Silicon on Insulator Market By Wafer Size (200 mm and 300 mm), Wafer Type (RF-SOI, FD-SOI, PD-SOI, and Others), Technology (BESOI, SiMOX, Smart Cut, ELTRAN, and SoS), Product (RF FEM, MEMS, Power, Optical Communication, and Image Sensing), and Application (Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Datacom & Telecom, Industrial, Photonics, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2020-2027

Silicon on Insulator Market Outlook – 2027 

The global silicon on insulator market size was valued at $1.11 billion in 2019, and is projected to reach $3.18 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 14.1% from 2020 to 2027. Silicon on insulator technology states the usage of layered silicon-insulator-silicon substrate in position of traditional silicon in semiconductor manufacturing work. This technology is compatible with presently used fabrication process in the industry without retooling or extra equipment of existing factory. There are several benefits of silicon on insulator technology such as high performance, power saving, reduced leakage, absence of latchup, compatibility, and ease in scaling.

Silicon is one of the most utilized semiconductor materials. It is generally simple to change into a pure single crystal. Not at all like some other semiconductor materials, is silicon stable when heated at high temperature. The superb chemical and electrical properties of thermally developed SiO2 are presumably the most significant factor that has made silicon such an effective semiconductor material. Growth in demand for low power, high performance, and low area among microelectronic devices fuels the silicon on insulator market growth. 

Silicon on insulator (SoI) is an integral part of consumer electronics products such as tablets, smartphones, wearable devices, electric cars, and others. Thus, demand for SoI is increasing rapidly in consumer electronics. Also, the need for reducing power consumption in a variety of mobile and portable devices has fueled the demand for SOI devices in the consumer electronic industry.

Further, the SoI wafers offer the reliability, speed, and hardness beyond traditional technologies, which increases the overall operational performance at low voltage, which is further expected to contribute to the silicon on insulators market growth. Silicon on insulator catches a lot of attention in the design of high-performance circuits. In recent times, chipmakers giants such as Advanced Micro Devices, IBM and Intel Corporation have taken surging interest in the commercialization of SOI technology. The minor restructuring in the current chip fabrication methods has enabled several manufactures to shift from the bulk silicon technology to the SOI-based devices. 

However, the self-heating effects in SOI-based devices act as restraints to the growth of the silicon on insulator market. Moreover, the market players faced challenges in procuring the raw material and delivering the finished goods with the interrupted supply chain.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

COVID-19 has caused the overall semiconductor industry to mobilize quickly and to make short-term decisions with long-term implications. Semiconductor companies operate in a complex ecosystem, working across the value chain with numerous raw materials, assembly, test, package, and equipment suppliers and partners, globally.

The impact of COVID-19 on the manufacturing industry has significantly affected the global economy. Electronic components such as PCBs, LED chips and wafers, ICs, and other semiconductor devices are mostly imported from China. Due to the shutdown of manufacturing units, the prices of semiconductor components have increased by 2-3%, owing to shortage of supplies.

However, the COVID-19 crisis is expected to accelerate automation and the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. Remote manufacturing, diagnostics, and maintenance could all become permanent features. If that occurs, semiconductor companies might become smart workspaces, with technologies that facilitate remote work for most of the employees. The companies are also expected to adopt and encourage a hybrid model in their manufacturing processes in which a certain number of employees work remotely and the rest remain on site. The efficiencies gained through such changes, as well as their start-up costs, could influence future silicon on insulator revenues.

Segment Overview

The silicon on insulator market is segmented on the basis of wafer size, wafer type, technology, product, application, and region. The wafer size segment includes 200 mm and 300 mm wafers. Based on wafer type, the market is divided into RF-SOI, FD_SOI, PD-SOI, and others. By technology, the market is segmented into BESOI, SiMOX, Smart Cut, ELTRAN, and SoS. By product, the silicon on insulator market is categorized into optical communication, image sensing, MEMS, power, and RF FEM. By application, the market is segmented into datacom & telecom, automotive, consumer electronics, industrial, photonics, and others.

By region, the silicon on insulator market trends are analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. North America is studied across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Europe is analyzed across the UK, Germany, France, Russia, and the rest of Europe. The countries covered under Asia-Pacific are China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and rest of Asia-Pacific, while LAMEA includes Latin America and Middle East & Africa. In addition, the report covers country-wise cross-sectional analysis of the products and industry vertical segments.

Top Impacting Factors

The significant impacting factors in the silicon on insulator market include surge in usage of SoI wafers in consumer electronics, enhancement in operational performance with low operating voltage, and increase in investments by wafer manufacturers and foundry players in emerging economies are expected to drive the growth of the silicon on insulator market.  

However, higher time consumption associated with manufacturing process and self-heating effects in SOI-based devices are expected to hinder the growth of the silicon on insulator market. Conversely, increasing use of SOI technology in IoT devices & applications, and implementing automation solutions across the retail industry to avoid human intervention are projected to offer remunerative silicon on insulator market opportunities. Each of these factors is anticipated to have a definite impact on the market during the forecast period.

Competitive Analysis

The key players profiled in the silicon on insulator market report include GlobalWafers, NXP Semiconductors, SUMCO CORPORATION, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd., MagnaChip Semiconductor Corp, STMicroelectronics, Soitec SA, Simgui, Tower Semiconductor Ltd. (ToweJazz), and Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd. These key players have adopted various strategies, such as product portfolio expansion, mergers & acquisitions, agreements, geographical expansion, and collaborations, to enhance their position in the silicon on insulator industry.

Key Benefits For Stakeholders

• This study comprises analytical depiction of the global silicon on insulator market size along with the current trends and future estimations to depict the imminent investment pockets. 
• The overall silicon on insulator market analysis is determined to understand the profitable trends to gain a stronger foothold. 
• The report presents information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities with a detailed impact analysis.
• The silicon on insulator market forecast is quantitatively analyzed from 2020 to 2027 to benchmark the financial competency. 
• Porter’s five forces analysis illustrates the potency of the buyers and suppliers in the industry.
• The report includes the silicon on insulator market share of key vendors and market trends.

  Silicon on Insulator Market Report Highlights