Demand for GaAs-based power amplifiers (PAs) is expected to pick up gradually in the second half of 2023 with the recovery of smartphone shipments, according to DIGITIMES Research's study of the GaAs-based PA market.
Gallium arsenide (GaAs) has grown to become the top-pick material for use in making smartphones' PAs, thanks to its strong performances in handling high-frequency signals and resisting noises as well as friendly costs and low difficulty in transforming the material into semiconductors.
GaAs-based PA sales (for RF front-end application) of mainstream IDMs were significantly undermined by the COVID-19 pandemic's influence on smartphone shipments, resulting in pileups of component inventory, during the past several years. However, the situation has started improving recently, DIGITIMES Research's finding shows.
GaAs is now the key material used in power amplifiers of RF front-end modules. Although IDMs had unsatisfactory shipments of related PAs in the past few years, they remain optimistic about 5G communication and GaAs PAs' development, judging from their keen investments in R&D and capex for 2023.
Global smartphone shipments are expected to start picking up in the second half of 2023 with the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic, while the impacts of the rising inflation and war between Ukraine and Russia have also begun to weaken.
Since smartphone component inventory will start being digested, orders for GaAs PAs are expected to rise quarter by quarter throughout 2023.
