Increasing Demand for Compact Electronics Driving Growth for 3D IC Market

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The global 3D ICs market is considerably consolidated, with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd (TSMC) and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd collectively accounting more than 50%, and a host of mid-sized and small companies holding the remaining market share as of 2012, according to a new report by Transparency Market Research (TMR).

Product development through strategic collaborations is on the growth charts of top companies in the global 3D ICs market. A case in point is TSMC, which has collaborated with a host of electronic design automation vendors for the manufacture of 3D IC reference flows and 16 nm FinFet. For instance, TSMC collaborated with Cadence Design Systems Inc. to develop a particular 3D IC reference flow, which helps in inventive 3D stacking.

Business expansion through R&D of 3D ICs is also what key companies in this market are focused on. Companies are planning to strengthen their R&D efforts for the development of new technologies. Product diversification through technological innovations is also a key growth model that top companies in this market are focused on.

The ever-increasing demand for the development of efficient 3D ICs is a major factor boosting the growth of the 3D ICs market, according to TMR. With the increasing demand for compact and easy to use electronic devices, the global electronics industry is displaying a surging demand for components with minimal turnaround time. To address this, manufacturers of semiconductor chips are facing continuous pressure to improve chip performance, while reducing the chip size. Not only this, novel semiconductor chips need to accommodate innovative functionalities as well.

An increasing number of portable devices is also leading to an increased demand for 3D ICs. The use of 3D ICs augments the memory bandwidth of the device along with reduced power consumption. This is leading to an increased use of 3D ICs in smartphones and tablets.

Elaborate testing procedures for 3D ICs hamper market growth

High cost, thermal, and testing issues are some of the factors impeding the growth of the global 3D ICs market, according to TMR. Thermal effects have a profound impact on device reliability and resiliency of interconnects in 3D circuits. This necessitates the examination of thermal issues in 3D integration to assess the robustness of a spectrum of 3D design options and technology.

Moreover, the use of 3D technology in semiconductor chips leads to sharp rise in power density due to a reduction in chip size. In addition, the 3D stack causes major fabrication and technical challenges that comprise yield testability, yield scalability, and standardized IC interface.

The global 3D ICs market is expected to reach a valuation of $7.52 billion by 2019, according to TMR. Information and communication technology (ICT) stood as the leading end-use segment with 24.2% of the market in 2012. The consumer electronics and ICT end-use segments are expected to contribute substantially to the revenue of the global 3D ICs market in the future.

By product type, MEMs and sensors and memories will be the leading segments of this market. The growing demand for memory-enhance solutions will drive the growth of the memories segment in the coming years. Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as a leading regional market for 3D ICs due to the flourishing consumer electronics and ICT industries in this region. North America is expected to emerge as the second-largest market for 3D ICs in the future.