According to the latest research report of Yole D é veloppement (Yole), the global market for power semiconductor devices will grow from US $17.5 billion in 2020 to US $26.2 billion in 2026, with an average annual compound growth rate of 6.9%, as the global goal of "carbon peak and carbon neutralization" is set, bringing more demand for green energy power generation, green cars, charging piles, energy storage, and so on.
In power semiconductors, MOSFET, IGBT and SiC technology are three crucial fields. Among them, driven by electric vehicles and industrial applications, the IGBT module shows strong growth, with a compound annual growth rate of 7.8% over the same period, as well as other applications such as PV, wind energy and BESS.
SiC is favored by the market, and Yole says, SiC MOSFET discrete devices and modules have infiltrated a large number of EV applications, accounting for a significant portion of SiC MOSFET's estimated total market size of $2.6 billion in 2026. Electric vehicles and their high quality standards have also contributed to the strong growth of the power module packaging market.
Yole pointed out that the current power device market is still dominated by discrete devices, but the share of power modules will increase significantly in the next few years. By 2026, electric vehicles, industrial motors and household appliances will drive the power module market to nearly $10 billion.
Amine Allouche, Power Electronics Technology and cost analyst at System Plus Consulting, asserts: "several key factors driving the development of the discrete device industry are the wide selection of products and suppliers, the use of standardized products and technologies, and the reduction of device costs. However, to succeed in innovation and efficiency competitions, manufacturers should not rely solely on semiconductors. In fact, in the pursuit of the best configuration of electrical, thermal and mechanical performance, they must struggle with the reliability and cost of the package, and these parameters are indeed very important. Packaging is not just a simple 'shell', it can achieve or destroy the design, so it should adapt and supplement the specific mold, not reduce its performance. "
IGBT and SiC power modules are mainly used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, photovoltaic, BESS and electric vehicle DC chargers and other applications, mainly driven by high system power trends. On the other hand, discrete power devices are mainly used in low-power applications, such as low-power motor drivers, photovoltaic micro-inverters and residential series photovoltaic inverters, automotive auxiliary systems, DC/DC converters and vehicle chargers in electric vehicles.
Dr. Milan Rosina, Chief analyst of Yole Power Electronics and Battery Division, concluded that applications below 30kW to 50kW will mainly use discrete devices, while higher power applications will use more power modules, but high efficiency requirements will diversify the needs for components and technologies.
The company also said that in the power semiconductor market, large companies are expanding into new market segments and products to expand their product portfolio and protect their supply chains, including expanding production capacity and moving to 12-inch wafers.
