Research Articles

As Moore's Law slows down, the semiconductor industry is seeking innovative solutions to increase performance and functionality without merely increasing transistor density. Chiplets offer a promising path forward, providing flexibility, modularity, customizability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in chip design and manufacturing.

As we look towards 2035, the demand for sensors is expected to grow significantly across various sectors, including automotive, industrial, healthcare, consumer electronics, and environmental monitoring. This article explores the key trends and innovations in sensor technology.

Communication between passengers and the vehicle is clearer with HUDs, which can make for a safer journey. Customization is also a highly desirable feature for drivers when choosing how they interact with their vehicle.

Thursday 21 November 2024 - Despite a Challenging Year, Regulations and Technologies Are Set to Transform the Electric Vehicle Market in 2025; Deep dive into global and regional sales figures up to H1 2024, including PHEV and BEV sales, and key OEMs; Overview of the Li-ion battery market by cathode and capacity (kWh); Breakdown of the EU CO2 regulations and positioning of OEMs in advance of 2025 rule changes; Growth of the electric pickup market in the US, and EPA/CARB regulation breakdown; Technology trends, 800V architectures, and evolving motor choices; Market outlook until 2045

In this article, IDTechEx will summarize the main trends of thermal management in the data center and EV power electronics industries, as well as the recent developments of thermal interface materials used.

Concerns over incumbent strategies for PFAS waste management have created opportunities for novel PFAS destruction technologies to potentially disrupt the status quo. Universities and independent start-ups are developing numerous different destruction technologies.

The future of the automotive industry is heading towards the acceptance of automation and the enforcement of electrification. Despite the crossover of these two phenomena becoming increasingly present within the automotive industry, automation and electrification individually offer unique environmental and safety benefits to vehicles and their passengers.

Tuesday 19 November 2024 - Electric car sales and market growth analysis; Key charging trends, including cable-based conduction and other technologies; Charging beyond private cars, including MW charging for trucks and fleet charging, and DC fast charging; Market overview of the charging infrastructure industry, including key player performance; Off-grid charging solutions for rural, industrial, and grid constrained situations

SAF has emerged as a crucial decarbonization tool offering up to 80% emissions reduction while being drop-in compatible with existing aircraft engines and infrastructure. This article discusses the key SAF production technologies and market drivers.

The growing awareness of the negative effects of chemicals and materials we've built our modern society on has led governments, companies, academics, and consumers alike to search for alternatives. This will no doubt be a monumental task. In many places, there are no suitable replacements. Still, significant activity is taking place worldwide, which IDTechEx has followed in our research, to push different sectors to identify chemicals and materials for a less contaminated, more circular world.

Driver monitoring systems and occupant monitoring systems operating within a vehicle are designed to enhance passenger welfare and increase the safety of vehicles. IDTechEx outlines technologies from infrared cameras and time-of-flight cameras, to potential ECG monitoring within the steering wheel.

On Tuesday, November 5th, millions of Americans went to the polls to vote for the 47th President of the United States. The results were emphatic: a second Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Senate. While this election will impact many aspects of the global economy, what do these results entail for one of the world's biggest automotive markets?

Monday 18 November 2024 - Emerging Display Technologies: Revolutionizing Visual Experiences Across Industries; MicroLED Displays: Revolutionizing visual clarity and efficiency; Quantum Dots in Displays: Enhancing color accuracy and energy efficiency; Automotive Displays: Integrating advanced features for improved safety and user interaction; Head-Up Displays: Augmenting reality for enhanced driving experiences

The Society of Automotive Engineers defines 6 levels (0 to 5) of autonomy available to vehicles, ranging from level 0 (no automation) to level 5 (full automation). To achieve level 4+, automotive OEMs and tier-one suppliers are required to expand their sensor suites beyond conventional cameras and radar, accompanied by reliable software to perceive the vehicle's surroundings.

Mobile robots in logistics can be seen to work throughout an entire supply chain from manufacturing processes, to reaching consumers and shops. Material handling, including material transportation and mobile picking, are some of the key jobs for mobile robots at the very beginning of the supply chain. Material transportation alone was seen to hold around 90% of market revenue share as of 2024, according to IDTechEx, signifying the large uptake and importance of mobile robots in redesigning intralogistics and transporting applications.

Hydrogen and its derivatives (e.g. ammonia, methanol) will be crucial in decarbonizing diverse sectors and serving as energy carriers for global renewable energy transport. As a result, the market is seeing increased commercial interest from technology providers, engineering services, and project developers eager to capitalize on this expanding opportunity.

As electric vehicles (EVs) continue to reshape the automotive landscape, the integration of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology offers transformative potential for both the energy grid and vehicle owners.

Decarbonizing aviation could be the next big step for the sustainable transportation industry, and with the popularity of both national and international travel, there is opportunity emerging for both electric and hydrogen-powered planes.

Wednesday 20 November 2024 - Reflections on 2024: Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR); Commercial, technological, and infrastructural factors set to grow CCUS deployment; Trends in both compliance and voluntary carbon markets; Discussion of upcoming CCUS projects expected to reach key milestones such as Northern Lights/Longship and Occidental's Stratos; Analysis of emerging technologies in carbon dioxide removal (including direct air capture and direct ocean capture) and carbon dioxide utilization (i.e. CO2-derived e-fuels)

The evolution of telecommunications continues with each decade, and as 5G becomes widespread, attention is shifting to the next generation: 6G. Promising next-level capabilities compared to next generation, 6G will offer data rates reaching terabits per second (Tbps), microsecond-level latency, and ultra-high level of network reliability.

As semiconductor packaging technologies evolve, advanced methods like 2.5D and 3D Cu-to-Cu hybrid bonding are essential for achieving higher performance and power efficiency. However, manufacturing these technologies to meet high performance and yield standards while fulfilling client requirements is complex.

Friday 15 November 2024 - Background and context of quantum research and the transition to commercialization; Overview of the market landscape today, including key funding trends and the answers to 'why now'; The impact of meta-trends in cyber-security, energy security, and future mobility on the quantum market today, and a summary of motivations for commercial partnerships; Summary of key players in the exo-systems for quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum communications; Coverage of what is needed for market growth, alongside top-level market forecasts and CAGR predictions.

Biofuels, including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel, are making their way onto the fuel scene, providing a more sustainable approach to acquiring highly demanded fuels. E-fuels are also emerging quickly, showing even more sustainable fuel manufacturing approaches with long-term benefits.

Wednesday 13 November 2024 - Enabling Emerging Industries Through Thermal Management in 2024 and Beyond; Thermal management fluids and greater component integration in EVs; EV power electronics and its emerging thermal management needs; Adoption of new thermal management systems in data centers; How the above trends impact thermal interface materials and their application

IDTechEx forecasts the global Li-ion market to reach over US$400 billion by 2035. This article explores the key material trends shaping the Li-ion battery market, particularly the rise of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) and shifts in graphite material.

Tuesday 12 November 2024 - What the state of XR in 2024 tells us about its potential in the next five years, including the impact of major events in the industry this last twelve months; How intuitive interfaces for AR are finally emerging, including the impact of eye tracking and Meta's EMG wristband demonstrator; How the technological status of AR waveguides and displays could develop to solve key challenges with performance and cost; A potential timeline for AR glasses to begin supplanting the smartphone

Chinese carmakers of all segments and sizes were the hottest talking points at The Paris Motor Show this year, as they hoped to sway potential customers who may never have even heard of them before the event. But why have Chinese carmakers decided that Europe is the next market to expand into?

Friday 8 November 2024 - An outline of the ongoing development of specialized AI accelerators and the impact of ARM architectures on the CPU market for HPC; Trends and developments in memory and storage technologies for AI and HPC workloads and the advanced semiconductor packaging technologies to realize next-generation solutions; Examination of the growing role of silicon photonics in high-speed interconnects for HPC and how co-packaged optics will increase bandwidths whilst reducing power consumption; Discussion of the push towards liquid cooling in data centers, driven by increasing AI workloads; Insights from IDTechEx's ten-year forecasting for the HPC market

As of 2024, single-phase direct-to-chip (D2C) cooling dominates the high-end GPU thermal management market. However, with the increasing thermal design power (TDP), two-phase D2C cooling will be required.

Monday 11 November 2024 - New lower cost battery chemistries (e.g. LFP, LMFP, etc.); More efficient and lower bill of materials motors (rare earth free, alternative magnet materials); The evolution of alternative power electronics technologies (SiC, GaN, etc.)

Emerging advanced semiconductor packaging technologies, such as 2.5D and 3D hybrid bonding, are crucial for enhancing system performance across various applications such as AI and high-performance computing. This article explores the technology development trends in 2.5D and 3D packaging technologies and the key market growth drivers.

Thursday 7 November 2024 - Which Technology Innovations Will Be Most Disruptive in the Global Sensor Market? An overview of meta-trends shaping the sensor market landscape; A summary of major market verticals, product types and leading technologies; Coverage of near-term trends in sensor technology development, adoption and integration - including the impact of AI on edge sensing; An overview of disruptive emerging sensor technologies recently commercialized, their value proposition, advantages and market challenges. This includes printed sensors, quantum sensors, emerging image sensors, biosensors, gas sensors and nanocarbon sensors; Case studies in fast growing markets for sensors technology, both established and emerging, such as future mobility, wearables and IoT (industrial, consumer and environmental); Initial ten-year forecasting insights and sensor market outlook for the next ten years

Thursday 14 November 2024 - Chiplet Technology: Revolutionizing Semiconductor Design and Integration; Definition and significance of chiplets in modern semiconductor design; Comparison with SoC and SiP technologies; Introduction to heterogeneous integration; Drivers and advantages of adopting chiplet technology; Brief overview of challenges in implementing chiplets; Insights into the future potential and impact of chiplet technology

In this article, IDTechEx will overview some of the technology innovations and companies driving this sector forward and perhaps ushering in a new era of 'quantified self-awareness'.

Monday 25 November 2024 - Navigating The Momentum Pushing the Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Treatment Market to US$2.3 billion by 2035. Regulatory trends and standards from key regions such as the US, the EU, and Asia-Pacific, highlighting differences in regulations and their implications for PFAS treatment markets; The incumbent and emerging PFAS treatment technology landscape: granular activated carbon, ion exchange resins, foam fractionation, etc; Introduction to PFAS destruction and relevant technologies; Key players in PFAS removal and destruction technologies

While sensors contribute just a fraction of the annual revenue generated by major electronics companies, sensor technology nevertheless represents a multi-billion-dollar global market.