The market for semiconductors and components used in industrial drives will grow from $2.5bn in 2007 to more than $3bn by 2011, predicts IMS Research. In a new study, it says that the 7-10% growth will come from an increase in the number of drives being shipped, rather than from an increase in the semiconductor value in each drive.

Although integration will result in some reduction in the use of semiconductors and other components, this trend is fairly slow and the effect is not expected to be significant in the short term, according to IMS. This mature market is not expected to see the type of sharp price falls that can occur for components used in other areas, such as the consumer sector.

♦ Fuji Electric Device Technology has signed a supply and licencing agreement with the German power semiconductor specialist Semikron, under which Fuji will supply Semikron with IGBT chips, while Semikron will supply Fuji with its freewheeling and rectifier diode chips. Fuji will also start to produce Semikron’s spring contact technology under licence. This technology allows connections to be made without soldering, thus avoiding ageing problems, and producing contacts that are resistant to shock, vibration, corrosion and thermal cycling problems. The technology also cuts inverter production costs.