Silicon on insulator technology is a layered type of substrate with silicon-insulator-silicon as its surfaces in place of traditional silicon substrates in the manufacture of semiconductors, particularly microelectronics, to boost efficiency. SOI, a wafer semiconductor platform, enables the production of low-power and high-performance applications as opposed to conventional silicon bulk strategies. Silicon oxide (SiO2) has outstanding electrical, chemical, and thermal properties due to which it is widely used in electronic products. Over the past few years, SOI has provided substantial efficiency improvements, both in terms of pace and strength, as opposed to the bulk counterparts’ solutions. The silicon on the insulator, a wafer semiconductor system, was first designed for military applications, which is still used to produce low power input equipment and high-efficiency production.
The global silicon on insulator market size was valued at USD 0.89 billion in 2019 and projected to reach USD 2.77 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 15.25% during the forecast period of 2020-2027 due to the rise in use of silicon on insulator wafers in consumer electronics. The soil on insulator caters to the demand of the electronic sector. Therefore, the demand for SOI is estimated to grow and develop, owing to the varied requirements in the electronics domain. The technological revolution in the market has triggered a spike in consumer products, including game consoles, video cameras, TV, kitchen appliances, etc. In addition, the silicon on the insulator sector is projected to gain momentum by 2027 due to various advantages such as the availability of high switching capacity and high-speed SOI transistors. Silicon on the insulator technology is considered the most popular bulk CMOS technology due to its advantages, such as reduced manufacturing costs per chip, which is one of the critical factors driving silicon on insulators market.
However, lack of skilled labor is projected to hinder the growth of silicon on the insulator market at a significant growth rate—additionally, the high cost of R&D investment is estimated to challenge the growth of the global market.
The rising focus towards the e-learning across the globe is projected to fuel the market at a considerable rate. Educational establishments such as hospitals, universities, colleges, and academic institutes in different countries are gradually accepting the smart learning. In addition, the governments are also encouraging the e-learning cycle to promote initiatives such as “make in India”. This enhances the demand for improved cloud services, smartphones, TVs, laptops and tablets. The integral components of all those devices are SOI wafers such as FD-SOI and RF-SOI. Moreover, increasing demand for such products is projected to drive the market of silicon on insulator across the region.
The active thin silicon layer, centered on silicon on insulator products, is mounted on silicon oxide, which is a robust thermal insulator. The growth in compact, intense body temperature lowers the durability, and current in SOI-based devices can harm or reduce the overall efficiency and hinder the growth of the global market. SOI innovation is conceivably a competition to bulk MOSFET due to its high degree of fault-tolerant immunity and the understandable dielectric isolation that it offers. Compared to the bulk MOSFET, SOI-based MOSFET provides strong body resilience and yields a floating body impact. Such SOI-based storage devices impacted by the floating body have high current usage or endothermic effects and can trigger loss of information. Therefore, the endothermic effects by silicon on insulator devices are estimated to challenge the growth of the market across the globe.
The COVID-19 outbreak recently severely impacted the various industries of developed and developing economies. The coronavirus outbreak has launched a series of unparalleled issues affecting every sector. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 8,993,659 contaminated cases and more than 469,587 COVID-19-related deaths were reported worldwide as of June 23, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected various business verticals, including retail, automotive, hospitality, manufacturing, and globally. The COVID-19 epidemic has inflated silicon on insulator wafer prices across the globe. Retail organizations worldwide are planning to implement automation solutions to reduce human intervention in buying and delivery processes in the post-COVID-19 retail store. Silicon on insulator wafer producers needs to develop sophisticated, miniature, and cost-effective wafers to meet the post-COVID-19 retail sector demands.
Based on the wafer size, the global silicon on insulator market is bifurcated into 200 mm & less than 200 mm, and 300 mm. The 300 mm wafer size segment is projected to dominate the global market over the forecasted period of 2020-2027 at a significant rate. Wafer and foundry players increase their ability by producing 300 mm wafers that are predicted to behave as significant driving factors for the growth of silicon on insulator market.
However, 200 mm & less than 200 mm wafer size segment is estimated to have a considerable growth rate due to the high demand from countries like China and Taiwan for a 200 mm. Wafers with a diameter of under 200 mm have flats cut into one or two sides, suggesting the wafer’s crystallographic planes.
Based on the wafer type, the global silicon on insulator market is classified into RF-SOI, FD-SOI, Power-SOI, PD-SOI, and Emerging-SOI. The FD-SOI wafer type segment is estimated to hold the largest share by 2027 due to the numerous advantages offered by FD-SOI compared to the other wafer type, such as lowering the operating voltage requirement and reduce complexities.
However, the RF-SOI wafer type segment is predicted to have a significant growth rate due to the broad adoption of RF-SOI in advanced smartphones with Long Term Evolution (LTE).
Based on the technology, the global silicon on insulator market is segmented into Smart Cut, Bonding, Layer Transfer. The smart cut technology segment is anticipated to hold the largest share during the forecasted period of 2020-2027. The smart-cut technique (ion-cut technique) is a proprietary Soitec (France) technology that is currently being used commercially to produce silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers and is estimated to boost the market across the globe.
Based on the product, the global silicon on insulator market is segmented into RF FEM, MEMS, Power, Optical Communication, and Image Sensing. The RF FEM product segment is projected to dominate the market globally due to the enhanced RF FEM demand in upcoming 5G technology and electronic product devices, including smartphones and laptops. It is often referred to as the low-noise downconverter or low-noise block in microwave and satellite recipients. It is situated at the antenna, so frequency from the antenna can be transported to the rest of the receiver at the resonant frequency, which is easier to handle.
Based on the application, the global silicon on insulator market is segmented into Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Datacom & Telecom, Military, Defense, & Aerospace, and Industrial. The automotive application segment is estimated to dominate the global market due to the rising number of manufacturers investing in the automotive sector, such as ADAS (Advanced Driver-assistance Systems) and driverless cars investments by the leading automotive giants across the globe.
By geography, the global silicon on insulator market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and Middleinves East & Africa. North America is expected to dominate the market owing to the propelling demand for microprocessors and microcontrollers across the globe. The increasing research and development activities across the region are anticipated to fuel the silicon on insulator market.
However, Asia Pacific is estimated as the fastest-growing region due to the emerging integrated circuit sector. Additionally, the rising investment by the manufacturers of the wafers, including Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., across the region, is projected to boost the market at a considerable rate.
Companies such as GlobalFoundries, STMicroelectronics N.V., Soitec, Murata Manufacturing, Shin-Etsu Chemical, NXP Semiconductors N.V., Global Wafers Co., Qorvo, Silicon Valley Microelectronics Inc., Sony Corporation, SUMCO, Simgui, TowerJazz, Skyworks Solutions, United Microelectronics Corporation, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., EV Group, Ultrasil LLC, MagnaChip Semiconductor are the key players in the global silicon on insulator market.
By Wafer Size
By Wafer Type
By Technology
By Product
By Application
By Region
Global Smart Irrigation Market