Silicon on Insulator (SOI) Market – Trends Forecast Till 2030

Market Snapshot

Market Overview

The global Silicon on Insulator (SOI) market size was estimated at USD 1.43 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 3.64 billion in 2030 at a CAGR of 14.20% during the forecast period 2023-2030.

Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) refers to a microchip or semiconductor device manufacturing technique in which engineers place thin films of monocrystalline silicon over an insulator to simplify integrated circuit manufacturing. This helps reduce the junction capacitance, which increases speed, eliminates charge leakage, and optimizes the performance of SOI-based devices while minimizing power consumption. Because of these characteristics, they are widely used in the production of a variety of consumer electronics, microprocessors, radio frequency (RF) signal processors, biotechnological chips, and microelectromechanical systems. It is currently commercially available as a whole and partly used in silicon insulation types.

One of the main factors driving the SOI market is the significant expansion of the electronics sector and the growing demand for high-performance microelectronics and consumer electronics, including smartphones, laptops, digital cameras and desktop computers. Therefore, the incorporation of silicon on insulators (FD-SOI) has been fully exploited in various automotive solutions such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and semi-autonomous driving systems due to their thermomechanical robustness, operational safety, low energy consumption, and long-term use. reliability features are other important growth drivers. Additionally, significant technological advancements such as the widespread integration of radio frequency isolators (RF-SOI) in smartphones to preserve cellular signals and gain uninterrupted connectivity from multiple locations are also fueling the market growth. Additionally, increasing demand for low-power and affordable semiconductors and integrated circuits has facilitated the widespread adoption of SOI in the integrated device community, boosting market growth. Other factors such as continued investment in R&D and frequent mergers and acquisitions among major players aiming to develop integrated circuit (IC) technology create a positive outlook for the market.

The pandemic was also expected to increase the adoption and automation of Industry 4.0 technologies. Maintenance, remote production and diagnostics would become permanent functions. Companies that sell semiconductors would also become innovative workplaces with technologies that allow most employees to work remotely. It is also expected that companies will adopt and promote a hybrid model in their production processes, where a certain number of employees work away from the site and the rest. Efficiency gains from such changes, along with initial costs, have affected the earnings of insulating silicon. As a result, the silicon on insulator market benefited from COVID-19.

Delvens Industry Expert's Standpoint

SOI, a semiconductor wafer technology, helps produce low-power, high-performance devices instead of traditional bulk silicon technologies. The silicon insulator market is expected to gain momentum during the forecast period due to many advantages such as high switching efficiency and availability of high-speed SOI transistors. This technology increased production yield and also increased the number of chips per wafer, which improves production efficiency. Technology also offers several opportunities for innovation, performance improvement and scale. These factors have led to the expansion of the market and increased demand for Silicon on Insulator (SOI) solutions.

Market Portfolio

Key Findings

• The wafer size segment is further fragmented into 200 mm and 300 mm. The 300 mm segment is expected to account for a larger market size during the forecast period.  The larger wafer size provides several benefits, such as reduced cost per wafer, improved yield, and increased production efficiency. The 300mm wafer size has become the standard in the semiconductor industry due to its many advantages, and the majority of new fabrication facilities are being built to support 300mm wafers.

• The wafer-type segment is further bifurcated into RF-SOI, FD-SOI, PD-SOI, and Others. The fully depleted silicon (FD SOI) segment holds the majority share in 2022, contributing to Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) revenue. Fully depleted silicon technology offers several advantages over traditional bulk-silicon devices, including better performance, lower power consumption and better reliability. These advantages make FD-SOI technology an attractive option for various applications such as mobile devices, IoT devices and high-performance computing systems.

• The technology segment is further bifurcated into BESOI, SiMOX, Smart Cut, ELTRAN, and SoS. Smart cut SOI to account for a larger market size during the forecast period. Due to its ability to produce high-performance, low-power devices with reduced thermal and electrical parasitics. The Smart-Cut process involves bonding a thin layer of silicon onto an insulating substrate, followed by selectively etching the silicon to create an ultra-thin device layer.
   
• The market is also divided into various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and Middle East and Africa. North America is estimated to account for the largest market share during the forecast period owing to the rising demand for consumer electronics like smartphones, tablets, smart wearables, and laptops in the region.

Regional Analysis

North America to Dominate the Market

• North America is estimated to account for the largest market share during the forecast period. The growth in this region is attributable from the rising demand for consumer electronics like smartphones, tablets, smart wearables, and laptops.
   
• Moreover, the telecom sector is anticipated to provide improved opportunities for the region's market.

Competitive Landscape

• Shin-Etsu Chemical
• SUMCO Corporation
• Soitec
• Globalwafers Co.
• STMicroelectronics N.V.
• GlobalFoundries
• Shanghai Simgui Technology
• Tower Semiconductor
• NXP Semiconductor Corp
• United Microelectronics Corporation
• Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing
• Vangaurd International Semiconductor Corporation
• Silicon Valley Microelectronics
• EV Group
• Ultrasil
• Murata Manufacturing Company Ltd.
• MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation
• SunEdison
• IBM
• Virginia Semiconductor
• Qorvo, Inc
• Siltronic

Recent Developments

• In December 2022, STMicroelectronics and Soitec collaborated on Silicon Carbide (SiC) substrates, with ST planning to adopt Soitec's SmartSiCTM technology for its 200mm substrate production over the next 18 months. This will feed ST's business of manufacturing devices and modules, with volume production expected in the medium term.
   
• In October 2022, Shin-Etsu Chemical launched the first silicone film emulsion that is low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and significantly reduces the presence of undesirable siloxanes, unlike previous silicone film-forming emulsions.

Reasons to Acquire

• Increase your understanding of the market for identifying the most suitable strategies and decisions based on sales or revenue fluctuations in terms of volume and value, distribution chain analysis, market trends, and factors.
   
• Gain authentic and granular data access for the Silicon on Insulator (SOI) Market to understand the trends and the factors involved in changing market situations.
   
• Qualitative and quantitative data utilization to discover arrays of future growth from the market trends of leaders to market visionaries and then recognize the significant areas to compete in the future.
   
• In-depth analysis of the changing trends of the market by visualizing the historic and forecast year growth patterns.

Report Scope