DC-DC Converter ICs: Power System in Package, Worldwide Technology Trends,Forecasts and Competitive

April 23, 2012 - PRLog -- Summary:

PSiP products are encroaching certain dc-dc converter IC markets and could replace traditional solutions over the next five years. The total Worldwide PSiP dollar market is projected to grow from approximately $65 million in 2011 to $284 million in 2016, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34.4%. High growth rates are expected for all the application segments targeted by companies making PSiP products.

The engineering innovations that have led to PSiP, PCiP and PwrSoC designs will have an impact on different levels and functions of existing dc-dc power converter ICs and modules. PSiP and PCiP (and eventually PwrSoC) products are expected to encroach on the current levels occupied by LDOs, switching regulators, and controllers/FETs.

The best opportunities are in communications and computers, where unit CAGRs are expected to range between 35% and 50% between 2011 and 2016; and revenue CAGRs will be around 23% to 38% over the forecast period. Industrial applications will see good growth, as well, around 55% for unit sales and 44% for dollar sales.

The best smaller markets will have even faster unit growth, but this is due to very low starting bases. These include automotive, military/aerospace and medical applications, which will see growth between 50% and 100%. Most of these applications will not see significant revenue until 2013, however.

“Power System in Package” is a term that encompasses several new package styles that could replace certain existing dc-dc converter IC solutions in the future. The bulk of this report focuses on “Power Supply in Package” (PSiP) designs, which are highly integrated micro-modules and the most commercially advanced, although still considered an emerging solution. It also includes “Power Supply on Chip” (PwrSoC), which is a complete switch-mode dc-dc converter solution integrated onto a single piece of silicon (not yet commercially available); and “Power Converter in Package” (PCiP), where some components are integrated, but other components are external.

PSiP devices could replace LDOs, for instance, since they can address space constraint challenges while tripling power efficiency in ultra-low-noise environments. They could also replace noisy dc-dc switching regulators with ultra-quiet, high-efficiency dc-dc converters and miniaturize traditional discrete dc-dc converters.

This report identifies the functions that require the specific benefits offered by PSiP/PCiP/PwrSoC products; and then identifies the applications that need these functions, which are presently being met by LDOs, switching regulators, and so on. Due to pricing constraints, however, these products are expected to be a very small portion of the overall dc-dc converter IC market, but their share is growing.

No true commercial PwrSoC products currently exist, so the forecasts presented are for PSiP/PCiP-type products. But these functions and applications could be met by future PwrSoC products, as well. Darnell Group believes that looking at these technologies based on the functions that the components perform opens up the commercial potential for PwrSoC, PSiP and PCiP products. For example, an isolation barrier is typical in many applications, but this function may be performed with multiple technologies. Capacitors are used for filtering and energy storage, which can also be addressed in other ways.

Looking at PwrSoC, PSiP and PCiP technologies from a function integration perspective, as opposed to a component integration perspective, also opens up the application markets where these devices can be used, since the limitations of components integration may no longer apply. Alternative solutions for these applications can be considered, and some companies are already looking at this kind of redefinition in designing products. Not all of these solutions are cost-effective yet, but they are expected to be over the coming years.

At the present time, most PSiP/PCiP solutions are being directed at the lower input voltage segments. This is expected to change over the course of the forecast period, with products being used in higher input voltage applications. While PSiPs are intended to primarily compete with non-isolated dc-dc converter modules, PwrSoCs are expected to compete with both modules and IC-based solutions.

Printed-circuit-board-based dc-dc converter modules are dominant at current levels of 5A and more, and are less common at lower current levels. PSiPs are the more “mature” technology, are commercially available, and are becoming more cost-competitive. PSiP-style products are not a new trend, but they are expected to be the “advance guard” for PwrSoC products. Most companies Darnell spoke to see a growing market for PSiP-style devices, including system makers. PwrSoC still faces issues with cost and other economic factors, so adoption is expected to be sporadic and in “niche” applications, such as computer distributed point-of-load, mobile devices, and applications where ultrahigh-power density is required.

Since no true PwrSoC commercial products exist yet, this report focuses on companies that are either making PSiP products, or are developing technologies or researching innovative solutions that are expected to further the PwrSoC market. The applications targeted by companies making PSiP products include high-performance computer applications, such as servers; telecom applications; and mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones. Energy harvesting was also cited as a “definite market,” along with “some industrial.” Although not included specifically in these forecasts, PwrSoC is projected for small products and low-current applications.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) frequently drive trends and changes in power supply designs. The same dynamics are expected for PwrSoC. Intel sees “the start of a revolution in power delivery and power management for SoCs and high performance applications.” Part of this is “combining” power delivery and power management in applications ranging from performance servers to small consumer electronic devices. Intel says, “The trend in platform power needs to shrink, become more efficient, and be more cost-effective.”

With system makers driving power trends and prices coming down, the PSiP (and related products) market is expected to grow significantly enough in the next few years to provide good “early adopter” opportunities for companies with the foresight to take advantage of them.

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