Behind the Great Increase in IGBT Demand: Customers Crazy for Goods, Product Prices Soaring

Source: Jiweinet

    Currently, the semiconductor industry is still in a downward cycle, and the chip industry is generally facing pressure from customers to cut orders and product prices. However, IGBT is experiencing a sharp increase in demand for two mainstream applications, electric vehicles and solar photovoltaic, and a frantic scramble for goods. Recently, there has been a significant shortage of products. Not only has the price skyrocketed, but the industry has described the shortage situation as "not a matter of high prices, but simply not being able to buy them at all.".

    IGBT is the only semiconductor component that can significantly increase its price in the near future and has been in short supply. This is mainly due to the limited supply at this stage, but the crazy construction of solar power plants, the huge demand for IGBT from its inverters, and the high demand for IGBT for electric vehicles, leading to frequent rush purchases by major car manufacturers.

    How deficient is IGBT? Chairman Ye Zhengxian of Maodi stated bluntly that increasing prices to grab goods is no longer a new matter, it is not a matter of how high the price is, but simply that they cannot be purchased. It is estimated that this wave of shortage will continue for a while.

    According to the analysis of the industry, there are two main reasons for the large shortage of IGBT. First, the proportion of solar inverters using IGBT has increased significantly, and second, the semiconductor industry is currently in a period of adjustment. Not only is the capacity limited, but many capacity has been snatched away by electric vehicle factories, resulting in a large shortage of IGBT under the crowding out effect.

    According to the supply chain, Hanlei raised the OEM price of IGBT production line by about 10% at the beginning of this year. At a time when the quotation for wafer OEM was generally revised back, Hanlei bucked the trend and increased the price, highlighting the hot market situation.