Shortage of high voltage MOS caused the promotion surge of integrated LED drivers

The semiconductor industry is racing to develop highly integrated divers for LED lighting applications. In the condition of capacity reduction in high voltage MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor), LED application firms are facing problems of shipping delays. Thus chip manufacturers are speeding up the development of integrated LED drivers to relieve the pressure.

 

Shortage of high voltage MOS caused the promotion surge of integrated LED drivers

 

Many sections in LED lighting fixtures need MOSFET, such as dimmable LED drivers, non-dimmable G24 LED drivers and resonant controllers. To avoid negative influences on the progress of market expansion due to the lack of high voltage MOSFET, a number of manufacturers promoted plans for integrated LED drivers, such like NXP, STMicoelectronics semiconductor (ST), Bourgh Intel (BI), etc.

 

Mr. Zhang Chao, the marketing manager of NXP lighting (China and Asia area) indicated that production lines equipped with high-voltage process devices can make integrated driver circuits for LED lighting applications. But, since the threshold of this technology is too high, many small and medium sized companies were blocked outside of this area. Lacking of capabilities and funds made them vulnerable in the intensely competitive market, hard to survive. It is expected that in the wave of this shortage, the state of LED lighting driver suppliers will have growths and declines. According to Mr. Zhang Chao, NXP has replaced the old SOI-HV high voltage manufacturing process with ABCD3 manufacturing process which is more suitable for LED lighting applications. This plan will be realize in the summer of 2013. ABCD3 manufacturing process is not only suitable for integrating high-voltage MOSFET, but also can reduce the leakage current, improving power efficiency of LED lamps. Integrated LED drivers is no doubt a more advanced technology that with higher cost-effective.

 

Despite that the enhanced high-voltage manufacturing technology was created, currently, only a few large high-voltage MOSFET makers provide related products, like STMicroelectronics, Toshiba and Infineon. The demand for such products has far exceeded supply in the market. LED lighting application producers may have good lamp fixture designs but cannot be realized, since it is very hard for them to purchase critical electronic components: high-voltage MOSFETs.

 

NXP is expected to expand their market size in the second half of 2012. As preparations, they placed large quantity orders in advance to high-voltage MOSFET manufacturers, making sure that all stocks can maintain at least 4-6 weeks.