ELECTRONICS.CA PUBLICATIONS, the electronics industry market research and knowledge network, announces the availability of a new report entitled DIELECTRICS AND SUBSTRATES IN SEMICONDUCTORS: TECHNOLOGIES AND GLOBAL MARKETS. Accoding to this report the global market for dielectrics and substrates in semiconductors is an estimated $13.6 billion in 2009, but is expected to increase to $18.3 billion in 2014, for a 5-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2%.

The largest segment of the market, substrates, is expected to reach nearly $16.1 billion in 2014, after increasing at a CAGR of 5.9% from the estimated 2009 value of nearly $12.1 billion. The dielectrics segment is estimated to be worth $1.5 billion in 2009, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% to reach more than $2.2 billion in 2014.

Dielectrics and substrates are the two entities in which the sophistication of software-based circuit design meets the plain reality of hardware properties and limitations. For years, silicon and its derivatives have admirably handled dual roles, allowing unprecedented advances in hardware features in areas such as speed of operations, form factor, and power consumption in addition to setting and maintaining a trail-blazing pace of successive advances.

Doped silicon has been the preferred material and silicon dioxide has been the preferred dielectric. Along with polysilicon, the purest form of silicon, which performs the function of a conducting metal, the metal (polysilicon), oxide Insulator (silicon dioxide), and semiconductor substrate (doped silicon) troika has simplified the question of maximizing yields while maintaining high levels of seamlessness in mainstream electronic devices.

The troika is under increased pressure due to the challenges posed by 45-nm and beyond dimensioned nodes, wherein the physical properties of the silicon family are no longer able to cope with the resultant exacting demands. This report examines these challenges and evaluates possible alternative materials.

The report will be relevant to the following stakeholders: Dielectric material suppliers, substrate Wafer suppliers, semiconductor specialists in devising a comparative analysis of alternative materials, and original equipment manufacturers for evaluating the pros and cons of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) based on mainstream and alternative material.

Details of the new report, table of contents and ordering information can be found on Electronics.ca Publications' web site. View the report: Dielectrics and Substrates in Semiconductors: Technologies and Global Markets.