturers,
Non-qualifying individuals can subscribe at: including producers of handsets. In the last ten
£105.00/€158 pa (UK & Europe), £138.00 pa
(air mail), $198 pa (USA). Cover price £4.50.
years global cell phones shipment have
All information herein is believed to be correct at
rocketed from just over 400 million to more than
time of going to press. The publisher does not
accept responsibility for any errors and omissions.
a billion, and this has spured the sales of LED
The views expressed in this publication are not
and GaAs power amplifier makers. And
necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort has
been made to obtain copyright permission for the although revenue generated from LED
material contained in this publication.
shipments to the handset sector has now
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peaked, new applications are starting to fuel
happy to acknowledge any copyright oversights
further sales growth, such as backlighting units
in a subsequent issue of the publication.
for LCD TVs.
Angel Business Communications Ltd
© Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Contents may
not be reproduced in whole or part without the Greater awareness in energy efficiency is also starting to play into our hands. Manufacturers of PC
written consent of the publishers. The paper used
within this magazine is produced by chain of
power supplies are switching from silicon diodes to SiC equivalents to boost efficiency, and the
custody certified manufacturers, guaranteeing
triple-junction solar cells that power satellites are starting to promise a competitive form of
sustainable sourcing.
terrestrial power generation in sunnier climes.
US mailing information: Compound Semiconductor
(ISSN 1096-598X) is published 8 times a year
Jan/Feb, March, April/May, June, July,
Thanks to this greater diversity, coupled to strong penetration of III-V devices into consumer
August/September, October, November/December
electronics, we’re avoiding a really heavy battering in this credit crunch. The dot.com bubble has
for a subscription of $198 by Angel Business
Communications Ltd, Hannay House, arguably taken more prisoners in the compound semiconductor industry than today’s recession, and
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it seems that we’re actually in a good position to enjoy strong business growth as we move
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forward. Hopefully we can grab all the opportunities that lay in store over the coming years.
Semiconductor, c/o Mercury International Ltd,
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Richard Stevenson PhD
Printed by: Pensord Press.
ISSN 1096-598X
Consultant Editor
November / December 2009 www.compoundsemiconductor.net 3
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