Smart voice assistants have become extremely popular, with major international companies such as Amazon, Google, Apple, and Alibaba launching their own smart voice assistant products. Additionally, Facebook, Tencent, and Xiaomi are expected to gradually join the competition, continuously driving up global demand for smart voice assistant products. The industry estimates that demand will reach 15 million units in 2017, and further increase to 30 to 40 million units in 2018.
Due to the optimistic outlook for terminal market demand, the supply chain for consumer electronics in Shenzhen has recently ignited a new battle for smart voice assistant products. Statistics show that the number of smart speaker solution providers in Nanshan, Shenzhen has surged to over a hundred. Furthermore, manufacturers are compressing profits to capture market share, even going so far as to incur losses of millions to secure orders.
MEMS Microphone Chips in Short Supply, with Over 30% Gap
As an essential sound sensor for related applications, the market for microphones is expected to experience significant growth, particularly benefiting MEMS microphones. A single smart voice assistant product may require two microphones or even arrays of 6 to 7 microphones, leading to a sudden surge in global demand for MEMS microphones. Suppliers such as ST, Bosch, GoerTek, and AAC are ramping up their inventory. This increased demand for microphone bare chips has led to reports of shortages from foreign suppliers.
According to Taiwanese chip manufacturers, although the global MEMS chip market is dominated by major international companies like Infineon, Omron, and New Japan Radio (Infineon supplies bare chips to major microphone manufacturers such as GoerTek, AAC, and BSE; Omron supplies bare chips to ST, AAC, and GoerTek), the lead times for chip orders often exceed 1 to 2 quarters. In the face of a rapidly increasing demand for smart voice assistant products, these international companies are unable to effectively meet the sudden surge in urgent orders from customers. Currently, the MEMS microphone chip market is experiencing a supply gap of over 30%.
This situation has prompted many product design and manufacturing companies in Shenzhen to turn to Taiwanese manufacturers like Xinchang and Yutai for emergency support, hoping to catch up with the explosive demand in the terminal smart voice assistant product market. With a continuous influx of customer orders, Taiwanese MEMS microphone suppliers, who have cultivated their market presence for years, are expected to receive substantial orders in 2017. As for 2018, the terminal market demand still has significant growth potential, and the early positioning of cross-strait IC design companies is promising for their business performance. (Reference: An Overview of the Smart Speaker Industry: A Review of Seven Major Chip Manufacturers and Their Representative Products)
Introduction to the Top Ten MEMS Microphone Chip Suppliers Worldwide
1. Knowles Corporation
Knowles, established in 1946, is a technology company focused on developing new products and components for the hearing aid and other electronic device markets. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, USA, it has technical and customer support offices worldwide. Since 1974, it has been manufacturing in Asia, establishing world-class factories in China and Malaysia. Its products and services leverage the combined advantages of technologies such as micro-capacitors, balanced armatures, and CMOS/MEMS to serve digital cameras, PDAs, high-performance headphones, and advanced applications. Knowles Sound Solutions is a leading global manufacturer of dynamic speakers and receivers for mobile phones and other consumer electronics.
Product Center: Advanced audio solutions/Software/Voice processors/Versant™ advanced voice technology/Smartphone audio solutions/Microphones/Receivers and speakers/Headsets/Sensors/Accessories/Hearing Aid Components & Accessories/Oscillators and SAW Filters/Capacitors.
2. AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.
AAC Technologies was founded in 1993 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in August 2005. The group is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, with production bases, sales, and after-sales points distributed across Shanghai, Changzhou, Suzhou, Shuyang, Rugao, and Beijing in mainland China; as well as in South Korea, Taipei, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan in the Asia-Pacific region; and in Sweden, Germany, Finland, and San Jose, San Francisco, and Chicago in the United States. The company’s global network ensures closer proximity to customers and faster, more effective service. AAC has five production bases and eight R&D centers worldwide, focusing on designing, developing, and producing high-quality products and solutions.
Product Center: AAC’s products and solutions include acoustics; wireless RF; vibration motors; micro cameras, covering industries such as mobile communications, IT products, consumer electronics, home appliances, automotive, and medical instruments.
3. GoerTek Inc.
GoerTek Inc. is a national high-tech enterprise that successfully went public on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in May 2008. Its main business includes the R&D, production, and sales of electroacoustic devices, optoelectronic products, electronic components, and LED packaging and related products. Since its establishment, GoerTek has maintained a good operational status and stable rapid growth. In 2013, the company’s annual sales revenue exceeded 10 billion yuan, with a net profit growth of 44%.
The company primarily provides products and services to top global manufacturers, including Samsung, Apple, LG, Panasonic, Sony, Google, Microsoft, Plantronics, and Cisco. In the field of miniature microphones, GoerTek holds the highest market share globally; its Bluetooth headset ODM business and 3D glasses business are also ranked first in the world; in the field of miniature speakers/receivers, GoerTek ranks second domestically and third internationally.
Product Center: Wearables, augmented/virtual reality, audio, virtual reality entertainment and interaction, robotics, smart lighting.
4. BSE
The fourth largest packaged MEMS microphone supplier globally is the South Korean company BSE, whose performance is bolstered by having Samsung, Apple’s largest competitor, as a major client. BSE’s revenue in 2013 grew by over 250% compared to 2012. BSE specializes in the production of miniature microphones, with mobile phone miniature microphones being its leading product, producing 400 million units annually, holding the world’s largest market share at 38%. Major clients include Samsung, Motorola, Nokia, Sony, and other well-known multinational companies.
To support various mobile phone manufacturers in the North, BSE has invested in a factory in the Tianjin Economic Development Zone. The project plans to invest $14 million in the first phase, with an additional $14 million expected to be invested over the next two to three years to expand production capacity and introduce new products, ultimately making Tianjin a significant global production base for miniature microphones.
Product Center: Microphones (MEMS, ECM), amplifiers, etc.
5. STMicroelectronics
STMicroelectronics (ST) was established in June 1988 through the merger of Italy’s SGS Microelectronics and France’s Thomson Semiconductors. In May 1998, SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics changed its name to STMicroelectronics. ST is one of the largest semiconductor companies in the world. Since its inception, ST’s growth rate has exceeded that of the overall semiconductor industry. ST is also one of the manufacturers with the broadest product lines in the semiconductor industry, offering over 3,000 types of products ranging from discrete diodes and transistors to complex system-on-chip (SoC) devices, as well as complete platform solutions that include reference designs, application software, manufacturing tools, and specifications. ST is a major supplier across various industrial sectors, possessing a wide range of advanced technologies, intellectual property (IP) resources, and world-class manufacturing processes.
Product Center: EMI filters and signal conditioning, MEMS and sensors, motor drivers, NFC, SiC devices, diodes and rectifiers, protection devices, power transistors, power modules, reset and voltage monitoring ICs, memory, secure microcontrollers, RF transistors, switches and multiplexers, imaging ICs and modules, microcontrollers, interface and connectivity ICs, amplifiers and comparators, digital set-top box ICs, data converters, wireless connectivity products, clock and timing circuits, thyristors (SCR) and AC switches, automotive infotainment and telematics systems, automotive smart power ICs, automotive microcontrollers, power management, TV and display platform ICs, aerospace high-reliability devices, logic ICs, audio ICs.
6. Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI)
Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) is a publicly traded company on NASDAQ. The registered name in China is “Analog Devices Semiconductor Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.” ADI is one of the oldest semiconductor companies in the world, founded in 1965 by Ray Stata and Matthew Lorber.
The company is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts, USA, with design and manufacturing facilities worldwide. It has production plants in the USA and Limerick, Ireland, large packaging facilities in the Philippines, and development centers in Israel, Beijing and Shanghai in China, Tokyo in Japan, Taipei in Taiwan, Edinburgh in Scotland, Melbourne in Australia, Hyderabad and Bangalore in India, Munich in Germany, Valencia in Spain, and other locations. ADI is included in the S&P 500 Index.
Product Center: Amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, application-specific standard products, audio and video products, broadband products, clock and timing, digital-to-analog converters (DAC), high-speed logic products, interfaces and isolation, linear products, MEMS, optics, power management, processors and DSPs, RF and microwave, sensors, switches and multiplexers.
7. Hosiden Corporation
Hosiden Corporation primarily manufactures electronic components and devices. The company directly engages with the consumer market, representing the communications and automotive industries. It operates approximately 19 factories with over 12,000 employees.
Product Center: Connectors, switches, electroacoustic products, electromagnetic components, LCD devices, and various other products.
8. Cirrus Logic
Headquarters: Austin, Texas
Website: https://www.cn.cirrus.com/
Product Center: Audio amplifiers, audio ADCs, audio DACs, audio codecs, audio clock generation and jitter reduction, audio DSPs, interfaces and sample rate converters, volume controls, MEMS microphones, etc.
9. Wuxi Chipown Micro-Sensor Technology Co., Ltd.
Wuxi Chipown Micro-Sensor Technology Co., Ltd. is a Sino-foreign joint venture controlled by Wuxi Industrial Development Group, located at 533 Xishan Avenue, Xishan Economic Development Zone, Wuxi City. The R&D center located in Silicon Valley, USA, has been specializing in MEMS sensor development since 2003. Leveraging the core MEMS technology from General Micro, Chipown has developed into the only silicon microphone manufacturer in China with independent R&D capabilities for MEMS sensors, supporting ICs, and packaging production lines.
Product Center: Includes various packaged forms of analog and digital microphones.
10. Bosch
The Bosch Group is the world’s largest automotive technology supplier, headquartered in Germany. Bosch is a leading global provider of technology and services. According to preliminary data, Bosch employed approximately 390,000 people (as of December 31, 2016) and generated approximately 73.1 billion euros in sales in the 2016 fiscal year. Bosch’s business is divided into four sectors, covering automotive and smart transportation technology, industrial technology, consumer goods, and energy and building technology. As a leading global IoT company, Bosch provides innovative solutions for smart homes, smart cities, connected transportation, and connected industry. Bosch leverages its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, along with its cloud platform, to provide integrated cross-domain connectivity solutions for customers.
Source: International Electronic Business, with some content sourced from DIGITIMES
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