

The discretes market constitutes a majority share of semiconductors by volume, and it is widely distributed in terms of end-product consumption, resulting in lower revenue growth, yet there are opportunities emerging for those suppliers able to recognize them.
Discretes constitute 7 percent of the semiconductor market by revenue; and product category includes diodes, small signal transistors, power transistors, rectifiers, thyristors, and other discretes. Unit shipments constitute a 61 percent majority of worldwide semiconductor unit shipments.
In contrast to what is seen in the overall semiconductor market, the discrete product market does not exhibit a so-called "boom to bust" cycle - it is far more stable. This kind of steady but minimal growth comes from a high level of diversification in the application markets, and from the lack of much technological innovation in discretes.
Recently there has been measurable growth coming from portable electronics in the communications and consumer markets especially, with some demand coming from the automotive sector as well. In terms of unit pricing, the market demand is counter-balanced against the need for suppliers to reduce prices in order to sustain profit margins. The discretes market has been consistently growing over time at a rate of about 5 percent in revenue each year.