MEMS Switch and Varicap Market

Abstract

• MEMS switch and Varicap applications
• Target price per application and dedicated end market
• Focus on RF MEMS switches for cell phone applications
• How and when will they be integrated in front end modules?

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

MEMS switches and varicaps products are getting to commercialization today. These products either replace existing switching products or create new features. The industry is just emerging with early sales levels in 2006.

Successful sales of MEMS switches have been registered for ATE (Automated Test Equipment) and other defense and industrial applications since 2006. Despite a market growth in 2007 the two industrial market leaders, Teravicta and Simpler Network have nevertheless stopped their activity in December 2007. It will be a challenge for the industry to recover from this difficult start. But acquisitions in the field of the cell phone module industry (such as EPCOS acquisition of NXP MEMS varicap activity) raise commercialization expectations in the next 2 years.

Yole' s report highlights who is poised to be the next leading players and which applications will drive the MEMS switch and varicap sales in the 2007-2012 period.

Six players are currently commercializing or sampling products on the market (RadantMEMS, MEW, Advantest, XCOMwireless, MEMtronics, Wispry) and more than 20 additional products development projects have been listed in the report.

M&A activity will certainly increase in the next 5 years in order to push forward the commercialization of these technologies like EPCOS did this year.

The potential market for switches and varicaps is therefore large because MEMS based switches are expected to both:

• substitute existing products
• enable new applications, particularly for mobile phones within the short term

There is complex market segmentation for the products to fit with a large set of parameters for each application: Supply voltage, size, and cost structure, RF power handling capability, reliability level, and fit with the supply chain requirements.....

Yole Developpement forecasts that the main market drivers for the cell phone applications are the following:

• Weight and size benefit for space and ATE (Automated Test Equipment) applications
• Increased RF switching performance at constant size and cost, for cell phone and radars applications
• Ability to create switching matrix being low cost and good RF performances in wired and wireless telecom applications

MEMS switch and varicaps will generate over US$ 700M sales by 2012. The market will be mainly driven by cell phones applications.

Price erosion be a major concern from MEMS manufacturers as volume ramps up. Market leaders will have a major advantage in this complex technology development period.

This report not only describes the market at the player and application level, but it provide a global view of the RF MEMS switch market allowing to build diversification strategies taking into account technical requirements.

• 6 fields investigated
• 13 applications evaluated
• 150+ companies listed
• Analysis on the complete value chain (Technology, Foundry, IDM, OEMs)
• 200+ Pages

This report gives an exhaustive analysis of the potential applications. It gives a segmentation of defense, industrial, automotive and telecom field.

• Description of the application and the benefit of RF MEMS switches
• Function and specification requirements for RF MEMS switches
• Description of the final product market players and trends
• Analysis of the competitive technologies and players
• Analysis of the RF MEMS switches market
• Global market evaluation of the RF MEMS switch applications: component volume in Munits, Average Single Price (ASP), and 2007-2012 value forecasts
• Description of the products and technologies: product specifications, technological trends and business trends
• Evaluation of major players market share and potential new entrants

The main challenges facing the RF MEMS switch industries are discussed in order to forecast the evolution of the global MEMS industry and its impact on each market.

Benefits

• MEMS manufacturers:
  • Evaluate the accessible market for your switch or varicap components
  • Define diversification strategies on new applications for your core switch or varicap technology
  • Evaluate the technology selection and the level of development of your competitors
  • Support a strategic decision to enter, exit, or find a partner in the switch and varicap industry
• Handset manufacturers and operators:
  • Understand the benefits of MEMS based products over competitive technologies
  • Access to an updated product roadmap and the status of the MEMS leading players
  • Evaluate how MEMS can change the architecture of the cell phone front end
  • Understand why power amplifier market will have a negative growth after 2012
  • Get detailed company profiles with description of the product technology & process
• MEMS foundries, equipment & material manufacturers:
  • Evaluate the business potential of your customers developing switch and varicap products
  • Identify the switch and varicap processes selected by each MEMS manufacturer
  • Prepare new business development strategies
• Financial and strategic investors:
  • Understand the MEMS technology, product and challenges which will replace existing switch technologies or create new features
  • Evaluate the business opportunity for MEMS companies in the field of switches and varicaps