Drivers: Global Atomic Layer Deposition Market

HIGH DEMAND FOR MICROELECTRONICS AND CONSUMER ELECTRONICS

Microelectronics is a process of manufacturing electronic components at microscopic level. Microelectronics market is growing rapidly due to demand of inexpensive and lightweight equipment. Microelectronics component include transistors, capacitors, diodes, resistors, inductors and others. These all electronics components are used to manufacture mobiles phones, laptops, electronic toys and others.

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For instance,     

• Global shipment of desktop PCs has decreased from more than 102 million units in 2016 to about 96 million units in 2017.
• Global shipment of laptops has increased from more than 155 million units in 2016 to about 161 million units in 2017.
• Global shipment of tablets was more than 162.4 million units 2017.

Above stats shows the increased demand for light weight electronic devices and reduced demand for heavy weight electronic devices. The adoption of light weight devices is significantly contributing to the global market growth.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) process is commonly used for fabrication of microelectronics, as ALD has ability to produce uniform surfaces and accurate thicknesses. Thus, increasing demand for light weighted electronics devices such as smart phones, laptops, tablets and others, are responsible for driving the atomic layer deposition market globally.

GROWING CONCERN ON ENERGY HARVESTING RESULTS HIGH GROWTH OF PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) CELLS

Photovoltaic (PV) is commonly called as an energy harvesting technology, the technology is used to convert solar energy into electric energy i.e. electricity. The demand of photovoltaic cells has been increasing due to relatively cheaper price and wide range of application such as solar traffic lights, solar power pump, solar lamps, solar power calculator, solar note book and others.

For instance,

• In the U.S., generation of solar power has increased from about 36000 million kilowatt hours in 2016 to more than 52500 million kilowatt hours in 2017.
• In the U.K., cumulative installed capacity of solar photovoltaic (PV) has increased from about 10500 megawatt in 2016 to more than 11220 megawatt in 2017

A photovoltaic cell is made of many layers of material; every layer has its own function. From these layers, semiconductor layer plays most important role from converting solar energy/light energy into electricity. In photovoltaic cell, semiconductor layer deposition is commonly done by atomic layer deposition process due to its advantages such as low-temperature & vacuum process, smooth & uniform thin deposition, improves cyclic stability & energy density and others. Hence, growing demand for photovoltaic (PV) cells is significantly supplementing the global atomic layer deposition market

RAPID EXPANSION OF SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY

Semiconductors refer to the substance that has an aggregate conductivity between an insulator and most of the metals. The devices made of semiconductors, particularly silicon are considered as one of the most essential components in electric circuits. Also, it has been observed that most of the electronics devices that are used on daily basis are based on semiconductor materials owing to its temperature dependence property. The increased temperature of semiconductor results in increased conductivity and vice-versa, thereby ensuring outstanding linearity and maximized sensitivity. Semiconductor industry is growing rapidly due to its wide range of products such as all integrated circuits, key board, mouse, all type of micro-processors and micro-controllers, memory chips, transistors and others.

For instance,     

• Global revenue of semiconductor industry has increased from about USD 350 billion in 2016 to more than USD 415 billion in 2017.
• Revenue of semiconductor industry in Asia-Pacific region has increased from about USD 205.10 billion in 2016 to more than USD 250 billion in 2017.
• In China, production of semiconductor devices has increased from about USD 68 billion in 2016 to more than USD 79.5 billion in 2017.

The above information shows the semiconductor industry is growing rapidly as most of electronic devices are manufactured by using semiconductor.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) offers several advantages to the semiconductor industry, such it has the ability to produce an atomic film with particular thickness, better efficiency for semiconductor materials, fabricate uniform thin films and other. Hence, semiconductor industry has been driving the overall market of atomic layer deposition.

Restraints:

HIGH INITIAL INVESTMENT COSTS

The atomic layer deposition (ALD) is the process of deposition of precursor materials on substrates to improve/modify properties such as conductivity, chemical resistance and strength. To provide ALD services, provider has to buy equipment such as Cambridge NanoTech Fiji F200 Atomic Layer Deposition System, Open Load ALD System: OpAL, ALD 200L Series from Kurt J. Lesker Company, Plasma & Thermal ALD System: FlexAL, Ion Beam Deposition System: IonFab IBD and Cambridge NanoTech Savannah Series Atomic Layer Deposition System for atomic layer deposition process.

The price of each equipment is around USD 10,000 and the provider must buy all equipment to provide all type of atomic layer deposition services. To provide all type of atomic layer deposition services, the cost of equipment would be very high. Hence, initial investment costs of equipment are hampering the overall growth of atomic layer deposition market.  

Opportunities

TREND OF MINIATURIZATION

Miniaturization is the process of manufacturing smallest mechanical, electronic and optical devices. In other words, it is a process of making electronic devices smaller. Miniaturization is in trend because consumer wants smaller and compact devices which are more portable to carry anywhere. Now nanotechnology has potential to transform molecular beam into nano-devices (functional), this is big step toward miniaturization.

For instance,     

• In December 2018, California Institute of Technology developed microscopic devices which control mobile devices vibrations.
• In November 2018, The University of Manchester had designed new nano-tool for better cancer testing.
• In November 2018, The McGill University designed Hairy nanotechnology for anti-scaling solution.

Atomic layer deposition process is very beneficial for synthesis of nano-materials and modifying nanoporous membranes. Nano-device manufacturers have been adopting atomic layer deposition process due to its benefits such as thickness control at the angstrom level, tunable film composition, high-aspect ratio structures and others. Thus, trend of miniaturization is an opportunity for global atomic layer deposition market.

GROWING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT IN ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION TECHNOLOGY

An atomic layer deposition process is a type of vapour phase technique which produces thin films of a variety of materials. Nowadays, key players are working on micro or nano-technology to provide smaller and low weighted devices or products.  The atomic layer deposition process is very useful for micro or nano-technology devices as it can control the thickness of film, produces thin and uniform film, high efficiency for semiconductor materials, and others. Hence, the most of the atomic layer deposition service provider investing on research & development.

For instance,

• Beneq has invested 12% of turnover on research & development in 2016, Now Beneq has shifted from traditional ALD equipment to large-scale industrial ALD equipment, which further turns into successful company transformation, company has earned 70% higher revenue than previous year.

Above data shows the ALD service providers have been investing more on research & development which further is useful for creating applications of atomic layer deposition. Thus, new application would create big opportunity for atomic layer deposition market globally.

Challenge

ALTERNATIVES OF ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION

Chemical vapour deposition process is widely used process to produce thin films having high quality and high performance. Chemical vapour deposition process is commonly used in semiconductor industry. On other hand, physical vapour deposition (PVD) is a method used for producing thin films and coatings with high temperature resistance, high strength, excellent abrasion resistance and others. Chemical vapour deposition and physical vapour deposition can be used as alternatives of atomic layer deposition due to below advantages over an atomic layer deposition.

• Chemical vapour deposition has higher deposition rate than atomic layer deposition.
• In chemical vapour deposition, deposit material is hard to evaporate
• Physical vapour deposition process can operate in low temperature as compare to atomic layer deposition.
• Physical vapour deposition can control the chemical composition

Thus, alternatives like chemical vapour deposition and physical vapour deposition is challenging factor for the growth of atomic layer deposition market.

Market Trends: Global Atomic Layer Deposition Market

• On the basis of product type, the market is segmented into metal ALD, aluminum oxide ALD, plasma enhanced ALD, catalytic ALD, and others.
• On the basis of type, the market is segmented into precursor type, material type, film type and others. The material type market segmented into oxides, sulfides, nitrides, polymers and others.
• On the basis of application, the market is segmented into semiconductors, solar devices, electronics, medical equipment, research & development facilities, fuel cells, optical devices and thermoelectric materials.

Major Players: Global Atomic Layer Deposition Market

Some of the prominent participants operating in this market are ADEKA CORPORATION, AIXTRON, Applied Materials, Inc. ASM International, LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION, Tokyo Electron Limited, Denton Vacuum, Kurt J. Lesker Company, Beneq, Veeco Instruments Inc., ULTRATECH, INC., Encapsulix, SENTECH Instruments GmbH, Oxford Instruments, ALD Nano Solutions, Inc., LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION, Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc and Merck KGaA among others.