Market for Nanomaterials Blossoming: SEMI
Online Staff -- Electronic News, 11/15/2005
The markets for nanomaterials, tools and equipment for nanoelectronics totaled $1.8 billion in 2005 and are forecast to reach $4.2 billion by the year 2010, according to Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI).
The Silicon Valley-based trade group on Monday issued a market research report, “Global Nanoelectronics Markets and Opportunities.” Revolutionary nanomaterials, tools and equipment accounted for 10 percent of the market or $189 million in 2005 and are expected to reach $866 million in 2010, led by growth in carbon nanotubes (CNT), nanoimprint and extreme ultra-violet lithography (EUVL), SEMI said.
Nanoelectronic development activities in five electronics industry sectors, including semiconductors, displays, hard disk storage, optoelectronics/sensors and micro/nano-electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) were reviewed in the report. Over the next five years, display products such as CNT backlights and CNT field emission displays (FED), as well as a number of polymer and transmission films using nanomaterials will be commercialized, SEMI concluded.
The use of nanomaterials in the display sector will also allow the use of new manufacturing techniques such as ink-jet and screen printing technologies. Additionally, NEMS based memory devices incorporating nanowires and novel forms of semiconductor memory using a variety of nanomaterials, will likely be commercialized during that time, the trade group said.
"The electronics industry is leading the commercialization of nanotechnology. While the semiconductor and hard disk storage industries have used nanoscale features and materials for several years, nanotechnology is expected to play an increasingly disruptive role across the broader electronics industry." Lubab Sheet, senior director of Nanotechnology at SEMI, said in a statement. "However, few of the companies surveyed that are developing these nanoelectronics devices were able to articulate specific nanomaterials and equipment technical requirements, which creates a problem given the lengthy development cycles required to develop production quality nanomaterials and tools.
The report tries to fill this gap by summarizing the nanomaterials and tools needed in each industry sector for each type of nanoelectronic device, to help bring some clarity to the space and highlight the opportunity areas for SEMI members."
Some of the key findings include:
Industries that are more focused on technology challenges including the semiconductor industry, are generally more conservative in adopting new technologies, while those focused more on cost challenges such as displays and hard disk storage are more willing to try new approaches.
Start-up companies face high barriers to entry in the nanomaterials, tools and equipment markets due to large R&D budgets, challenging market timing, stringent technical requirements and demanding customer service and applications support. Start-ups will establish footholds by licensing proven technologies or aligning with key suppliers to help facilitate faster adoption of nanomaterials, tools and equipment in the market place.
The largest opportunities for nanomaterials suppliers are actually outside of the nanoelectronic industry over the next five years. Industries such as construction materials, automotive and industrial chemicals and sporting goods require significant volumes of nanomaterials with significantly lower technical requirements than electronics applications.
Over the next 15 to 20 years, there will be an integration of nanoelectronics with biology and medicine, which will result in the development of a wide range of new markets. The first step is integration across nanoelectronic sectors; that has already begun.
Global Markets and Forecasts*
Nanomaterials, Tools and Equipment for Nanoelectronics
Markets
2004
2010
CAGR
Nanomaterials
$161
$1,134
39%
Nano Tools and Equipment
$1,287
$3,085
16%
Total
$1,448
$4,219
20%
*All figures in Millions of U.S. dollars
Source: SEMI |
