Infineon, market leader in power semiconductors for eighth consecutive year

The report states that the company strengthened its position in 2010 and commands more than 11% of the overall market, ahead of Toshiba (6.8%), STMicroelectronics (6.5%) and Mitsubishi (6.5%). The IMS study also lists Infineon as the number one in the discrete power semiconductor segment, with a market share of 8.6%. IMS forecasts market growth of around 50% for the global power semiconductor market, to reach about $24billion by 2015. Despite a decline in 2009, the market recovered in 2010, increasing by 40% to approximately $16bn - $2bn more than the previous record of 2008. According to IMS, the market for power semiconductor modules increased by 58% to nearly $3.5bn, the power modules market growth being driven primarily by industrial motor drives, renewable energy, hybrid cars and consumer electronics. It reports that growth of the power modules market in 2010 outpaced that of power discrete which was up 37% to $12.3bn. This segment benefited mainly from high demand in pcs, servers, lighting and energy efficient industrial applications. Infineon says it is already working on future generations of power semiconductors, while it recently announced that it was the first supplier to produce chips on a 300mm thin wafer for power semiconductors. "We are delighted to have not just retained our pole position in the power semiconductor market, but also to have strengthened it," said Arunjai Mittal, division president of the Industrial & Multimarket Division at Infineon Technologies, pictured. "Infineon is now also the clear leader in the power discretes market. The energy distribution from renewable energy sources requires efficient power lines and smart grids. This opens up additional growth opportunities for Infineon as leading provider of key components for raising energy efficiency – from energy generation and distribution to consumption."