By Gina Roos EETimes Supply Network (10/03/2007 2:49 PM EST)

Palo Alto, Calif. — Discrete power semiconductors will find more opportunities in automotive applications as hybrid and electric vehicles gain popularity, according to a new study from Frost & Sullivan.

Frost's study, World Markets for Discrete Power Semiconductors in Automobiles, projects that the market will reach $2.66 billion in 2010 up from $1.76 billion in 2006. Sustaining this growth will be end-user market expansion, increased automobile multiplexing and wide application of automotive ICs, according to Frost.

"Government safety, security, and pollution regulations have encouraged the use of electronic content in automobiles in order to eliminate human errors," said Bonnie Varghese K, senior research analyst for Frost & Sullivan, in a statement. "This has had a direct and positive impact on the automotive power discrete markets."

However, one of the challenges manufacturers face is overcoming problems associated with the increased integration of power discretes with application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The high on-resistance interconnects and complications involved in the isolation of power cause design cycle delays, which prolongs time-to-market, according to the study. Once discrete power semiconductors resolve issues such as safety, security and telematics, driver information applications will likely grow at a startling pace, according to Frost.

Cost is another issue. Because the processes required to create an integrated solution often increases product pricing, manufacturers should focus on module solutions particularly within the high-voltage discrete segment, stated Varghese K. "Having a modular solution that integrates discrete power semiconductors with a small high-performance package enhances the performance at a relatively lower cost," he said. "Another advantage of using the module is better thermal management, which represents a key concern in the automotive industry."

Asia will likely become one of the fastest growing markets due to increasing sales of automobiles in this region, according to the research, however, Europe will likely generate the most revenues due to its early technology adoption and favorable government regulations that helped standardize applications such as the anti-lock braking system (ABS).