REPORT SCOPE
INTRODUCTION
In recent years, there has been tremendous progress, technologically and in terms of demand, in electronic devices and systems. The technological progress has come on two main fronts: increased functionality on a single device unit, and miniaturization of each unit. Both of these developments have increased the need for thermal management technologies.
“Thermal management” is the term used to describe the array of material technologies and problem-solving design tools that systems manufacturers apply to regulate the unwanted heat caused by the normal functioning of an electronic system.
This report segments thermal management technologies into four segments: hardware, software, interfaces, and substrates.
The hardware segment includes several product subsegments, including heat sinks, fans and blowers, fan sinks, heat pipes, and cold plates. These segments were chosen because they are established technologies and represent revenue markets of significant size.
The software segment consists of electronic design software designed to model and analyze the thermal characteristics of an electronic system design. Specific types of thermal management software examined in this study include computational fluid design (CFD), computational heat transfer (CHT), power management, circuit design, and other electronic design automation (EDA).
Thermal management interface materials are products that stand between a heat sink and the device to be cooled, where their function is to improve the thermal transfer in the joint between the heat sink and the device to be cooled by increasing or securing the area of contact between the two surfaces. In some cases, the interface actually performs the job of the heat sink. This role has become increasingly common in a number of applications in which, due to the height or weight constraints of the system, a conventional hardware heat sink is not feasible.
Finally, the report analyzes substrates, which are the foundations of integrated circuits (ICs), or planar components of electronic packages or modules. The report focuses on substrates that have been developed specifically to enhance the thermal handling capability of an electronic component.
STUDY GOAL AND OBJECTIVES
This report is an update of an earlier BCC Research report prepared in 2010. The overall goal of this updated report is to provide an analysis of the most recent developments and current trends in the global thermal management marketplace. Specific objectives include:
- Identifying thermal management technologies and products with the greatest commercial potential in the near to mid-term (2011–2016);
- Analyzing the key drivers and constraints that will shape the market for high performance computing (HPC)-enabling technologies over the next 5 years;
- Estimating the current and future demand for thermal management technologies and products;
- Ascertaining the companies that are best positioned to meet this demand because of proprietary technologies, strategic alliances, or other advantages.
INTENDED AUDIENCE
This report is intended especially for suppliers of thermal management technologies and products, and others with a need to understand the status and dynamics of the market for these products. Although the report is organized around specific technologies, it is largely nontechnical in nature and coverage. That is, it is concerned less with theory and jargon than with what works, and how much of the product the market is likely to purchase, and at what price.
As such, the report’s main audience is executive management personnel and marketing and financial analysts. It is not written specifically for scientists and technologists, although its findings concern the market for their work and include the availability of government and corporate research funding for different technologies and applications, which should interest them.
SCOPE AND FORMAT
The scope of this report is broad, covering several product areas. The individual materials, hardware, and software product segments are presented in terms of market size and revenue trends. The revenue forecasts are explained in terms of the key market issues for that product segment, and are projected for 5 years from 2011 to 2016. The application sections feature forecasts for the most important applications by product.
The technology discussion concentrates on trends that will develop more significantly during the forecast period. The report also includes a discussion on the competitive aspects of each product segment, along with several successful suppliers’ strategies in the market. A current industry directory, a survey of recent U.S. thermal management patents and patent applications pending, and profiles of a selection of the leading thermal management suppliers are also included.
The report addresses the global market for thermal management products during the period from 2010 through 2016, including
- Thermal management hardware
- Thermal management software
- Thermal management interface products
- Thermal management substrates
The report format includes the following major elements.
- Executive Summary
- Thermal management industry overview
- Thermal management products: major segments, subsegments, technology trends, applications, world market estimates and projections
- Industry structure: market shares and company profiles
- Patent analysis
METHODOLOGY
The findings and conclusions of this report are based on information gathered from a variety of sources. The primary sources of information were Internet searches and industry association data, and interviews conducted with thermal management component suppliers, custom engineering companies, and manufacturers of representative applications. In addition, other secondary sources were consulted for the report, including industry journals and publications, product literature, white papers and technical journals, and financial reports for industry suppliers.
The base year for analysis and projection is 2010. With 2010 as a baseline, market projections were developed for 2011 and 2016. These projections are based on a combination of a consensus among primary contacts combined with our understanding of key market drivers and their impact from a historical and analytical perspective. The analytical methodologies used to generate the market estimates are described in detail in the market analysis.
All dollar projections presented in this report are in 2010 constant dollars.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
This report is an update of earlier reports by Ravi Krishan and Andrew McWilliams. Mr. Krishan has had extensive professional and research experience in high technology, with a special focus on the semiconductor industry. He has worked as a high-tech strategy consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers and as an analyst with several market research firms, including BCC.
Mr. McWilliams, the author responsible for this update, is a partner in the Boston-based international technology and marketing consulting firm, 43rd Parallel LLC. Mr. McWilliams is also the author of several other BCC Research reports related to thermal management, semiconductors, and electronic products including SMC071A Thermal Interface Materials: Technologies, Applications, and Global Markets; IFT061A Enabling Technologies for High-Performance Computing; SMC065A Analog and Mixed Signal Devices; IFT054A Data Storage Media: Materials, Technologies, Markets; IFT049A Digital Image Sensing, Storage and Transfer; SMC048A Semiconductor Microlithography: Materials and Markets; SMC064B Semiconductor/Microelectronics Cleaning; and IFT066A Printed Electronics: The Global Market.
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DISCLAIMER
The information developed in this report is intended to be as reliable as possible at the time of publication and of a professional nature. This information does not constitute managerial, legal, or accounting advice; nor should it serve as a corporate policy guide, laboratory manual, or an endorsement of any product, as much of the information is speculative in nature. The author assumes no responsibility for any loss or damage that might result from reliance on the reported information or from its use.
Source: BCC Research
