Power Electronics ♦ news digest
GaAs device revenue reaches new heights
Although 2011 revenues hit a record $5.2 billion, growth is expected to slow down in the future
According to Strategy Analytics, a fast start to 2011 allowed the GaAs device market to withstand a slowdown toward the end of the year and post record revenue for 2011.
Continuing growth in demand for handset power amplifiers offset ongoing uncertainty in the global economy to propel the market to growth from last year’s value. The market research firm’s most recent report, “GaAs Industry Forecast: 2011-2016”, reports the overall GaAs device market grew by roughly 6 percent to close 2011 with slightly more than $5.2 billion of revenue.
The report also forecasts that slowing smartphone growth and an uncertain global economy will limit future growth rates below historical averages and the market will reach slightly more than $6.1 billion in 2016.
“The GaAs market began the year with strong growth”, notes Eric Higham, Director of the Strategy Analytics GaAs and Compound Semiconductor Technologies Service (GaAs). “Toward the end of the year, slowing growth in the smartphone segment and uncertainty in the global economy became the overriding trends and the overall GaAs device market slowed substantially. The underlying trends in the GaAs market still support growth, but uncertainty in the economy is likely to limit this growth.”
Asif Anwar, Director in the Strategy Analytics Strategic Technologies Practice adds, “We remain convinced that data consumption and GaAs content in handsets will increase, but fluctuations in the global economy will put a damper on network and consumer spending.”
Change in product mix slashes Riber financials
MBE equipment manufacturer, Riber has released its earnings for the first half of 2012.
In view of the level of growth in the order book at the end of August, full-year revenues for 2012 are expected to represent €26 to €28 million, enabling Riber to achieve an operating margin ratio of 7 to 9 percent of revenues.
In an uncertain economic environment for the semiconductor industry, revenues for the first half of 2012 came to €9.4 million. As expected, this performance reflects a change in the product mix in favour of MBE system sales, unrivalled since 2002.
In this way, sales of MBE systems are up 89 percent, buoyed by the consolidation of Riber`s commercial positions, particularly in the research sector.
Sales of evaporation sources and cells were down compared with the previous year, which included the delivery of a major investment order for OLED production equipment in Asia.
The services and accessories business was down 15 percent, set against the slowdown in demand in Europe and the US. Riber made major efforts to build its order book back up again on this segment, with an upturn in business in the third quarter of 2012.
The half-year gross margin before changes in provisions for inventories came to €3.0 million (€5.6 million at June 30th, 2011), representing 32 percent of revenues. It reflects an unfavourable change in revenues and product mix in relation to the first half of 2011. The provisions recorded for inventories
October 2012
www.compoundsemiconductor.net 119
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131