News | March 16, 2005

Market For RF EMR, MOSFET-Based Solid-State Relays To Grow 10 To 15%

vdc_emr_ssrelays

Natick, MA -- The global market for electromechanical (EMR) and solid-state (SSR) relays is expected to reach $4.2 billion by 2007, according to a study published by Venture Development Corporation (VDC). Although the majority of relays face commodity market pressures, there are several product and market categories that are experiencing rapid growth.

The highest growth product categories include:

  • RF/microwave EMR. Double-digit growth is expected for RF/microwave electromechanical relays due to an increased demand for higher switching frequencies in ATE, military, and telecommunications markets.

  • MEMS-based switches. Huge growth is expected for MEMS-based switches within high-performance RF/microwave applications, such as semiconductor and military test equipment. MEMS are expected to displace GaAs FET solid state switches in some high-performance applications, where insertion loss is of primary importance.

  • MOSFET-based solid state relays. Growth will be driven by lower costs compared to standard SSRs, and the advantages associated with SSRs (low and stable on-resistance, small size, and lower power consumption).

  • Solid state relays (> 30 ampere). Growth is driven by reliable performance in industrial applications, including new technologies such as a hybrid relays that combine advantages of EMRs with SSRs (lower power consumption and longer life).

  • Electromechanical relays (PCB-mount 10-30 ampere). Growth in power relays is driven by additional power requirements in smaller packages. General-purpose relays are moving from plug-in mounting styles toward smaller PCB-mount versions. Strong growth is expected to continue in HVAC, industrial controls, security, and automotive applications.

"For RF/microwave electromechanical relays, a number of wireless technologies are emerging as significant potential growth markets -- from Bluetooth-enabled PAN to broadcast satellite and other local and wide area communication networks," Rick Barnard, VDC's Electronics Components & Advanced Materials Practice director, said. "The demand for RF/microwave electromechanical relays is growing as switching frequencies increase at the same rate as Moore's law and demand for multi-band wireless technologies accelerate."

Source: VDC