Indium phosphide (InP), the representative of the second-generation semiconductor material, has the characteristics of high electro-optical conversion efficiency, high electron mobility, high operating temperature, and strong radiation resistance, and is widely used in optical communication, high-frequency millimeter Waves, optoelectronic integrated circuits and solar cells for outer space. According to Yole's calculations, the global demand for 2-inch InP substrates will reach about 4 million pieces in 2021, and the demand for 4-inch InP substrates will be about 1.05 million pieces. The InP market will reach $172 million by 2024, growing at a CAGR of 14%.

InP is an important semiconductor material for laser transceivers and is in the upstream of the industry chain; lasers and receivers are the core components of optical modules that can perform photoelectric signal conversion, and are in the middle of the industry chain; cloud computing manufacturers represented by Amazon and Microsoft are the optical communication industry. The application side is in the downstream of the industrial chain. In the 5G era, the optical communication industry has ushered in rapid development. The changes in the network structure of 5G base stations have increased the demand for optical modules. Lasers and detectors are the key optoelectronic devices for optical modules. The production capacity is expected to expand, which will further drive the growth of the demand for InP, the core semiconductor material of optical communication. .

The high-frequency and high-speed characteristics of 5G networks require front-end RF components to have better performance at high frequencies and high power, which puts forward higher requirements for their physical properties such as electron mobility and operating temperature of semiconductor materials. Signal receivers and amplifiers made of InP can work at extremely high frequencies above 100 GHz, have a wide bandwidth, are less affected by the outside world, and have high stability. Therefore, InP will become the core semiconductor material for terminal equipment and front-end RF devices of base station equipment in the 5G era, ushering in a larger market space.

Source: Compound Semiconductor website

*Disclaimer: The above content is compiled from the Internet, does not represent our views and positions, and is only for exchange and learning purposes. If you have any questions or objections, please leave a message to contact us