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TABLETS and smartphones are boosting the market for power management chips, according to the IHS iSuppli Power Management Market Tracker.
Power management semiconductors declined for six months prior to its current recovery which started in the second quarter of 2012.
Global revenue for power management semiconductors is preliminarily estimated to have reached US$7.9 billion in the second quarter, a 9.7 percent increase from US$7.2 billion in the first quarter.
The positive performance for the period stands in marked contrast to the 10.7 percent decrease seen in the fourth quarter last year and the 4.0 percent contraction in revenue that followed in the first quarter of 2012.
The growing importance of efficient power management in always-on consumer devices like tablets, smartphones and cameras is driving demand for power management chips. This is also helping manufacturers and suppliers clear their inventor buildup.
Continued growth is expected for the remaining two quarters of the year as the markets head to their busy selling season. Overall 2012 power management revenue is forecast to reach $32.4 billion.
In the longer term, the power management space is expected to continue growing with electric cars, and the industrial and alternative energy sectors contributing to demand.
Insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) modules are the main growth device within the power management semiconductor space, thanks to their use in alternative energy applications in the automotive and industrial segments.
Low-voltage metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET) will also be another power management device with strong growth prospects, resulting from its use in appliances, media tablets and mobile infrastructure.
The current leader for the power management chip space is Texas Instruments with a 10 percent share of the market, followed by STMicroelectronics and Infineon Technologies.