manufactured · input

Electronic-Grade Polysilicon (11N, for Semiconductor Wafers)

Ultra-high-purity polycrystalline silicon (11N = 99.999999999% pure, <1 ppt metal impurities) produced by the Siemens CVD (chemical vapor deposition) process from trichlorosilane. The primary feedstock for float-zone and Czochralski single-crystal silicon boule growth, which are then sliced into silicon wafers for semiconductor fabrication. Electronic-grade polysilicon is fundamentally distinct from solar-grade (9N): it requires 100x+ greater purity and commands 3-5x higher prices. Global production is concentrated among Wacker Chemie (Germany, ~27%), Tokuyama (Japan, ~8%), OCI (South Korea), and a small number of Chinese producers. The extreme purity requirements make capacity expansion slow and expensive.

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Where it comes from

Source countries

Share of global supply, by country.

Who makes it

Supplier companies

6 companies produce electronic-grade polysilicon (11n, for semiconductor wafers).

Hemlock Semiconductor

HQ US28% share

US polysilicon producer; majority owned by Dow Inc. (42.5%), with Shin-Etsu Chemical (28.75%) and DuPont Toray Specialty Materials (28.75%). Produces ~19,000 MT/yr of semiconductor-grade and solar-grade polysilicon at Hemlock, MI. Was the world's largest polysilicon producer before Chinese capacity surge (2008–2014). Hemlock's US production represents ~1% of global supply but is strategically important as non-China sourcing for US solar manufacturers subject to UFLPA compliance requirements.

Wacker Chemie AG(WCH.DE)

HQ DE27% share

Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Bavaria, Germany; XETRA: WCH; ~€6B revenue; majority-owned by Dr. Alexander Wacker Familiengesellschaft family trust, ~50.3% stake) is the world's second-largest silicone producer with approximately 20-25% global silicone market share. Wacker's BELSIL brand personal care silicones (BELSIL DM dimethicone fluids, BELSIL CM cyclomethicone, BELSIL PDM dimethicone copolymers) are major ingredients in hair conditioners, shampoos, and skin lotions globally. Wacker's Burghausen, Bavaria facility is the world's largest single integrated silicone production site — a 500-hectare campus on the Salzach River employing ~6,000 people where Wacker produces silicon metal, methylchlorosilanes, silicone polymers, and downstream personal care silicone grades within a single Verbund complex. The same Burghausen campus also produces hyperpure polysilicon for solar panels and semiconductors — Wacker Polysilicon is the world's second-largest polysilicon producer. Wacker's second major silicone site is Nünchritz, Saxony (formerly East Germany), which produces silicone intermediates and specialty grades. In 2024, Wacker announced restructuring including headcount reductions driven by Chinese silicone competition and solar market pricing pressure.

Tokuyama Corporation(4043.T)

HQ JP8% share

Japanese specialty chemicals company (TYO: 4043, HQ Shunan, Yamaguchi); produces electronic-grade IPA (IPA SE) at 99.99%+ purity using a proprietary process where water and propylene react directly — enabling superior purity vs. sulfuric acid hydration route. Tokuyama ships IPA SE from Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and China to serve advanced chipmakers; the product was adopted by 3 of the top 10 global chip manufacturers as of 2024. Tokuyama is the same company that produces polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) for solar panels and semiconductor wafers — it is a critical supplier to both the PV and semiconductor industries simultaneously. HQ is in a remote industrial city on the Seto Inland Sea, producing materials for the most advanced chips on earth.

OCI Company Ltd.

HQ KR5% share

South Korean chemicals company (unrelated to OCI NV / Fertiglobe). Operates an integrated polysilicon and chlorosilanes plant at Gunsan and Iksan, Korea, producing solar-grade and semiconductor-grade silicon tetrachloride as co-product of polysilicon production. One of four non-Chinese producers capable of fiber-optic and semiconductor-qualified SiCl4.

REC Silicon(RECSI.OL)

HQ NO4% share

Norwegian polysilicon producer with US manufacturing history. Operates Butte, MT facility (FBR — Fluidized Bed Reactor polysilicon; 1,500 MT/yr granular polysilicon capacity). Previously operated Moses Lake, WA plant (18,000 MT/yr) which was idled in 2019 due to Chinese trade war tariffs blocking exports to China. Moses Lake restart discussions ongoing; DOE loan guarantees under consideration. REC Silicon is the primary non-Chinese Western polysilicon producer with US domestic capacity.

Tongwei Co., Ltd.(600438.SS)

HQ CN

World's largest polysilicon producer by capacity (~910,000 MT); also makes solar cells, modules, and animal feed — the dual-use company that pivoted from aquaculture to solar manufacturing.