From April 15 to 17, 2025, the Shanghai New International Expo Center ushered in the major event of the global electronics industry - electronica China of München. This exhibition is not only the vane of the global electronics industry chain, but also the epitome of the rise of China's semiconductor industry. With an exhibition area of more than 100,000 square meters, it brings together 1,800 top exhibitors from around the world and is expected to attract more than 80,000 professional visitors. In such a stage where technology and business are intertwined, the third generation of semiconductors has undoubtedly become the focus of the audience, and the strength of domestic "cores" is rising.
1. Third-generation semiconductors: exhibition highlights and future trends
Third-generation semiconductor materials such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are becoming hot spots in the global semiconductor industry due to their advantages of high frequency, high efficiency, and high voltage. At electronica China, many companies showcased the latest third-generation semiconductor technologies and products, showing the rapid development and broad prospects of this field.
Silicon carbide technology breakthrough: Tianke Blue showcased 8-inch optical waveguide silicon carbide substrate, 12-inch heat sink grade silicon carbide substrate and liquid phase P-type 6-inch substrate. These products perform well in terms of thickness, light transmittance, and refractive index, and can effectively solve the problems of narrow field of view, rainbow lines, and heat dissipation of traditional AR glasses. In addition, Tianyue Advanced released a full-size product matrix, including a full range of 6-inch/8-inch/12-inch silicon carbide substrates, marking the official entry of the silicon carbide industry into the "12-inch era".
GaN Technology Progress: GaN, as an emerging third-generation semiconductor material, also attracted much attention at the exhibition. A number of companies showcased gallium nitride epitaxial growth equipment and related technologies, which have significant advantages in terms of high production capacity, high epitaxial uniformity and low epitaxial defects.
Photo: Electronica China 2025 is crowded
2. The rise of domestic "core" strength
In the field of advanced chip manufacturing, China is facing the problem of "stuck" key equipment such as extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV). However, domestic companies have not stopped there. In 2024, China's chip industry will grow by 12%, wafer foundry demand will increase by 9%, and the semiconductor equipment market will grow by 9.6%. These data show that China's semiconductor industry is shifting from passive defense to active breakthroughs.
Domestic equipment manufacturers shined: AMEC released the 12-inch wafer edge etching equipment Primo Halona™, NAURA launched the first ion implanter Sirius MC 313, and Xinkailai released dozens of equipment covering the entire semiconductor manufacturing process. The launch of these equipment indicates that the penetration capacity of domestic equipment in high-end manufacturing links is increasing.
Acceleration of industrial chain collaboration: From materials, equipment to processes, the third-generation semiconductor industry chain is accelerating collaboration. More than 60 silicon carbide industry chain enterprises collectively demonstrated the whole chain technology from substrates, epitaxial wafers to device manufacturing, showing the accelerated trend of domestic substitution.
3. The market outlook for third-generation semiconductors
The third-generation semiconductor materials are used in a wide range of applications, including new energy vehicles, photovoltaic energy storage, smart grids, 5G base stations, etc. With the explosive growth of the new energy vehicle market, the demand for on-board power semiconductors has also ushered in explosive growth. The technological fission of silicon carbide products will help these high-voltage application scenarios, and give rise to emerging fields such as AR glasses, satellite communications, and low-altitude economy.
4. Future outlook
Looking to the future, the third-generation semiconductor industry is standing at a critical juncture in the transformation of old and new kinetic energy. Under the dual engine of policy-driven and technological innovation, the electronic information manufacturing industry has shown core characteristics such as deep adjustment of demand structure, continuous strengthening of supply chain resilience, and continuous expansion of application scenarios. However, the development of the industry still faces challenges such as intensified international trade frictions, mismatch between the speed of technology iteration and market demand.
electronica China is not only a platform for the exchange of technology and business, but also a witness to the rise of China's semiconductor industry. Through this exhibition, we can clearly see the hard-core confidence of China's semiconductor industry from "following" to "running". In the future, with the continuous improvement and optimization of the industrial chain, China's semiconductor industry is expected to occupy a more important position in the global market.
