Ion Beam Etching System Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029

The ion beam etching system market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.06% over the forecast period, from US$4.144 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach US$5.828 billion by 2029.

Ion beam etching is a chemical etching process that uses inert gas ions to remove or shape materials. It is generally obtained by directing the beam of ions at the substrate in a vacuum chamber. This system allows the independent control of beam and ion flux, generally in lower-pressure environments. It also produces controlled anisotropic etching.

One of the major driving factors for the global ion beam etching system market can be the global expanding medical device and equipment market. In medical devices, the ion beam etching solutions create small or micro-scale components, like pacemakers and hearing aids. Medical device production is expanding significantly worldwide. The USA is among the leading nations in the trade of medical instruments in the global market. The Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) stated in its report that in 2022, the medical instrument import of the US was recorded at about US$34.7 billion, which grew from about US$32.2 billion in 2021.

The ion beam etching system market is projected to rise significantly. The market is growing due to the increasing use of nanotechnology and its quick development due to ongoing research projects carried out by numerous organizations and businesses. Technological advancements driving the semiconductor industry's expansion are also expanding the market for beam etching systems.

ION BEAM ETCHING SYSTEM MARKET DRIVERS:

• Increasing demand for semiconductors is anticipated to boost the demand for ion beam etching systems globally.

Semiconductors are one of the major drivers for the global ion beam etching system market as they are the center of modern electronic devices, which are miniaturized to make smaller, more powerful gadgets. This requires precise etching procedures. Ion beam etching offers several advantages over traditional methods, incorporating high accuracy, uniformity, and flexibility. The ion beam etching system provides various benefits over traditional procedures, incorporating high accuracy, uniformity, and flexibility. It can evacuate material at a tiny scale, creating intricate features on small-sized chips and ensuring reliable etching across the wafer surface essential for high-performance semiconductors.

Moreover, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) expressed that the global semiconductor industry sales reached around US$46.4 billion by April 2024. This represented an increment of approximately 15.8% compared to April 2023, when the sales were recorded at around US$40.1 billion. SIA represents the U.S. semiconductor industry, accounting for 99% of revenue and about two-thirds of non-U.S. chip firms.

Further, SIA endorsed the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization's spring 2024 worldwide semiconductor sales estimate, anticipating an increment from $611.2 billion in 2024 to a record $687.4 billion in 2025, marking the industry's highest-ever yearly sales total. In the semiconductor industry, ion beam etching solution provides high-precision etching and dependable and effective etching for different types of semiconductors. As the semiconductor industry expands, the demand for the ion beam itching system is additionally anticipated to increase.

• Rising utilization of optoelectronics is predicted to bolster the ion beam itching system market growth.

Optoelectronics includes studying and utilizing electronic gadgets that source, identify, and control light. The accuracy and control of ion beam etching are fundamental for manufacturing progressed optoelectronic components. This is a major factor leading to the growing market size of the ion beam etching system, as this etching is a highly effective and uniform strategy for making complicated structures in optoelectronic gadgets such as lasers, LEDs, and photodetectors. It offers high control and consistency, empowering the advancement of more productive and high-performance components. Ion beam etching can handle many materials beyond silicon, which are required to manufacture LEDs and lasers.

The International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS) 2022 report stated a constant rise in the global sales of optoelectronics, which was forecasted to rise from $47.9 billion in 2021 to $54.2 billion in 2022. Moreover, it was reported that for the last 10 years, optoelectronics has been growing at about 13% Compound Growth Rate (CGR). This rise in component sales would demand a more precise and progressed ion beam etching techniques system, leading to an increment in the market expansion in the coming years.

Ion Beam Etching System Market Geographical Outlook

• China is predicted to contribute at a substantial pace to market growth.

China's growth in the semiconductor industry is one major factor that is increasing the market demand. This has led to increased domestic investments in manufacturing facilities while reducing reliance on international semiconductors. Ion beam etching systems are required as a critical aspect of semiconductor production to improve its accuracy. This has also increased the sales of semiconductors in China. For instance, the year-over-year sales in March rose by 27.4%.

Another factor driving the adoption of ion beam etching systems is rapid advancements in nanotechnology in China. These systems are used to form very precise nanostructures required in different hi-tech sectors, such as optoelectronics and microelectronics. In China, there is a rise in the need for performance-oriented electronic devices, which is leading the market. Moreover, due to their accuracy and precision, ion beam etching systems are suitable for creating advanced components such as memory chips, sensors, and microprocessors.

Further, market players manufacture products that increase a country's technological capacity in a particular area, and self-sufficiency in crucial technologies also supports the market. For instance, the Chinese manufacturer Perfect Optics produces a high-quality radio frequency ion beam source for ion beam polishing and etching.

Moreover, in February 2022, Zhejiang Lab, a new research institute in China, was provided with an Ion Beam Etching System from Scia System. The system will accomplish reactive ion beam etching and high uniform ion beam etching on varying substrate sizes up to 150 mm. It is fitted with a single substrate load lock for quicker processing. Cutting-edge and fundamental research, as well as R&D applications, are best served by the Scia Mill 150 because of its space-saving design and optional through-the-wall installation.

Ion Beam Etching System Key Market Players:

• Veeco - Veeco develops, produces, and sells ion beam etching systems that facilitate global high-tech electronic device development and production. Among the many uses for the Veeco NEXUS, IBE systems are precisely etching metallic films to produce the magnetic sensors needed for a wide range of MRAM, hard drives, mobile, and automotive devices.
• Scia Systems GmbH- Scia Systems manufactures and develops ion beam and plasma processing equipment for producing microelectronics, MEMS, and precision optical components in high-volume and R&D environments. Multiple vacuum process chambers can be combined into cluster or in-line solutions, depending on the customer's needs, because of their flexible and modular design.
• Oxford Instruments - Oxford Instruments is a top supplier of cutting-edge systems and tools for industry and research. It creates and produces technologies for ion plasma and ion beam etching and deposition.

Market Segmentation:

The Ion Beam Etching System Market is segmented and analyzed as below:

By Type

• Compact ion beam etching machine
• Single wafer type ion beam etching machine
• Batch-type ion beam etching machine
• Others

By Application

• MEMS
• Sensors
• Power devices
• High-frequency devices and optical devices
• Others

By Geography

• Americas
• USA
• Canada
• Others
• Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
• Germany
• France
• United Kingdom
• Others
• Asia Pacific
• China
• Japan
• India
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Others