Electronics.ca Research Network

IPC — Association Connecting Electronics Industries® has teamed up with PCB Libraries, Inc. to provide updated library documentation and more powerful PCB library tools to support users of IPC-7351, Generic Requirements for Surface Mount Design and Land Pattern Standard. IPC-7351B now incorporates the new PCB Libraries Footprint Expert, a land pattern calculation tool that includes a library of more than 5,000 components. This library documentation conforms to the engineering rules established within IPC-7351B.

After a few hiccups in 2011 and 2012, we expect a return to steady growth for the IGBT market; specifically, from $3.6B today to $6B by 2018. Six key applications, which are extensively analyzed in this report, will fuel this growth: Motor drives is the largest one for IGBTs; in this report, we provide its splits for industrial, commercial and residential segments. Renewable energies (PV and wind) are also trending well. Since they rely on government investments, they can be unpredictable, but Japan and several developing countries will make up for Europe’s slow-down. Mass transportation and UPS are based on infrastructure needs; thus, the need for greater efficiency is pushing these markets. As for hybrid and electric cars, question marks remain. Market growth will occur, but nobody can predict to what extent.

According to this report, the global market for nanomagnetic materials and devices is currently $7.3 billion and will top $9 billion by 2017. Therefore, certain types of nanomagnetic materials already represent a mature market. The data storage product sector of the nanomagnetics market generated nearly $6.9 billion in wholesale-level sales in 2012 and is expected to reach nearly $8.4 billion in 2017. Products like MRAMS have been commercialized since the 2004 and are poised for expanding growth in the number of shipments. Overall growth in MRAM sales will be lower due to steadily reduced per-unit prices.

Military ground robot market growth comes from the device marketing experts inventing a new role as technology poised to be effective at the forefront of fighting terrorism. Markets at $4.5 billion in 2013 reach $12.0 billion by 2019. Growth is based on the adoption of automated process by military organizations worldwide. This automated process implemented as a combination of software for innovation and robotic platforms is not the traditional military system. They are systems of engagement that have arms and sensors, tracks and wheels, motors and solid state batteries. These systems of engagement support leveraging smart phones and mobile platforms. The aim is to achieve a broader, more intelligent military presence in every area of the globe.

Cloud computing figures prominently in this latest edition of the roadmap, and has the potential to create the most significant paradigm shifts, bringing about major changes to business models in the next four to five years. Similarly, the increased use of MEMS and sensors in a growing number of applications (cell phones, medical electronics, automotive) has repercussions across multiple product sectors. Concerns about sustainability are still at the forefront while companies continue to grapple with the lack of industry-wide assessment methodologies to evaluate alternative materials and the need for data to assess and quantify environmental impact of products in a consistent way. Faster rates of change in miniaturization, driven by the explosion of smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices, are resulting in increased use of complex, 3D assemblies and solutions, such as system-in-package (SiP). These solutions, however, come with their own sets of challenges. Lack of test access, pick and place of 3D thin chips or bare 3D stacked chips with irregular shapes, rework processes and heat sink attachment all become more difficult.

The iNEMI Roadmap is recognized within the electronics manufacturing industry as an important tool for defining the "state of the art" in the electronics industry and for identifying emerging and disruptive technologies. The roadmap also pinpoints critical technology gaps and areas where R&D efforts should be focused. Companies, government agencies and universities often use the roadmap to help prioritize their investments in R&D and technology deployment.

Later this month, IC Insights’ May Update to The 2013 McClean Report will show a ranking of the top 25 semiconductor suppliers in 1Q13.  A preview of the top 20 companies is listed in Figure 1.  The top 20 worldwide semiconductor (IC and O S D—optoelectronic, discrete, and sensor) sales leaders for 1Q13 include nine suppliers headquartered in the U.S., four in Japan, three in Europe, and two each in South Korea and Taiwan, a relatively broad representation of geographic regions.  The top-20 ranking also includes three pure-play foundries (TSMC, GlobalFoundries, and UMC) and four fabless companies.

According to the latest financial results disclosed by BOE and ChinaStar, the Chinese panel makers moved from losses in 2012 to profitability in Q1'13. BOE's Q1'13 revenues reached RMB 8,059 million ($1.3 Billion), with RMB 400 million ($64 million) operating margin and net profit margin of 5%. The TCL group revealed that they made profit from their investment in ChinaStar, which had Q1'13 gross margin of 14%. According to TCL's statement, ChinaStar's Q1'13 revenues reached RMB 3,362 (US$542 million) and operating profits were RMB 352 million (US$57 million).

After a setback in 2009 and very slight growth in 2010, the global market has been inching back to a more solid recovery since 2011, growing by a modest 2.7% in 2012. This translates into telecom services revenue of €1,115 billion for the year. Now in a recovery phase, telecom markets in advanced countries are proving somewhat resilient, whereas in fast developing markets the increase in volume is so steady that the ripple effect far outweighs any structural obstacles. This phenomenon is telling of a mature industry now driven more by demographics than economics. In Africa/the Middle East, for instance, the drop in regional GDP in 2009 (-6%) and its rebound in 2010 (+16%) had very little impact on telecom services growth rates which remained very high both years: 8% and 9%, respectively.

Detailed analysis to serve the electronic chemicals industry: IDTechEX research group has been taking a close look at the elements and compounds used in the new electronics and electrics - components just entering a phase of very rapid growth in sales. These components vary from Nano Electro-mechanical Circuits NEMS to fuel cells that many leading automotive manufacturers will put into on-road vehicles in 2015.   We do this for 37 families of newly popular or imminently popular component. 26 families of most popular and imminently most popular element and compound are charted against these criteria with a plethora of actual examples of formulation to give unique and fascinating maps of where the chemicals and materials industries should concentrate to create the business of 100 billion dollars in fine chemicals that is emerging. research group has been taking a close look at the elements and compounds used in the new electronics and electrics - components just entering a phase of very rapid growth in sales. These components vary from Nano Electro-mechanical Circuits NEMS to fuel cells that many leading automotive manufacturers will put into on-road vehicles in 2015.