AUSTIN, TX – Embedded resistors, widely employed in the defense and aerospace industry, are finding new applications in consumer, telecom, computing and industrial, a new report says. Likewise, planar capacitance, used in the high-performance computing and communication segments for many years, is expanding into IC packages and modules thanks to higher capacitance levels now available, says TechSearch International.

“Embedded Components: Why Now?” details the history of these components, from Dai Nippon Printing, which started shipping PCBs with embedded passive devices in 2006, to TI’s MicroSiP, which is in volume production in portable applications, and Infineon’s DrBlade low-voltage DC-DC voltage regulator for computing, telecommunication, servers (Blade and Rack), PCs, and gaming machines. A smartphone board today contains more than 230 passive devices in the main board, says the research firm.

This 134-page report analyzes the markets, drivers, applications and future growth. Fan-out wafer-level packages are included in the analysis. A discussion of the challenges posed by embedded solutions and the potential impact of the technology on the supply chain is included.