The overall power semiconductor market includes power discretes and power modules. The global power electronics module market should comprise 30 percent of the power semiconductor market by 2019, growing at twice the rate of power discretes, from 2014 to 2019, analysts say.
In 2014, year-over-year power discrete revenue grew 5 percent and power module revenue grew 12 percent, say IHS analysts, who outline their findings in the most recent Power Semiconductor Discretes and Modules Report.
Power modules contain several discrete power semiconductors. Compared to discrete power semiconductors, power modules provide higher power density and more reliability, analysts say.
Related: Infineon to boost expertise in GaN power semiconductors in buy of International Rectifier
"OEMs will continue to want modular power solutions, which can be integrated easily into various subsystems and used in many different devices," says Richard Eden, senior semiconductor analyst at IHS.
"Power modules are widely found in inverters for wind converters, photovoltaic solar energy systems and other renewable energy applications. They are also found in industrial motor drives and hybrid and electric vehicles," Eden says.
Infineon continued to be the largest supplier for the global power semiconductor market in 2014, with an estimated market share of 13 percent. Mitsubishi ranked second at 7 percent. ST Microsystems moved up to the third market position, displacing Toshiba, with an estimated market share of 6 percent.
With the acquisition of International Rectifier (IR) by Infineon last year, the market landscape for power semiconductors is changing. The merged companies held almost 27 percent of the power transistor market in 2014.
The transistor product category includes bipolar transistors, metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), and insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) products, accounting for about two thirds of the total discrete power semiconductor market.
Mitsubishi Electric was the largest supplier for power modules in 2014, although the company's estimated share of the market remained at 24 percent for 2013 and 2014. Infineon maintained the second-ranked position at 20 percent. The top four power module suppliers -- Mitsubishi, Infineon, Semikron and Fuji Electric -- accounted for 65 percent of the global power module market in 2014.
The IHS Power Semiconductor Discretes and Modules Report is compiled by collecting actual sales and shipment data from the top suppliers in the market.
For more information contact IHS online at www.ihs.com.
