Tantalum's future linked to electronics

摘要

THE major growth- sector- for tantalum over the past year has been for powder and wire in capacitors for the electronics industry. Last year consumption of tantalum capacitors reached 10bn units, up 12 percent over 1994's levels and double 1988's demand for 5bn units. Tantalum's main competitor, multi-layer ceramic capacitors, made up the bulk of the 323bn capacitor market in 1994. Addressing delegates at the TIC symposium here last week, David Maguire of Kemet Electronics forecast tantalum capacitor demand will rise to 25bn units in 2000, marking a rise of 14 percent compound growth from this year's anticipated consumption of 13bn units. The total capacitor market is expected to rise to 610bn units in 2000 from this year's forecast 367bn units.