LED TVs and replacement bulbs will drive LED driver IC market through 2015

MOUNTAIN VIEW, USA: LED driver IC sales will reach nearly $3.5 billion in 2015 from nearly $2 billion in 2010, a CAGR of 12 percent. These are among the findings in a new report, LED Driver ICs—2011, from Strategies Unlimited, the leader in market research in LEDs and LED lighting.

Sales for LCD backlights will dominate through the period, with growth from edge-lit TVs and monitors. LED lighting applications will be the “next big thing” for LED drivers and driver ICs, beginning with replacement bulbs, as a response to improvements in technology and the phasing-out of incandescent bulbs.

LED driver IC revenues are threatened, however, by continued integration into fewer ICs, and competition from OLEDs, compact fluorescent lamps, and other technologies. Severe price erosion for driver ICs will limit the revenue growth as volumes increase, but new, higher priced ICs are appearing that reduce the overall bill of materials and also help maintain the average price of the ICs.

AC-LED products minimize the driver and some eliminate the driver IC, but will not have a significant impact on overall revenues through the period, and may even help accelerate adoption of LED lighting.

The production value of drivers for lighting will see strong 40 percent CAGR through the period. The driver is the entire LED circuit, including the driver IC but excluding the LEDs. Innovations in driver design will help take LED lighting mainstream, but the market will quickly shake out those who cannot meet strict goals for dimming, efficiency, power factor, and price.

To meet these goals, large and small companies are bringing innovations to market, such as digital control and novel high-voltage designs. Industry and government are moving toward more standardized specifications that will reduce manufacturing costs and accelerate adoption.

The top 10 LED driver IC suppliers hold more than 55 percent of revenues, with about 30 IC suppliers and captive manufacturers sharing the other 44 percent. With the acquisition of National Semiconductor by Texas Instruments, TI is now the number one supplier of LED driver ICs. Winners will be those who can keep delivering innovative products at competitive prices. Fabrication with leading-edge high-voltage BCD processes and 8-inch (or larger) wafers will play a key role.

LED Driver ICs—2011 is the latest in a series of reports on LEDs and LED lighting. It takes a fresh look at the LED driver electronics market, with more than 300 pages of detail on technology and application trends. It is a revision of an earlier report, with perspectives on the LED applications, driver technology, requirements on the drivers and driver ICs, and findings on suppliers and market shares. It provides unit, price, and revenue forecasts to 2015 for all LED driver IC segments, and for the overall driver for LED lighting.