ABSTRACT
The global merchant dollar market for DC/DC converters is projected to increase from about $3.6 billion in 2001 to about $6.0 billion in 2006, a compound annual growth rate of 10.6%. North American sales of DC/DC converters in networking and telecom equipment are expected to grow from $2.3 billion in 1999 to $4.6 billion in 2004, a yearly compounded growth rate of 15.3%. The first quarter of 1995 was the first time that shipments of 3.3 V microprocessor and memory integrated chips (ICs) exceeded the shipments of 5 V parts. Once this transition occurred in memories and microprocessors, the demand for low-voltage power conversion began to grow at an increasing rate. The primary application of DC/DC converters is in computer power supplies and communication equipment.
