In recent years, the global sensor market has maintained rapid growth, and has been driven by the new demand of many downstream emerging applications (consumer electronics, automotive electronics, industrial electronics and medical electronics). At the same time, under the call of policies such as "made in China 2025", the domestic intelligent sensor industry ecosystem is also steadily upgrading to the middle and high-end.
In this issue, we recommend the smart sensor industry report from Guangzhou securities Hang Seng, which introduces the technological evolution of sensors, the domestic market share and the four major downstream emerging demand points.
The following is the dry goods presented by the author:
Advanced sensor: intelligent integration and miniaturization
*Development history of sensor technology
The development of sensors can be roughly divided into three generations: the first generation is the structural sensor, which uses the changes of structural parameters to sense and transform signals. The second generation is a solid-state sensor developed in the 1970s. This sensor is composed of solid elements such as semiconductors, dielectrics and magnetic materials, and is made by using certain characteristics of materials. The third generation sensor is an intelligent sensor developed gradually since 2000.
*Domestic sensor industry related policies since 2011
Since the country launched the 12th Five Year Plan for the development of the Internet of things in 2011, the development of the intelligent sensor industry has ushered in a boom. According to the latest data statistics of China Academy of information and communications, in 2015, smart sensors have replaced traditional sensors as the mainstream of the market (accounting for 70%). In 2016, the global smart sensor market reached US $25.8 billion (RMB 171 billion), and it is expected to reach US $37.85 billion in 2019, with an average annual growth rate of 13.6%.
In addition, the Americas accounted for the largest share of the global market (45% in 2015), and this advantage is expected to remain until 2022; The Asia Pacific region (China, Japan, South Korea, India and Australia) ranked second (23%), but it grew fastest driven by downstream industries such as automobile and consumer electronics.
*Basic principle structure diagram of intelligent sensor
Up to now, there is no standardized unified definition of intelligent sensor in the scientific community. It is simply summarized that intelligent sensor is equipped with a microprocessor and has the ability to collect, process and exchange information. It is the product of the integration of sensors and microprocessors. As the microprocessor gives full play to the functions of various software, it can complete tasks difficult to be completed by hardware, thus greatly reducing the difficulty of sensor manufacturing, improving the performance of the sensor and reducing the cost.
*Sensors are the sensing layer of the Internet of things
In this information age, many application scenarios of sensors need to obtain more accurate and comprehensive information more quickly. Taking the Internet of things as an example, the sensor is located in the most critical sensing layer. It is not only the entrance to receive and transmit information like the traditional sensor, but also needs the functions of analyzing, processing, memorizing and storing massive data. The intelligent sensor can fully meet these requirements. Its specific advantages include self compensation and self diagnosis, information storage and memory, self-learning and self-adaptive, and digital output.
*Intelligent sensors classified under different standards
There are many kinds of intelligent sensors. According to the way of realizing intelligence, they can be divided into three categories: non integrated intelligent sensors, hybrid intelligent sensors and integrated intelligent sensors. The technical difficulties of these three types of sensors increase in turn. The higher the degree of integration, the higher the degree of sensor intelligence.
01
Non integrated intelligent sensor
*Principle block diagram of non integrated intelligent sensor
This kind of sensor is composed of a signal processing circuit and a microprocessor with a data bus interface after the traditional sensor. It has low integration and low technical barriers. It is not applicable to the field of miniaturized products and does not belong to a new type of intelligent sensor.
02
Hybrid intelligent sensor
*Principle frame diagram of hybrid intelligent sensor
This method is to integrate each integrated link of the system (sensitive element, signal conditioning circuit and digital bus interface) on different chips in different combinations according to the requirements, and package them in a shell. It is the main type of intelligent sensor and is widely used.
03
Integrated intelligent sensor
*Principle block diagram of integrated intelligent sensor
That is, using micro mechanical processing technology (MEMS) and large-scale integrated circuit (IC) technology, using silicon as the basic material to make sensitive elements, signal conditioning circuits and micro processing units, and integrating them on a chip. This kind of sensor has the advantages of multi-function, integration, high accuracy, suitable for mass production, small size and easy to use, which is the direction of the continuous development of intelligent sensors.
MEMS sensor is the most intelligent sensor at present. MEMS technology is a technology that combines sensors, mechanical components, actuators and electronic components on the basis of one silicon chip within the range of micron operation on the basis of traditional semiconductor materials and processes. It is the mainstream solution of advanced micro sensors at present.
*Proportion of global smart sensor products in 2016 (unit:%)
There are many kinds of intelligent sensor products, and the process is complex. There is no identical standard. Such product characteristics mean that if the R & D investment is too large, the output of a single type of product will lead to losses once it cannot be expanded. Among many products in the global market, CMOS image sensor has the highest market share, accounting for nearly 45% of the global market share, followed by fingerprint sensor, pressure sensor and radio frequency identification sensor, with a market share of 9%.
Industry status: long industrial chain and high technical barriers
According to the industrial map on smart sensors released by China high end chip alliance and China Academy of information and technology, the industrial chain specifically includes eight links: R & D, design, manufacturing, packaging, testing, software, chips and solutions, and system / application. The technical barriers in each link are high.
In terms of process and technology, the four key links of intelligent sensor design, manufacturing, packaging and testing have many similarities with the corresponding links in the semiconductor integrated circuit industry. Enterprises with IC experience have inherent advantages and have entered the sensor field one after another. The market scale of the design, manufacturing, packaging and testing links of intelligent sensors has not yet been detailed by link. Based on the industrial similarity between the two, the design link of intelligent sensors has the largest market space, and the packaging link will become the fastest growing link in the domestic market space.
Although there is still a certain gap between the overall technical level in China and the top technology in foreign countries, the independent R & D capability of the technology-based companies that have entered into the segmentation field earlier has been comparable to that of foreign countries after years of accumulation, cultivating a stable customer base, and some products have even been exported.
*Top 30 global MEMS Sensor Companies by revenue in 2016
Emerging downstream applications shape new explosion points
The key downstream application fields of intelligent sensors are consumer electronics, automotive electronics, industrial electronics and medical electronics, and their corresponding market share decreases in turn. Considering both the size of the market and the growth rate, Guangzhou securities Hang Seng believes that emerging applications with rapid development, such as fingerprint recognition and intelligent driving, will become the main driving force for the growth of the smart sensor market, and emerging applications with preliminary development, such as intelligent robots and intelligent medical devices.
*Market scale of smart sensors in four major application fields in the world from 2016 to 2019 (unit: USD million)
Consumer electronics: fingerprint identification demand expansion
*Main types and international manufacturers of fingerprint sensors
In the segmented field of consumer electronics, the market scale of fingerprint sensors (including optical fingerprint sensor, capacitive fingerprint sensor, thermal fingerprint sensor and ultrasonic fingerprint sensor) grows fastest. According to the data of China Academy of information technology, it is expected that the average annual compound growth rate from 2016 to 2019 will reach 14.84%, the domestic market scale will exceed 3.1 billion yuan in 2017, and the global market scale is expected to reach 4.7 billion US dollars in 2022.
Automotive electronics: high requirements for on-board intelligence
*Common intelligent sensors in automotive systems
Most of the automobile sensors are in a very bad operating environment. The sensors must have the ability of high stability, anti-interference, self-adaptive and self compensation. At the same time, in order to ensure the large-scale production of electronic components and modules, the cost also needs to be reduced. The new intelligent sensor can meet the above requirements in terms of technology and cost. Intelligent sensors have been widely used in the automotive field, such as automotive power system, safe driving system and body system.
*Sensor system on driverless vehicle
As the technology of unmanned driving becomes more and more mature, intelligent sensors are no longer limited to the traditional automobile market, but to the intelligent automobile market. Sensors to realize environmental perception include cameras (long-range cameras, surround cameras and stereo cameras) and radar (ultrasonic radar, millimeter wave radar and laser radar). At present, domestic and foreign companies adopt two kinds of schemes to realize unmanned driving: one is the camera millimeter wave radar scheme (Tesla), and the other is the laser radar scheme (Google and Baidu).
*Market scale of sensor modules applying ADAS system in the world from 2005 to 2030 (unit: USD million)
The global market scale of sensor modules in intelligent driving vehicles reached US $2.6 billion in 2015; Yole development predicts that the market scale will exceed US $5 billion in 2017 and US $36 billion in 2030.
From the perspective of sensor type, ultrasonic sensor, 360 degree panoramic camera and front camera will always be the mainstream sensors in the market. In 2030, the market scale is expected to reach 12 billion US dollars, 8.7 billion US dollars and 6.9 billion US dollars respectively; Radar has been applied in the field of unmanned driving since 2015, with high technical barriers. In the next 13 years, it will start to grow explosively from zero to one, reaching US $12.9 billion by 2030, including US $7.9 billion for long-range radar and US $5 billion for short-range radar.
Industrial Electronics: the rise of machines
*Revenue share of UAVs and robots in the segment in 2015 and 2021 (unit:%)
In recent years, robot manufacturing technology has become more and more mature, and the business process has accelerated. The market space of its core device intelligent sensor is also expanding. According to yole development data, from 2015 to 2021, the robot market scale will increase from US $27 billion to US $46 billion, with an average annual compound growth rate of 9.4%. Among all types of robots, the types of robots used in national defense, industry and consumption are the largest, and the proportion of revenue in the corresponding fields is also the highest.
Medical Electronics: large space for import substitution
*National medical device market scale from 2008 to 2016 (unit: 100 million yuan)
Driven by the medical device industry, the demand for intelligent sensors will expand. According to the classification of application forms, medical sensors can be divided into four categories: implantable sensors, in vitro sensors, temporarily implanted body cavity sensors, and sensors for external devices. According to a new data analysis report of the market research company grand view research, the global medical sensor market size reached US $9.8 billion in 2015, and it is expected that the market size will increase to US $18.5 billion by 2024. At present, China's layout in this field is very small, most of which rely on imports and are in the initial stage. However, with the continuous maturity of technology in the future, the market will usher in explosive growth.
We believe that smart sensors are the result of technological evolution and meet the requirements of the Internet of things on the sensing layer. It is expected that with the development of smart consumer electronic devices, the (industrial) Internet of things, the Internet of vehicles / autonomous driving, smart cities, smart medical and other emerging concepts, they will usher in rapid growth. From the perspective of the industry, the high technical barriers of intelligent sensors and the multiple and scattered segments are conducive to the development of domestic small and medium-sized enterprises. In addition, the favorable policies related to semiconductors and integrated circuits are frequently introduced to accelerate the integration of production and research. Under the condition of sufficient funds, the temporarily lagging independent industry of intelligent sensors is expected to rise, carry out medium and high-end upgrading, and grasp the emerging application market.
Attachment: representative organizations and companies of the eight links of the intelligent sensor industry chain
400-6988-056
