Silicon sensor sales are expected to increase by 24% in 2011

According to IHS iSuppli's special report on MEMS and sensors, the automotive industry has been rejuvenated, and the global demand for digital compasses for smart phones and tablet PCs is increasing, and the silicon magnetic sensor market is being accelerated. It is expected that sales will increase by 23.7% in 2011.

Silicon magnetic sensor sales this year are expected to reach 1.46 billion US dollars. In 2010, the market increased by 48.6% to 1.18 billion U.S. dollars. Given the strong recovery of the passenger car industry and the increasing use of compasses in mobile phones and tablet PCs, the market outlook for magnetic sensors in the coming years is quite optimistic.

By 2015, its sales will reach US$2.47 billion, and the compound annual growth rate for 2010-2015 will reach 15.8%, as shown in the figure.

This year, magnetic sensors have once again grown substantially, and higher-cost products such as compasses and mission-critical automotive sensors have flooded the market. Unlike low-cost switches widely used in white goods such as microwave ovens or information technology equipment such as PCs, fax machines, and copiers, automotive and mobile phone compasses contain relatively high-priced sensors that will support the market for at least the next four years.

There are several factors driving this market's strong growth, including the production of cars that require the use of such sensors. The automotive market accounts for 50% of the magnetic sensor market. The 25% increase in the production of passenger cars last year was a major factor in stimulating sensor demand.

These sensors have more than 65 applications in the automotive field, including wheel speed sensors in anti-lock braking systems, motors requiring precise control, electronic steering and throttle control, drive sensors for automation, new dual clutch systems and applications Current sensor for battery management.

The digital compass market and other areas also play an important role Digital compasses are also driving the growth of the magnetic sensor market, which accounted for 20% of overall sales in 2010. The digital compass is not only becoming a standard device in the tablet and mobile phone Global Positioning System (GPS), but also has begun to enter game applications, cameras and other devices. For example, in the gaming field, magnetic sensors provide accurate azimuth references in high-speed gaming and can also be used to recalibrate drift in inertial sensors.

Magnetic sensors are also used in the industrial field. Up to three Hall switches are required to provide commutation for brushless DC motors or to measure inverter currents in solar installations and wind turbines - either as open loops or as closed loop Hall effect switches, with resistive shunts Other technologies compete.

Other important applications for magnetic sensors include consumer electronics: digital compasses for geotagging in cameras, or display management in laptops, MP3 players, and portable navigation devices; PC applications, including tiny motor sensors for cooling fans DVD and CD drives; other applications, from pacemakers to switches in fax machines and copiers.

The largest supplier of silicon magnetic sensors in 2010 was Japan's Asahi Kasei Microsystems, followed by Allegro Microsystems of the United States. The most important magnetic sensors are Hall-effect integrated circuits and components for sensing magnetic field changes and for measuring current and rotational position, as well as velocity and linear position.

With the rapid decline in the price of electronic compasses and the eventual slowdown in applications in the automotive sector, the magnetic sensor market will experience a slight decrease in temperature after 2015. By then, according to safety regulations, the rate of e-stability control system and tire pressure monitoring system will meet the requirements.