Source | © Chip Master Original Team
Author丨 © Carol Li
Integrated circuits (ICs) can be divided into two main categories: digital ICs and analog ICs. Digital ICs are circuits used to generate, amplify, and process various digital signals; analog ICs are circuits used to generate, amplify, and process various analog signals.
So, what are digital signals? What are analog signals? Digital signals refer to signals that change discretely in time and amplitude; analog signals refer to signals whose amplitude changes continuously over time.
The above image illustrates analog signals and digital signals.
Why do signals need processing? Because external natural signals, such as wind noise, temperature, humidity, optical, and sound-electric signals, are all continuously varying signals, i.e., analog signals. In the information technology invented by humans, only information carried by digital signals can be processed (in computers, the size of digital signals is often represented by finite binary numbers), meaning that digital circuits cannot directly interact with the natural world. Therefore, it is necessary to convert analog signals into digital signals, and after processing by digital systems, the signals are output as analog signals.
Analog ICs process signals in the following three steps:
1. Collect external natural signals through sensors or antennas;
2. Pre-process through analog circuits, converting them into signals carried by digital means, and input them into digital systems;
3. The signals processed by the digital system are then post-processed through analog circuits, converting them into analog signals such as sound, images, and radio waves for output.
In electronic systems, analog ICs not only receive analog signals but also have functions such as mixing, amplification, comparison, arithmetic operations, logarithmic operations, analog-to-digital conversion, sampling-holding, modulation-demodulation, boosting, bucking, and voltage regulation. There are many types of analog ICs, such as operational amplifiers, analog multipliers, phase-locked loops, and power management chips.
Global Analog IC Market Size
According to Chip Master, the top ten companies in the global analog IC ranking are mainly Texas Instruments (TI), ADI, Skyworks, Infineon, ST, NXP, Maxim, ON Semiconductor, Microchip, and Renesas Electronics. In 2017, their sales accounted for approximately 60% of the global analog IC market, with no Chinese companies among them.
SourceIC Insights
According to IC Insights data, in 2017, the global analog IC market size was $54.5 billion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6% expected from 2017 to 2022, which is better than the overall IC market’s 5.1%.
Global Analog IC Market Size Development Trend
(Compiled by Chip Master, data source IC Insights)
From the above statistics, it can be seen that the global analog IC market has maintained a stable growth trend in recent years, and it is expected to reach a size of $74.8 billion by 2022, thanks to the rapid growth of power management, signal conversion, and automotive electronics application markets, with automotive electronics showing particularly significant performance.
For the global analog IC market, after a major adjustment in 2016, the overall growth trend began to accelerate. With the wave of mergers and acquisitions in the global semiconductor industry, two significant mergers occurred in the analog IC field in 2016: ADI acquired Linear for $14.8 billion, and Renesas Electronics acquired Intersil for $3.22 billion, leading to changes in the global analog IC market landscape. Regardless of the adjustments, TI’s leading position remains unthreatened; from the latest data in 2017, we can see that TI’s revenue has exceeded that of the second-ranked ADI by more than double, demonstrating a clear advantage.
Recently, Renesas Electronics announced the acquisition of American chipmaker Integrated Device Technology (IDT) for over $6 billion, setting a record for mergers in the Japanese semiconductor industry and adding new variables to the global analog IC market. According to Chip Master, IDT has over 30 years of experience in integrated circuit design, manufacturing, sales, and promotion, with many advantageous technologies in both analog and digital fields.
In addition, recently, NXP’s executive team was also restructured, with current Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Automotive Division Kurt Sievers being promoted to President of NXP Semiconductors to drive new business and strategic planning. Under Kurt Sievers’ leadership, NXP has become the industry leader in automotive electronics and has established the deepest strategic partnerships in the autonomous driving and safety driving ecosystem.
Automotive Electronics as a Driving Force
Through the layout of enterprises, it is not difficult to see the significant importance of automotive electronics for the future analog IC market. With technological advancements, informatization, electrification, energy-saving, integration, and enhanced safety have become important directions for automotive development, leading to an increasing demand for electronic technology.
Especially in recent years, the concept of autonomous driving has rapidly gained popularity worldwide. In areas such as ADAS, communication modules, safety control, and in-car information, significant growth is expected in the future, which is also the reason for large-scale adjustments and mergers among manufacturers.
2012-2020 Global Automotive Electronics Market Size by Segment (in Billion USD)
According to IMS Research data, the global automotive electronics market is expected to reach $240 billion by 2020, with a compound annual growth rate of approximately 5.76% from 2011 to 2020. In 2000, the number of chips used in a car was less than 10; now, it requires dozens or even hundreds of chips, and in the future, it may reach several hundred, which is a good illustration.
Foreign Analog IC Companies
Texas Instruments (TI)
Company Overview: Founded in 1930, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, USA. The world’s largest manufacturer of digital signal processors (DSPs) and analog semiconductor components. On September 12, 2018, Texas Instruments (TI) announced plans to invest $3.2 billion to build a new factory in Richardson, Texas, primarily for the production of analog ICs.
Main Products: The core products of the company are analog semiconductors and digital signal processors, currently owning approximately 100,000 analog ICs and embedded processors. Their products also include calculators, microcontrollers, and multi-core processors.
Analog Devices (ADI)
Company Overview: Founded in 1965, headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, USA, with 15,300 full-time employees, it is the world’s number one seller of audio amplifiers. In 2015, it spent $14.8 billion to acquire Linear Technology.
Main Products: Data converters, amplifiers, linear products, wireless RF ICs, power management products, MEMS sensors, and other sensors and processor products, including digital signal processors (DSPs) and other processors.
Skyworks
Company Overview: Founded in 1962, headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA, it is a wireless communication company in the wireless integrated circuit industry that designs, develops, manufactures, and sells proprietary semiconductor products, including global intellectual property.
Main Products: Amplifiers, attenuators, circulators, demodulators, detectors, diodes, directional couplers, front-end modules, synthesizers, isolators, lighting and display solutions, mixers, regulators, optocouplers, optical isolators, phase shifters, synthesizers, power dividers, and synthesizers, power management devices, receivers, switches, and high-tech ceramics.
Application Areas: Including automotive, aerospace and defense, computing, smart home, consumer electronics (is a supplier of analog chips for Apple), media, medical, mobile devices, networking, smart energy, and wearable devices.
Infineon
Company Overview: Founded in 1999, headquartered in Munich, Germany, with 35,565 full-time employees, it is a semiconductor and system solutions provider and one of the top 10 semiconductor companies in the world. In January 2015, Infineon acquired International Rectifier, a leading supplier of power management technology.
Main Products: Focused on providing semiconductor and system solutions for automotive and industrial power devices, chip cards, and security applications, and has mastered cutting-edge technologies in analog and mixed-signal, RF, power, and embedded control devices.
STMicroelectronics (ST)
Company Overview: Founded in 1987, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, with 43,183 full-time employees, it is a globally renowned semiconductor solutions provider, offering solutions for electronic device manufacturers across various application fields along with its subsidiaries.
Main Products: CMOS image sensors, application-specific standard products (ASSP), wireless dedicated integrated circuits, computer peripheral dedicated integrated circuits (such as hard drives and printers), automotive standard products, non-volatile memory including NOR and NAND flash memory, smart cards, microcontrollers, discrete semiconductor products, electronic passports, and micro-electromechanical systems.
Main Clients: Automotive equipment suppliers Bosch, Daimler-Chrysler, Visteon, and Siemens; mobile phone suppliers Nokia and Motorola; printer suppliers HP; telecom infrastructure suppliers Alcatel and Nortel Networks; hard drive suppliers Seagate and Western Digital; consumer electronics suppliers Nintendo, Philips, Sony, and Thomson; industrial equipment suppliers Siemens; electronic component distributors Arrow Electronics; mouse and camera lens suppliers Logitech.
NXP
Company Overview: Founded in 2006, headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, with 40,400 full-time employees, it is a leading semiconductor chip company. On March 3, 2015, NXP Semiconductors acquired Freescale for $16.7 billion in cash and stock.
Main Products: Provides semiconductors, system solutions, and software.
Application Areas: Used in televisions, set-top boxes, smart identification applications, mobile phones, automobiles, and other electronic devices.
Maxim
Company Overview: Founded in 1983, headquartered in San Jose, California, USA, with 7,213 full-time employees, it is a company that designs, manufactures, and sells analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products in the USA, mainly engaged in the research and development of integrated circuits (ICs) for industrial, communication, and general consumer and computing markets.
Main Products: Highly integrated analog, mixed-signal, high-frequency, and digital circuits.
Application Areas: Widely used in industrial, communication, consumer, and computing markets.
ON Semiconductor
Company Overview: Founded in 1999, headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, with 34,000 full-time employees (2018), it is a global supplier of high-performance power solutions. In 2016, it acquired Fairchild Semiconductor.
Main Products: High-efficiency power management, analog, sensors, logic, timing, interoperability, discrete, system-on-chip (SoC), and custom device portfolios.
Application Areas: Automotive, communication, computing, consumer electronics, industrial, medical, aerospace, and defense applications.
Microchip
Company Overview: Founded in 1989, headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, USA, with 9,766 full-time employees, it is a manufacturer of microcontrollers, memory, and analog semiconductors. On January 20, 2016, Microchip acquired Atmel for $3.56 billion.
Main Products: Microcontrollers (PIC microcontrollers, dsPIC / PIC24, PIC32), serial EEPROM, serial SRAM, KEELOQ components, RF components, thermal components, power and battery management analog components, as well as linear, interface, and mixed-signal components. There are also some interface components including USB, ZigBee/MiWi, CANbus, and Ethernet.
Renesas
Company Overview: Founded in 2003, headquartered in Japan, it is a provider of smart chip solutions. In 2017, it acquired American Intersil for approximately 320 billion yen, and on September 11, 2018, it expected to spend $6 billion to acquire IDT.
Main Products: Microcontrollers, analog, power, and SoC products.
Application Areas: Solutions for numerous automotive, industrial, home electronics (HE), office automation (OA), and information communication technology (ICT) applications.
Domestic Analog IC Market Size
We all know that the product lifecycle of analog ICs can last up to 10 years, and downstream customers have strict requirements for product performance. Product technology usually relies on long-term exploration and practical accumulation by design companies, requiring designers to have a comprehensive design ability that includes understanding the physical characteristics of devices, design skills for topological structures, and layout and routing design capabilities, which is something that has always been lacking in our country.
From the market size perspective, the global analog IC market is still largely controlled by European and American companies, while domestic analog IC manufacturers can only survive in the cracks, seeking certain replacement markets, with most products positioned in the mid-to-low end. In recent years, many returnees have chosen analog ICs as their entrepreneurial direction, with power management ICs becoming a breakthrough point. With continuous accumulation, domestic manufacturers are also starting to enter standard analog ICs such as amplifiers and data converters, as well as RF ICs, and the overall strength of domestic firms is improving.
At the same time, in terms of downstream applications, with the slowdown in the growth of the smartphone market, the Internet of Things has not yet quickly brought new growth demands, and domestic manufacturers still need to actively seek new growth drivers.
Domestic Analog IC Companies
From the above, it can be seen that there are no domestic companies among the top ten global analog IC companies. Everyone knows that domestically, the overall semiconductor field lags behind foreign countries, partly because we indeed started late, and partly because previous investments in various aspects were insufficient.
In recent years, the government has increased support for the development of the semiconductor industry, enhancing the importance of funding, talent, and technology. With the overall industrial environment developing positively, the development of domestic analog ICs will gradually improve. Below are currently outstanding companies in the domestic analog IC field.
Silicon Motion
Company Overview: Founded in 1997, it has developed from a pure chip design company to one of the few comprehensive semiconductor product companies in China that mainly adopts the IDM model.
Main Products: Integrated circuits, semiconductor discrete devices, LED (light-emitting diode) products, etc.
Saint Semiconductor
Company Overview: Founded in 2017, it is a semiconductor company focusing on the research and development and sales of high-performance, high-quality analog integrated circuits.
Main Products: Its general-purpose analog IC products can be applied in smartphones, tablets, digital TVs, DVDs, digital cameras, laptops, wearable devices, various consumer electronics, as well as automotive electronics, industrial control, medical devices, and testing instruments.
Allwinner Technology
Company Overview: Founded in 2007, it is a leading designer of smart application processors SoCs, high-performance analog devices, and wireless interconnect chips.
Main Products: Smart application processor SoCs, high-performance analog devices, and wireless interconnect chips.
Application Areas: Widely applicable in smart hardware, tablets, smart home appliances, vehicle networking, robotics, virtual reality, network set-top boxes, as well as power analog devices, wireless communication modules, and the Internet of Things.
Rockchip
Company Overview: Founded in 2001, it is a professional integrated circuit design company.
Main Products: Digital audio and video, mobile multimedia chips.
Application Areas: Provides professional chip solutions for smartphones, tablets, communication tablets, TV set-top boxes, in-car navigation, IoT, and multimedia audio and video products.
Huada Semiconductor
Company Overview: Founded in 2014, it is a professional sub-group formed by integrating integrated circuit companies under China Electronics Corporation (CEC).
Main Products: Industrial control MCUs, power and driver chips, smart card and security chips, power management chips, new display chips.
Application Areas: Security IoT, industrial control, display, and multimedia.
Liangzi Technology
Company Overview: A large semiconductor technology group dedicated to integrated circuit design and manufacturing, listed on NASDAQ in the USA, headquartered in the scenic seaside city of Zhuhai, with three subsidiaries: Liangzi Integrated Circuit Design Co., Ltd., Liangzi Microelectronics (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., and Beijing Liangzi Northern Microelectronics Co., Ltd.
Main Products: QUAD-CORE series, ATS series, ATJ series, ATB series processors.
Application Areas: Wireless audio and intelligent ear-wear, smart multimedia, smart computing and IoT, smart home, artificial intelligence, etc.
The above are the analog IC companies that perform well based on known data collected by Chip Master. If there are any omissions, please feel free to leave a message in the comments section. Thank you very much.
—— END ——
*This article is original to Chip Master, some images are from the internet, and the copyright ownership has not been verified, not for commercial use. If there is any infringement, please contact the author at [email protected]
Source: Chip Master
Editor: tau
