The chip market is never short of hot searches, but the list for the first half of 2025 is worth exploring.
Last year, I detailed in the article “These Chips Were Sold Out“ the 20 models that made it to the chip hot search list in the first half of 2024. Now, with the new list for the first half of 2025 out, which chips have broken through to make the list?
01In the first half of the year, the top 20 hot search chips
From the list, the top 20 hot search chips for the first half of 2025 show that MCUs and power ICs account for over 50%.
Comparing, we find that among the 20 chips on the hot search list for the first half of 2025, 10 of them have appeared on past lists. For example: TL431, LM358, UC3842, S8050, AMS1117, NE555, L7805, etc. In terms of chip performance, these “returning products” have mostly been validated in the market for a long time, with stable performance and strong compatibility.
Additionally, the chips marked with “—” in the table are new entries, and it is observed that the aforementioned 4 MCU chips are all new entries.
Next, let’s take a look at the characteristics of these “veterans” and “newcomers”.
Analog Chips, Dominating the Top Three
The top three power management chips TL431, signal processing chip LM358, and power management chip UC3842 are all highly versatile and technically mature “classic materials”. The functional definitions, pin packaging, and performance parameters of these chips have formed industry default standards.
TL431 serves as a precision voltage reference in power management, used for linear regulation, switching regulation (such as in UC3842 architecture), and battery management; its advantages include high precision, stability, and low cost.
In industrial and automotive electronics, it is suitable for motor control, sensor circuits, and other harsh environments; in consumer electronics, it is used in chargers, LED drivers, and audio amplifiers.
LM358 is a dual-channel operational amplifier with low static power consumption, effectively reducing system energy consumption, and has a wide common-mode input voltage range, making it highly compatible with signals of different amplitudes. Its advantages are flexibility, energy efficiency, and wide applicability.
In the signal processing field, it is used in audio amplifiers, sensor interfaces, filter designs, etc.; in industrial control, it serves as a signal conditioning component in automation equipment and instrumentation; in consumer electronics, it is suitable for audio and video signal processing in portable devices like smartphones and tablets.
UC3842 is a pulse width modulation (PWM) controller used for AC-DC power converters, adapters, and other switch-mode power supply designs; its advantages are efficiency, simplicity, and energy savings.
In charger design, it is widely used in electric vehicle chargers and laptop power adapters; in industrial control, it is suitable for servo drives, inverters, and other scenarios requiring precise voltage control.
MCUs, Strongly Entering the Rankings
In the hot search rankings, there are also many MCU products that made the list this time.
In addition to ST’s STM32F103C8T6 and STM32F103RCT6, there are also Microchip’s 16-bit MCU dsPIC30F2010-30I/SP, and TI’s 32-bit MCU TMS320F28P559SJ-Q1.
ST’s STM32F103 series, although a classic model from ten years ago, still has competitive cost-effectiveness and ecosystem maturity (such as CubeIDE development tools and a wealth of reference designs). In cost-sensitive fields such as industrial control ( PLCs, sensor nodes) and consumer electronics (home appliance control, smart sockets), its price of 5-10 RMB has become the “default option” for engineers.
The global electrification and intelligence of automobiles are accelerating, directly driving the demand for automotive-grade MCUs.
TI’s TMS320F28P559SJ-Q1, as a member of the C2000 series, has automotive-grade characteristics (supporting ASIL-D functional safety and high reliability) and technical advantages (GaN/SiC driving, real-time control) that perfectly fit the core scenarios of new energy vehicles. It is suitable for motor drives, hybrid power, electric and powertrain systems, solar and electric vehicle charging, digital power, body electronics, and lighting.
The certification cycle for automotive-grade MCUs can take up to 2-3 years, and TI’s C2000 series has passed AEC-Q100 certification and meets ISO 26262 functional safety requirements, with a documentation coverage rate of 100%, which is difficult for most domestic manufacturers to achieve in the short term.
Microchip’s dsPIC30F2010-30I/SP, as a 16-bit DSC (Digital Signal Controller), is irreplaceable in fields such as motor control and digital power due to the combined effects of global industrial automation upgrades and the “dual carbon” goals. Microchip’s dsPIC30F series has formed a technical moat in motor control through Harvard architecture and independent DSP instruction sets, maintaining a long-term leading market share.
From these products that have made it to the hot search list, it is clear that international leading companies have a solid position in the MCU market, and their technical accumulation, ecological barriers, and market penetration form a moat that is difficult to shake in the short term. However, domestic manufacturers have launched competitive solutions in multiple fields, achieving mass applications in consumer electronics, industrial control, and other scenarios.
02Popular Chips, Domestic Counterparts
To conclude: strong versatility, mature technology, and significant cost advantages are common characteristics of the above 20 types of chips. Under these characteristics, several domestic chips have emerged. In the future, we may see more domestic manufacturers on this list.
TI, the craze is fading
Currently, the power management chip market presents a “three-way competition” pattern: the first tier represented by overseas giants such as TI, ADI, Infineon, NXP, Sanken, ST, etc.; the second tier represented by domestic power management chip listed companies such as Jingfeng Mingyuan, Shengbang Co., Fumanwei, Mingwei Electronics, Shanghai Beiling, Lixinwei, Silan Micro, Weir Shares, Chipone Micro, and Diaowei; and the third tier represented by other domestic small and medium-sized power management chip companies.
Among them, TI, ADI, and other overseas giants maintain a leading advantage in product line completeness and overall technical level, occupying over 80% of the global power management chip market share, especially in the high-end market, where they have absolute authority.
However, it must be acknowledged that in the competitive analog track, international giants are also facing challenges.
Moreover, TL431, LM358, and other chips are all basic models in the analog chip category, with annual demand reaching billions or even tens of billions of units. While TI, NXP, and other international manufacturers dominate, for domestic chip companies, launching similar products is a “stepping stone” to enter the analog chip market—accumulating mass production experience and customer resources through mature models, and gradually penetrating into high-end analog chips (such as high-precision operational amplifiers and automotive-grade amplifiers).
At the same time, it can also meet the needs of customers for a “second supplier,” avoiding the risk of supply interruption caused by single-source dependence.
For example, Diaowei’s signal chain products overlap significantly with TI’s price-increasing models, achieving technological breakthroughs in consumer electronics, automotive electronics, and other fields. Its automotive-grade analog switches, high-precision sensors, and other products are accelerating their entry into the supply chain.
UC3842 is now not only offered by TI, ST, ON Semiconductor, NXP, and other overseas manufacturers, but also by domestic manufacturers such as Huafu Qian, Huaxuan Yang, Kexin, Hongmao Semiconductor, Huazhimai, Yixin Micro, and Huaguan. These domestic manufacturers’ products are gradually approaching the performance of foreign counterparts and have a certain price advantage, providing more options for domestic power product manufacturers and reducing production costs.
Shanghai Beiling’s BL358 and other products are comparable to LM358 in key parameters such as accuracy and bandwidth, allowing for direct replacement in various consumer electronics and industrial control devices, capturing a certain market share due to cost-effectiveness.
It is reported that in the fiercely competitive analog market, at the end of last year, TI’s LM358 market price ranged from 0.26-0.55 yuan, while some domestic brand manufacturers’ prices have already dropped to around 0.11-0.15 yuan, and even some batches within two years cost only 0.08 yuan. This phenomenon can also be seen with another analog chip leader, ADI, where if one model is priced at 12 yuan, domestic brands can directly drop to below 6 yuan, with general and other replaceable products following this ratio.
MCUs are a battleground
Looking at MCUs, they have always been a battleground in the spotlight of the semiconductor industry. The MCU products that made the list this time mainly come from ST, TI, and Microchip.
Competition is a commonality in the analog chip and MCU markets. In the MCU field, many domestic manufacturers have also achieved new results.
The aforementioned TMS320F28P559SJ-Q1 is a member of TI’s C2000 series. For many years, TI C2000 has dominated the real-time control field. Even giants like Microchip, ST, and Renesas, which have made achievements in power and motor fields, have not shaken TI C2000’s position.
In recent years, with the rise of domestic MCU manufacturers, many markets have begun to see the presence of domestic MCU manufacturers. Even the previously seemingly unshakable C2000 is gradually losing ground in markets such as motor control, inverters, and servos.
For example, Naxin Micro has launched NS800RT5 and NS800RT3 products that precisely target TI C2000’s F280039, F280049, and other models. Recently, Jihai Semiconductor also officially released the G32R501 real-time control MCU based on the Arm Cortex-M52 dual-core architecture and supporting Arm Helium technology, officially entering the market dominated by TI C2000.
In the general MCU market, GD32 and other domestic MCU brands are increasingly competing with STM32.
GigaDevice’s GD32 is a leader in the 32-bit general MCU field in China, with over 200 million units shipped, more than 10,000 users, and a large lineup of over 300 product models across 20 series, occupying an important position in the market.
GD32 uses the Cortex-M3 core, achieving full compatibility with the same models as STM32, making it easy for users to replace, and has a higher main frequency. In many fields such as smart home and industrial control, there are numerous cases of successful replacements of STM32.
In addition to the aforementioned companies, many domestic MCU companies such as ZKX, Lingdong Micro, Yatel, Guomin Technology, Xinhai Technology, and Huada Semiconductor also have products that can directly compete with STM32.
Faced with the advantage of lower costs for domestic MCUs, imported brands have been defeated in this price war. The impact is not limited to ST and TI. It is reported that in some product areas, frequent price comparisons have become the norm, and even if a certain domestic MCU has been selected, there is always the possibility of switching to a lower-priced product.
03In the second half of the year, potential chip stocks
From the popular categories, MCU chips are expected to continue to gain momentum.
The heat of the 4 types of MCU chips on the list in the first half of the year has already demonstrated market demand. With the in-depth development of industrial automation, smart homes, and other fields, the demand for MCUs with high cost-effectiveness and stable performance will further rise. Especially for domestic mid-to-high-end MCUs, driven by both policy support and technological breakthroughs, may achieve rapid market share growth in the second half of the year due to the narrowing performance gap with international brands and more competitive prices.
Power semiconductor chips will welcome new growth opportunities. The increasing penetration of new energy vehicles and the accelerated construction of charging piles have raised higher demands for power semiconductors. Devices like IGBT and MOSFET are not only in high demand in the automotive electronics field but are also continuously expanding their applications in industrial control, energy management, and other areas. It is expected that in the second half of the year, power semiconductor chips with high voltage and high current characteristics will become the market focus.
In the wave of domestic substitution, domestic chips that benchmark overseas popular models have great potential. With the continuous improvement of the domestic industrial chain, domestic chips are increasingly excelling in reliability and compatibility, with alternatives to popular chips like UC3842 and STM32F103C8T6 already validated in multiple fields. In the future, as domestic manufacturers further release production capacity and enhance market recognition, these domestic chips are expected to be applied in more scenarios, becoming the “dark horses” in the market.
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