Total shipments of charge-coupled devices (CCDs) and CMOS image sensors are expected to grow 31% this year, reaching 1.

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9 billion units worldwide, and that will be enough to push sales up 12% and across the $7 billion mark, says IC Insights.

In 2005, image sensor sales grew a little more than 11% to $6.3 billion with unit shipments rising 45%. The optoelectronics chapter of the O-S-D Report shows average selling prices (ASPs) collapsing by 24% in 2005 and then dropping another 15% in 2006.

Image sensor revenues are now expected to increase at a CAGR of 15%, with unit volumes growing at a 20% average rate in the 2005-2010 time period. By 2010, image sensor sales are expected to reach $12.8 billion with unit shipments topping 3.6 million, according to the IC Insights O-S-D forecast.

In the image sensor arena, CMOS-based devices continue to grab share away from CCDs due to the strong growth in camera cell phones and the ability to integrate more circuit functions with pixel arrays on a single chip. CMOS devices are forecast to account for more than 60% of the total image sensor market in 2006, up from 45% in 2003. According to IC Insights’ outlook, CMOS image sensors will claim more than 80% of the total revenues and over 90% of the units in 2008.

The use of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in mobile phone handsets reached $157 million in 2005 and is set to exceed to $1 billion in 2010, according to market research company In-Stat.

Microphones and bulk acoustic resonators have dominated the MEMS market to date but there are now emerging opportunities for inertial sensors, accelerometers, and radio frequency components.

MEMS switches and MEMS-based digital tuning would appear in handsets in 2007, followed by MEMS-based oscillators in 2008. Continued growth is foreseen for silicon membrane microphones based on demand for thinner handsets. In the longer term displays, fuel cells, and other types of MEMS devices could also develop a price advantage, In-Stat said.

The value of worldwide FPGA shipments is expected to increase from $1.9 billion in 2005 to $2.75 billion by 2010, with much of the revenue coming from low-volume shipments, according to In-Stat.
By 2010, the largest two end-use segments will continue to be communications and industrial, growing to a combined FPGA market share of 76.8 percent from 73.8 percent in 2005.

In Q1, NOR-type flash memory market decreased 6,1% sequentially to $ 2013 M, according to preliminary market-share data from iSuppli.
Spansion retained its position as the world’s leading supplier of NOR-type flash memory. The U.S.-based company achieved NOR sales of $562 million in the first quarter, down 6.5 percent from $601 million in the fourth quarter of 2005. Intel held onto second place with revenue of $537 million, down 10.5 percent from $600 million in the fourth quarter. Europe’s STMicroelectronics remained in third place with revenue of $327 million, a 2.4 percent decline from $335 million in the fourth quarter.
Samsung Electronics notched up its best-ever quarter for NOR flash sales, with revenue of $125 million, up 9 percent from $114 million in the fourth quarter.

Strong demand boosted the worldwide market for chemicals and materials for semiconductor manufacturing by 6.1% in 2005, and growth for 2006 is projected at 6.8%, according to The Information Network. The clear winner in the market is the silicon-wafer sector, which will grow 8.9% in revenues in 2006 to $ 8,642 billions driven by higher pricing, increased volume demand across all diameters, and a rash of 300mm fabs coming online.