With the gradual localization of upstream core optoelectronic components, the application cost of lasers will gradually decrease, and lasers will penetrate deeper into many industries. On the one hand, for China, laser processing also fits into the ten major application areas of China's manufacturing industry. It is expected that the application areas of laser processing will be further expanded in the future, and the market scale will be further expanded. On the other hand, with the continuous popularization and development of technologies such as unmanned driving, advanced assisted driving systems, service robots, and 3D sensing, more applications in automobiles, artificial intelligence, consumer electronics, face recognition, optical communication and defense research and many other fields. As the core device or component of the above-mentioned laser applications, semiconductor lasers will also gain space for rapid development.

Higher power, better beam quality, shorter wavelengths and faster frequencies

In the field of industrial lasers, fiber lasers have made tremendous progress since their inception in terms of output power, beam quality, and brightness. However, higher power can increase the processing speed, optimize the processing quality, expand the processing field to heavy industry manufacturing, and be used in cutting, welding, surface Processing, etc., the requirements for power indicators of fiber lasers continue to increase. Corresponding device manufacturers need to continuously improve the performance of core devices (such as high-power semiconductor laser chips and gain fibers), and the improvement of fiber laser power also requires advanced laser modulation technologies such as beam combining and power synthesis, which will give high-power semiconductor lasers. Chip manufacturers bring new requirements and challenges. In addition, the development of shorter wavelengths, more wavelengths, and faster (ultrafast) lasers is also an important direction, which is mainly used in integrated circuit chips, displays, consumer electronics, aerospace and other precision micromachining, as well as life sciences, medical, transmission, etc. In the fields of sense and other fields, new requirements are also put forward for semiconductor laser chips.

Demand for optoelectronic components for high-power lasers continues to grow

The R&D and industrialization of high-power fiber lasers is the result of the coordinated progress of the industry chain, which requires the support of core optoelectronic components such as pump sources, isolators, and beam combiners. The basic and key components of production, the continuous expansion of the high-power fiber laser market has also driven the market demand for upstream high-power semiconductor laser chips and other core components. At the same time, with the continuous improvement of the domestic fiber laser technology level, the realization of import substitution has become an inevitable trend, and the global laser market share will continue to increase, bringing huge opportunities for local optoelectronic component manufacturers with outstanding strength.

Nanjing Hecho Technology provides a variety of customized services for non-standard high-energy transmission optical fibers, including quartz optical fibers and glass optical fibers, which can transmit high-power lasers in the ultraviolet to infrared bands. The products are widely used in LDI Laser Direct Imaging, Plastic Laser Welding, biochemical analysis and other fields. Customized services flexibly meet the differentiated needs of different customers.

Market research firm IC Insights released an analysis of R&D trends in its latest 2022 McClean Report quarterly update, saying that about 56% of global semiconductor industry R&D spending in 2021 will come from companies headquartered in the Americas region, These companies are largely based in the United States, with a large percentage coming from Intel (19%).

As shown in the chart below, semiconductor R&D spending by companies in the Asia-Pacific region (including foundries, fabless and IDM) will exceed 29% of the global total in 2021, followed by European companies with about 8% and Japan with nearly 7%. In 2011, chip suppliers in the Americas accounted for about 55 percent of global semiconductor R&D spending, compared with 18 percent in the Asia-Pacific region (including China).

Nanjing Hecho Technology has strong optical fiber R&D and production capabilities, and can provide customized services for various Optical Fiber Bundles for different industries and usage needs to flexibly meet the differentiated needs of different customers. In addition, high-brightness LED Light Sources and Halogen Light Sources for use with optical fibers are available.

According to the latest report from IC Insights, a well-known market research institution, the total installed capacity of global semiconductors will reach 263.6 million 8-inch equivalent wafers this year, a year-on-year increase of 8.7% and a record high.

The increase in semiconductor production capacity this year is mainly due to the new large-scale memory factories of SK Hynix and Winbond, as well as the active expansion of TSMC, including the capacity growth of two advanced 5nm and 3nm processes, and the expansion of 28nm process capacity in Nanjing. TSMC is forecasting capital expenditures of more than $40 billion this year.

In the past five years, the annual growth rate of global semiconductor production capacity has increased from 4.0% in 2016 to 8.5% in 2021.

Despite inflationary pressures, ongoing supply chain issues and other economic difficulties, semiconductor demand is strong, with shipments set to grow 9.2% year over year this year. Even with 10 new fabs coming into use this year, capacity utilization could reach a high of 93% this year, slightly lower than 93.8% in 2021.

The historical statistics of IC Insights show that the growth rate of semiconductor production capacity shows a certain periodicity, with the first negative growth in 2002, and a relatively large negative growth of -6% in 2009; then it entered a boom period, which has continued to this day. The first two negative growths were the end of the dot-com bubble crisis and the global financial crisis.

Hecho Technology provides various non-standard Customized Optical Fiber and light sources, such as AOI Line Lights, LDI Laser Direct Imaging Fiber Bundle, wafer cutting, automation and other fields widely used in the semiconductor industry, to help the development of the semiconductor industry.

As China's laser industry continues to undergo the process of localization, with significant improvements in the quality of domestic products, the domestic market share of laser products, including high-power laser equipment, light sources (fiber lasers, ultrafast lasers, etc.), optical components, control systems (chips, control software, and accessories), and crystal materials, has been steadily increasing in the past two years.

According to data released by the General Administration of Customs, the total import and export value of "lasers, excluding laser diodes" in China from January to June 2023 amounted to 9.229 billion yuan, a 2.42% decrease compared to the same period last year. The import value was 6.859 billion yuan, a 12.05% decrease year-on-year, while the export value was 2.37 billion yuan, a 19.16% increase year-on-year.

Although China still relies heavily on imports for high-end equipment, the industry of laser processing machines for various materials has made significant progress in the past six years. Domestic companies have increased their exports and actively explored overseas markets, entering a favorable development stage. With policy support, important conditions have been created for the development of high-end equipment in the industry.

Source: OESHOW 

Laser direct imaging refers to Laser Direct Imaging, abbreviated as LDI, which belongs to a type of direct imaging. The light is emitted by an ultraviolet laser and is mainly used for the exposure process in the PCB manufacturing process. The imaging quality of LDI technology is clearer than that of traditional exposure technology, and it has obvious advantages in mid-to-high-end PCB manufacturing.

With the rapid progress of PCB design requirements, corresponding high-tech is required in the PCB production process (thinner materials, more complex structures, and finer graphics requirements within the range of micro-errors), traditional contact stencils Exposure and development technology can no longer meet the needs of such high-end PCB applications.

This demand has led to changes in production technology, from contact stencil exposure and development to direct laser imaging. A software-controlled laser or laser source is used to laser image a photoresist-coated PCB, or to cure and image a solder mask at the end of the PCB process.

Hecho specializes in the production of LDI optical fiber bundle, and can provide customized services for different branch numbers, lengths, and connectors according to customer needs. With strong R&D and production capabilities, it can flexibly meet the differentiated needs of different customers.

Hecho also supply customized service for AOI Line light guides, and other  Fiber Optic Bundles which for Optical Inspection equipment uses. 

According to research by TrendForce, the shipment volume of smartphone camera modules in 2022 will be raised to 5.02 billion units, an annual increase of 5%. Since the price-performance ratio of the whole machine is the main basis for consumers to buy, the three-lens design is still the mainstream design this year, and it is estimated that it will account for more than 40% of the overall shipment.

By combining a high-pixel main lens with two low-pixel functional lenses, the mobile phone can maintain a three-lens design and take into account the hardware cost. This is also the main reason for the development of mid-to-low-end products towards three-lens or even four-lens designs.

The growth momentum of mobile phone camera module shipments in 2022 is mainly due to the increase in the number of low-pixel lenses driven by the three-lens design. Although the high-pixel main lens with better specifications can enable brand manufacturers to provide better mobile phone shooting performance, due to Pixel specifications have not continued to climb to a higher level, and are still maintained at around 50 million pixels, which has caused demand to stagnate slightly.

Hecho Technology provides Fiber Optic Illuminator and optical fiber customization services for lens inspection systems, using high-brightness warm-color LEDs, or customized infrared 850nm, 940nm LED light sources, and high transmission rate Flexible Fiber Optic Light Guides, flexibly meet the needs of MTF industry inspection applications.

We look forward to your visit and guidance at Booth 090, Hall D, Shenzhen International Convention and Exhibition Center. During the exhibition, you can have an on-site understanding of our LDI laser imaging fiber, plastic welding laser fiber, holmium laser fiber, specialty fibers of various specifications, as well as our self-developed light sources and xenon light sources.

(CIOE2023) On September 6-8,2023, Nanjing Qingzhao Technology will participate in the 24th China International Optoelectronics Expo (CIOE2023) in Shenzhen. Welcome friends to visit.

Pavilion: Hall 2

Booth number: 2D090

Arrayed fiberoptics are a special type of fiber optic structure composed of multiple individual fiber bundles arranged in an array. Each individual fiber bundle has its own transmission channel and can transmit light signals independently.

Arrayed fiberoptics play an important role in various applications.

1. Fiber Optic Sensing: Arrayed fiber optics can be used as building blocks for fiber optic sensors. By using multiple fiber bundles, it is possible to simultaneously monitor and measure physical quantities such as temperature, strain, and pressure at multiple locations. Arrayed fiber optic sensors offer high sensitivity and multi-channel measurements.

2. Medical Field: Arrayed fiber optics find wide applications in medical imaging and diagnostics. They can be used to construct high-resolution fiber optic coherence tomography (OCT) systems and fiber optic microscopes for real-time visualization and diagnosis of tissue and cellular structures.

3. Industrial and Scientific Applications: In industrial and scientific research fields, arrayed fiber optics are used in applications such as spectroscopic analysis, laser processing, and optical measurements. Arrayed fiber optics with multiple channels provide larger sampling range and higher data processing capabilities.

In terms of revenue in the first three quarters of 2023, the leading companies are still Han's Laser and Huagong Tech, with revenues of 9.387 billion yuan and 7.208 billion yuan respectively. Li Yuanheng and Haimuxing ranked third and fourth with revenues of 4.236 billion yuan and 3.361 billion yuan respectively.

The top three companies in terms of revenue growth are Yifei Laser, Baichu Electronics, and Li Yuanheng. Both Yifei Laser and Li Yuanheng are beneficiaries of the booming development in the power battery market, while Haimuxing and Lianwin Laser ranked fifth and sixth with growth rates of 41.78% and 34.87% respectively. Platinum Force, which specializes in metal additive manufacturing in the aerospace field, ranked fourth with a growth rate of 42.50%. It can be seen that power batteries and aerospace metal additive manufacturing are rare high-growth sectors in the laser application market in recent years.

As for the fiber laser cutting market, which is plagued by intense competition and price wars, it has been in a difficult situation and its future development is worrying due to homogeneity and other factors. However, the current situation has shown signs of improvement.

来源：维科网