INSIGHT - The Growth of Laser JUNE 2021
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INSIGHT
The Growth
of Laser
JUNE 2021
G&H INSIGHT “ As we start exiting the tunnel, is this light or the train coming right at us?
G&H INSIGHT
Photonics Emerges Stronger from the Pandemic, Proving
its Robustness and Resilience Against Market Disruptions
AS WE START EXITING THE TUNNEL, IS THIS LIGHT OR THE
TRAIN COMING RIGHT AT US?1
28.5%
The year 2021 has forced enterprises and indeed entire economies to Growth in some
completely re-baseline their expectations of how sectors and markets categories of
will perform. Unfortunately, there have been several casualties along industrial
the way, especially for those businesses with narrowly targeted
offerings in applications affected by the pandemic.
10.4% laser use
Overall increase
Photonics being a truly cross-cutting, enabling technology is stubbornly in industrial
bucking this trend and shows strong growth across many different market laser market $18.2
billion
sectors.
From micro-machining and materials processing for semiconductors, to
applications including industrial and telecom, aerospace and defense, and life
Value of global
industrial
sciences, a recent study2 predicts that by the end of the year we will witness:
laser market
• Growth of over 28.5% in some categories of industrial laser use
“
• Overall industrial laser market increase of 10.4%
• A global industrial laser market worth $18.2 billion (£13.2 billion)
These are positive signs that create optimism and hope for businesses across To be at the vanguard of industrial
the complete value chain – from component manufacturers and value-add OEM laser use, laser component
vendors, to Tier-1s relying on photonics to manufacture the end-products their manufacturers need to be at
customers buy – from smartphones to wind turbines. the forefront of industrial laser
design.
With strong growth in high-volume industrial lasers, increased ubiquity is
expected to lead to more demanding expectations of cost versus performance
in industrial laser systems for commoditized products in this specific market
sub-sector. On the other hand, innovative photonic products are expected to In this article we explore the
continue to dominate in the semiconductor processing market, as well as in life demand for photonics-based
sciences and aerospace and defense, driven by high-performance, field reliability, solutions across sectors,
qualification standards and product differentiation. applications and pain-points,
In short, to be at the vanguard of industrial laser use, laser component and set out industry needs for
manufacturers need to be at the forefront of industrial laser design. Anything photonic components to address
else is going to put them – and, ultimately, the businesses they serve – behind the challenges customers face
the curve. today.
Page 3
G&H INSIGHT
WHAT’S DRIVING LASER MARKETS? UNRAVELLING THE UPLIFT
Rather ironically, the pandemic Global internet traffic continues
itself has been responsible for a to increase, driven also by remote
significant uptick in certain areas of working and the impact of Covid-19.
the laser component market, both Globally, the total number of Internet
in 2020 and 2021. users is projected to grow from 3.9
billion in 2018 to 5.3 billion by 2023 at
Arguably, this is unsurprising in the
a CAGR of 6%, and as of January 2021
communications sector, given the
stood at 4.66 billion4.
exponential increase in the use of
online conferencing tools and the To intercept this global traffic
electronic devices that facilitate them. increase, all the ‘background’ enabling
technologies need to step-up and
It is equally unsurprising that China
deliver. Amongst others, these
leads the world in this respect,
include a new generation of faster
via the famed ‘3C’ triumvirate
microchips, higher-speed printed
(‘computer, communication, consumer Beyond the industrial market,
circuit boards, new compound
electronics’), particularly when one photonics is currently also
semiconductors and more advanced
considers that the country's ultrafast underpinning the aerospace and
and high-throughput manufacturing
laser market alone grew at a CAGR of defense sector, outperforming the
techniques. Innovations in photonics
70.5% from 2015-2019, compared to sector average. The technology’s
technology have been the primary
a global CAGR of 11% over the same potential for faster, miniaturized,
enabler in all these advancements
period3. power-efficient and EMI-free systems
in the microelectronics industry;
is attracting significant attention
And the stability of several other from lasers used in wafer fabrication
for generating photonics-enabled
sectors is in itself, revealing. Demand and inspection, to laser-based
mission-critical functionality. From
in these sectors has increased or manufacturing equipment.
advanced multi-band imaging
remained roughly the same against
The continuous advancement of systems in aerospace platforms, to
the backdrop of an extreme economic
equipment and more precise and ground-based sighting systems using
downturn – indicating that the market
high-throughput lasers can only be augmented reality (AR) is going to be a
for industrial laser components in
maintained if the components used to game-changer in the defense sector.
these applications is, by its very
build these systems continue to meet
nature, highly resilient. From advanced multi-band imaging
the specific and rapidly evolving needs
Growth in the telecom sector for of those applications; and because systems in aerospace platforms, to
photonics is driven from ‘both sides’; photonics has the potential to deliver sighting systems on the ground, using
on the one hand, core and subsea quicker, cheaper, and ‘better than’ augmented reality AR is going to be a
networks are racing for more capacity, alternatives, all eyes are on it – so game-changer in the defense sector.
and on the other hand, the increased the competition to meet those needs
bandwidth at the network edge is skyrockets. Although certain biophotonic sub-
pushing adoption of photonics further markets have suffered through the
out, including interconnection of the Because photonics has the potential pandemic, the sector was resilient
mast to the base of 5G antennas and to deliver quicker, cheaper, and ‘better and most importantly, the outlook
within massive data centers. than’ alternatives, all eyes are on it. for photonics-enabled life sciences
is ‘brighter’ than ever. Our ageing
population, the ever-increasing shift
of healthcare funding from therapy
to early diagnosis, coupled with the
advancements of high-resolution
and multi-modal imaging systems
will continue to challenge and push
for new biophotonic components and
systems.
What, then, are these applications,
what are their needs, and what
does it take for one component to
underpin a laser that outperforms
another?
Page 4
G&H INSIGHT
TARGETING THE APPLICATION PAIN-POINTS – WITH LASER PRECISION
Over the 70 years we have been active in optics and photonics, we have
seen markets rise and fall and application requirements and customer
pain-points evolve rapidly. In the section below, we describe the
applications, current challenges and try to define the required technology
advances to support the industries under consideration.
INDUSTRIAL AND TELECOM Current and future challenges
In industrial applications, higher
Application description: power lasers need high-quality and
Photonic applications in the low-loss components, whereas higher
industrial sector are primarily throughput and more precise lasers
focusing on laser-based require faster and more efficient
microelectronic manufacturing photonic modules.
and semiconductor fabrication and In telecom, higher speeds, power
metrology. Typical applications efficiency and capacity scaling are
include photolithography, going to drive next-generation system
metrology, laser-based equipment architectures, supporting convergence
for flexible and high-density from wireless and space-based
interconnects (HDIs), printed networks.
circuit boards (PCBs), via drilling,
integrated circuit (IC) packaging Outperform indicators Token critical technologies
applications and display Industrial • Low-loss and high-damage
manufacturing and processing. • Ultrafast (femto- and pico-second threshold optical components
capability) • Miniaturized photonic components
In the telecom sector, fiber-optic • Power-efficient and high-speed
• High-throughput equipment
passive and active components lasers and modules
• Higher precision and repeatability
are used to generate, modulate, • Faster optical switches and
amplify and guide light in fiber- Telecom
deflectors
optic links for diverse applications. • Power efficient systems to enable
These links can be a few meters higher capacity
long (e.g. interconnecting 5G • Higher speed networks Associated keywords: Precision optics
• Converged networks merging (PO); fiber optics (FO); acousto-optics
antennas or data centers) to a
(AO); microelectronics, semiconductor
few thousand kilometers long wireless and wired communication
wafer fabrication and processing,
(e.g. subsea network bridging two infrastructure industrial lasers, UV lasers, PCB via
continents). drilling, smartphone display processing
Page 6
G&H INSIGHT
AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE
We also expect these systems to start
Application description: penetrating into adjacent established
Aerospace and defense sectors markets like security and counter-
rely on lasers for mission-critical, terrorism to more futuristic developing
inertial navigation systems, markets such as planetary mining.
including ring laser gyroscopes for
airborne and maritime navigation, Quick to deploy and munitionless, they
and guidance systems for missile fire a noiseless, invisible, variable-
and UAV (drone) guidance. intensity beam almost perfectly flat
over long distances. The technology is
Photonics is also key for currently in the demonstration phase
sensing and imaging in harsh and current challenges including
environments as part of airborne, operational stability in diverse and
spaceborne or ground military harsh environments as well as size,
assets. Associated keywords: diode
weight, power and cost (SWAP)
lasers, fiber optic gyroscopes, lidar,
are being engineered by several hyperspectral imaging, sighting systems,
development teams around the world.
Current and future challenges radiation-hard precision optics, atomic
clocks, laser cooling, gravimeters, high-
In these applications, many of the Outperform indicators
energy lasers (HEL), solid state lasers
challenges seen in industrial and • Low-size, low-weight, low-power
(SSL), fiber lasers, optimal beam point,
telecom also apply, but with the laser solutions missile defense, drone defense
added critical dimension that defense • Ruggedized designs to withstand
“
applications operate in typically harsh high shock and high vibration
environments that can drastically • Stability throughout wide
impact component reliability. temperature ranges Robust sensors and imaging
• Multi-band sensing and systems, combined with
Modern warfare is increasingly reliant
communication systems communication in RF-denied
on deep-tech in order to provide the
• Military grade qualification levels and navigation in GPS-denied
reconnaissance edge and operational
• Highly sensitive sensors environments, are going to be key
superiority when active engagement
is required on the battlefield. challenges where photonics can
Token critical technologies
• New power-efficient laser diode offer unique solutions.
Robust sensors and imaging systems,
combined with communication in RF- modules
denied and navigation in GPS-denied • Functional hermetic modules
environments, are going to be key merging electronics and photonics
challenges where photonics can offer • Lightweight multi-band systems for
unique solutions. reconnaissance and remote sensing
• Advanced sighting systems for
Although lasers are progressively increasing situational awareness in
becoming the solution of choice the battlefield
for navigation, rangefinding, and
target designation, we see photonics
continuing to penetrate the market,
enabling new applications, such as
directed energy weapons (DEW).
Pivoting on the advancements in high-
power laser technology within the
industrial sector, high-energy lasers
are gaining traction, primarily due to
the high efficiency, monolithic nature
and power scalability of photonics and
fiber optics.
We expect to see directed energy
weapons fully operational in
combat systems and vehicles
globally in the next five years.
Page 7
G&H INSIGHT
LIFE SCIENCES AND MEDICAL Arguably, this requirement has also
been fueled by the recent Covid
Application description: pandemic, and the accompanying
Biophotonics, as the name realization that rapid diagnostics
suggests, is the cross-section can be vital for the effective and
between life science and immediate containment of virulent
photonics, fusing the Greek infections, and not just for the early
words Bio (meaning life) and phos detection and treatment of underlying
(meaning light). health issues.
Biophotonics is essentially Outperform indicators
“
split into two main categories; • Higher-accuracy, higher-resolution
medical diagnostics and medical diagnostics
therapeutics and both revolve • Combination of imaging and In the short term, we expect
around the traditional pillars therapeutics in surgery biophotonics and specifically
of medicine (predict, monitor, • Functional imaging combining aesthetic laser components
diagnose and treat). different technologies and systems to outperform the
• Minimally-invasive or non-invasive sector average, propelled by a
in-vivo diagnostics post-pandemic surge in cosmetic
Current and future challenges • Cohesion of supply – one source for
The advances in biophotonics
and minimally invasive surgeries
all necessary optics, modules and worldwide.
continue to optimize, streamline, and subassemblies
automate treatment devices, making
them more accessible, efficient, and Token critical technologies
as non-invasive as possible. These • Ultra-wide bandwidth components
advances can be seen in laser surgery, • Biocompatible micro- and nano-
fluorescence microscopy which has photonic integrated components
revolutionized our understanding of • Laser active and passive
kidney physiology for example, and components in new wavelengths
medical imaging generally. The global • Precision optical components for
medical imaging market size was AR/VR in medical diagnostics and
$33.69 billion in 2019 and is projected surgery
to reach $43.33 billion by 2027,
In the short term, we expect
exhibiting a CAGR of 5.1% during the
biophotonics and specifically aesthetic
forecast period 5.
laser components and systems to
In many senses, the burgeoning outperform the sector average,
opportunities for laser technology propelled by a post-pandemic surge
in this sector are also its greatest in cosmetic and minimally invasive
challenges. surgeries worldwide.
Driven not only by demographics (an Longer-term, we expect a ‘collision’
increasingly ageing population) and of photonics with other disciplines
changes in funding emphasis (from (robotics, artificial intelligence,
treatment to early detection), laser augmented reality), driven by ever
technology in this sector is also coming more accurate, reliable, stable, and
under pressure from the demand and integrated laser components and
expectation that real-time, lab-quality systems.
diagnostics and detection should now
be achievable within minutes rather Associated keywords: Pockels cells,
super-resolution microscopy, functional
than hours – the so-called ‘point of
imaging, fluorescence microscopy,
care’ or ‘with-patient’ orthodoxy.
optogenetics, medical quantum sensing,
fiber-optics
Page 8
G&H INSIGHT
SPACE COMMUNICATIONS AND Outperform indicators
REMOTE SENSING • Optimum SWaP-C (size, weight,
power and cost)
• Ruggedized designs to withstand
Application description: high levels of shock and vibration
High-speed connectivity between due to launch
satellites and from satellites • Survival and operation throughout
to ground using lasers has wide temperature ranges
been identified as a promising • Performance under radiation
technology solution for creating throughout its operational lifetime
high-speed, low-latency and • Cost-effective bootstrapping best
future-proof networks in the sky. practice from adjacent markets
Moreover, relaying data from low- Some critical technologies
earth orbit (LEO) to geostationary • High-performance lasers coupled
satellites using high-speed with photodetectors and passive
laser communications can offer fiber optics
high-capacity and near real-time • Laser electronics and digital control
downloading of data from remote systems including u-ICs and FPGAs
sensing satellites. • Optical pre-amplifiers; booster and
high-power amplifiers
Current and future challenges • Rad-hard space transceivers
New communication architectures • Highly stable laser sources and
using space photonic components and atomic clocks for navigation
modules must deliver the required
performance and reliability in the
required operational scenario and
corresponding environment.
The Earth’s orbit is an inhospitable
environment for electronics and
photonics. Satellites orbiting our
planet usually do so within or close to
the inner and outer Van Allen belt that
traps transit galactic and solar cosmic
radiation. Moreover, these systems
must be able to meet the stringent
cost targets in order to allow for mass
manufacturing of space hardware
using realistic funding levels.
Transitioning from traditional high-
cost bespoke systems to higher
volume, high-reliability systems in a
cost-effective way is by far the biggest
challenge faced.
Associated keywords: Space photonics,
satellite communication, navigation,
lidar, quantum-based sensors, atomic
clocks
Transitioning from traditional high-
cost bespoke systems to higher
volume, high-reliability systems in a
cost-effective way is by far the biggest
challenge faced.
Page 9
G&H INSIGHT
CONCLUSIONS
The pandemic has tested the agility and robustness of
the photonics industry. The technology’s fragmented
nature that is usually seen as a disadvantage, this
time has worked in its favor and enabled even deeper
penetration into a plethora of emerging growth areas.
The laser market in 2021 is performing strongly with the
electronics industry expected to drive the market's growth
over the short term.
It would seem, therefore, that 2021 is indeed destined,
in many sectors and across many applications, to see
photonics and laser push the boundaries and demonstrate
their resilience in what has undeniably been an
unprecedented climate.
2021 is destined, in many sectors and across many
applications, to see photonics and laser push the boundaries
and demonstrate their resilience.
… But as the market grows, the competition inevitably
increases; and in that crowded environment, the product
differentiators and business capability to constantly
innovate become more important than ever.
G&H Insight looks at what’s happening, why and how it
affects your business in the world of photonics.
Written by specialists at G&H, it aims to share information
learned from 70 years’ listening to our customers, involving
them in our product development, and sharing our insight-
Stratos Kehayas Adrian Meldrum
led approach.
Chief Technology Officer Chief Commercial Officer
gandh.com info@gandh.com G&H Photonics G&H Photonics GandHPhotonics
REFERENCES IMAGE CREDITS
1 APM 2020 Page 7 top right: Courtesy of the US Navy
2 Worldwide Laser Market Review & Forecast 2021 Page 7 middle right: © Crown copyright 2011
3 https://www.cioe.cn Page 8 bottom right: Courtesy of Michelson Diagnostics
Page 9 top right: © Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
4 www.cisco.com and www.statista.com
5 www.fortunebusinessinsights.com The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual
information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
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