Digital

Semiconductors and chips

Integrated circuits, microcontrollers, and chips embedded in vehicles, appliances, and electronics.

Why it matters · Chip shortages delay vehicle deliveries, raise appliance prices, and constrain electronics availability.

15

Inputs

47

Companies

18

Facilities

10

Source countries

How it's made

The process

  1. 01

    Wafer Preparation & Well Implantation

    300mm silicon wafers (Shin-Etsu, Sumco) cleaned and n/p-well regions formed by ion implantation to create the transistor substrate. For leading-edge nodes (3nm, 2nm), wafer surface preparation tolerances are sub-angstrom. TSMC and Samsung Foundry consume the majority of 300mm wafers.

  2. 02

    Front-End Lithography & Transistor Formation

    Multiple rounds of EUV/DUV lithography (ASML machines) pattern gate structures at 2–5nm dimensions. Advanced FinFET or Gate-All-Around (GAA, Samsung 3nm+, TSMC N2) transistors formed by precise etch, ALD, and thermal processes. Each leading-edge chip uses 100+ patterning steps; a single logic chip sees 2–3 EUV exposures per layer and 50+ DUV exposures total.

  3. 03

    Back-End-of-Line (BEOL) Metallization

    Up to 15 layers of copper interconnects deposited and patterned to wire transistors into circuits. Copper dual-damascene process with low-k dielectrics reduces signal delay. Cobalt and ruthenium liners used at advanced nodes to reduce resistance in narrow vias. Each additional metal layer requires another lithography + etch + CMP cycle.

  4. 04

    Wafer-Level Test & Probe

    Completed wafers electrically probed at each die location. Speed/power binning determines whether a die is high-end, mid-tier, or scrap. Yield — the percentage of functional dies per wafer — is the dominant cost driver at leading-edge nodes. TSMC N3 initial yields below 60% are common; mature N5 runs at 80%+.

  5. 05

    Advanced Packaging (Flip-Chip / Chiplet / CoWoS)

    Dies attached face-down to organic substrates using controlled-collapse chip connection (C4 bumps) or micro-bumps (for chiplets). High-end CPUs/GPUs/AI chips use TSMC's CoWoS (Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate) or Intel Foveros. The organic substrate — built on ABF (Ajinomoto Build-up Film) — is a near-monopoly supply item that became a critical shortage during the 2020–2021 chip crisis. Automotive MCUs use simpler wire-bond packaging.

  6. 06

    Final Package Assembly & Molding

    Packaged chips encapsulated in epoxy molding compound to protect against moisture, physical damage, and ESD. Solder balls or leads attached for PCB mounting. For automotive-grade chips, burn-in testing at elevated temperature/voltage screens infant-mortality failures per AEC-Q100 specification.

  7. 07

    Final Test & Qualification

    Each finished chip tested at speed/voltage corners. Automotive and industrial chips undergo extended qualification (AEC-Q100 Grade 0–3) adding 6–12 weeks vs. consumer chip timelines. This qualification requirement is why automotive chip shortages are acute — a new fab cannot quickly substitute for a qualified supplier even when wafer capacity exists elsewhere.

Where it comes from

Country dependencies

Weighted share of upstream inputs sourced from each country.

CountryWeighted shareInputs supplied to semiconductors and chips
NLNetherlands100%EUV Lithography Machines
MXMexico55%Semiconductor Etch Gases (NF₃, HF, WF₆)
JPJapan50%ABF Substrate (Ajinomoto Build-up Film) · CMP Slurries (Chemical Mechanical Planarization) · Epoxy Molding Compound (EMC) +6
USUnited States30%EUV/ArF Semiconductor Photoresists · Fumed Silica (AEROSIL) — CMP & Industrial · Crucible-Grade High-Purity Quartz (HPQ) +3
CNChina28%CMP Slurries (Chemical Mechanical Planarization) · Semiconductor Etch Gases (NF₃, HF, WF₆) · Fumed Silica (AEROSIL) — CMP & Industrial +7
UAUkraine21%Fumed Silica (AEROSIL) — CMP & Industrial · Neon Gas (Semiconductor-Grade, for Excimer Lasers)
RURussia15%Neon Gas (Semiconductor-Grade, for Excimer Lasers)
SGSingapore12%300mm Silicon Wafers
DEGermany11%CMP Slurries (Chemical Mechanical Planarization) · Semiconductor Etch Gases (NF₃, HF, WF₆) · EUV/ArF Semiconductor Photoresists +5
KRSouth Korea11%ABF Substrate (Ajinomoto Build-up Film) · CMP Slurries (Chemical Mechanical Planarization) · Epoxy Molding Compound (EMC) +4

Shipped finished

Top finished-goods sources

Countries that ship finished semiconductors and chips directly to the U.S., distinct from the upstream raw inputs above.

CountryU.S. importsShare of U.S. imports
TWTaiwan$10.5B30%
MYMalaysia$9.5B27%
ILIsrael$4.7B13%
CRCosta Rica$2.3B7%
IEIreland$2.1B6%
CNChina$1.1B3%
VNVietnam$989M3%
JPJapan$984M3%
KRSouth Korea (Republic of Korea)$817M2%
DEGermany (Federal Republic of Germany)$584M2%

Who makes it

Supplier companies

47 companies in this supply chain, sorted by market share.

ASML Holding →(ASML)
HQ NL100% shareSOLE SUPPLIER

ASML Holding N.V. (Nasdaq: ASML, Euronext: ASML); sole global manufacturer of EUV lithography scanners — 100% market share, no competitor within 10+ years. HQ and final assembly in Veldhoven, Netherlands. Manufactures only ~15% of scanner components internally; draws from 5,150+ global suppliers. TWINSCAN NXE series (low-NA, ~$183M): ~44-56 units/year. TWINSCAN EXE:5200 High-NA ($380M): 5-6 units/year currently, targeting 20/year by 2028. Record backlog €38.8B (Q4 2025); 18-24 month lead times. China dropped from 49% to ~20% of revenue after 2024 export controls. Owns 24.9% of Carl Zeiss SMT — its sole optics supplier.

Supplies these inputs

EUV Lithography Machines

Replaceability

Substitutability 0% · 120 mo to replace

Business segments

  • EUV Lithography Systems (Global Monopoly)55% rev
  • DUV Lithography Systems35% rev
  • Metrology, Inspection + Services10% rev
Carl Zeiss AG →
HQ DE100% shareSOLE SUPPLIER

German optics maker; premium ophthalmic lenses and anti-reflective/hard coatings.

Supplies these inputs

EUV Lithography Machines

Replaceability

Substitutability 5%

Business segments

  • Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology (ZEISS SMT)
  • Medical Technology (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, listed)
  • Research Microscopy Solutions / Industrial Quality & Research
  • Consumer Markets

Subsidiary of Ajinomoto Group; sole commercial producer of ABF (Ajinomoto Build-up Film) used in ~95% of CPU and GPU substrates worldwide. ABF was invented from waste byproducts of MSG manufacturing.

Supplies these inputs

ABF Substrate (Ajinomoto Build-up Film)

Replaceability

Substitutability 20% · 18 mo to replace

Business segments

  • ABF (Ajinomoto Build-up Film) — Global Monopoly85% rev
  • Functional Materials (Electronic + Biomedical)15% rev

Evonik Industries AG (XETRA: EVK; Essen Germany; MDAX listed); world's largest DL-methionine producer under the MetAMINO brand. Total DL-methionine capacity exceeds 700,000 MT/year across three continental hubs: Jurong Island Singapore (~340,000 MT/year — world's largest single methionine complex, expanded +40k MT August 2024), Theodore Mobile County Alabama USA (~245,000 MT/year), and Antwerp Belgium (~120,000 MT/year). The Wesseling Germany DL-Met line closed Q1 2021 as Evonik consolidated production to the three-hub network. Evonik first commercialized DL-methionine synthesis in the 1950s under predecessor Degussa. MetAMINO is Evonik's largest single product. ~30-32% global market share. In February 2022 Evonik announced a $176.5M investment in a new methyl mercaptan (MMP intermediate feedstock) plant at the Alabama site.

Supplies these inputs

Fumed Silica (AEROSIL) — CMP & Industrial

Business segments

  • Nutrition & Care — Animal Nutrition22% rev
  • Nutrition & Care — Health Care15% rev
  • Nutrition & Care — Care Solutions10% rev
  • Smart Materials — Silica18% rev
SK Inc. Materials →
HQ KR42% share

South Korean specialty gas company, subsidiary of SK Group (better known for SK Hynix chips). World's largest NF3 producer with >40% global market share. First Korean company to domestically produce NF3 (2001). Supplies Samsung, SK Hynix, and global foundries.

Supplies these inputs

Semiconductor Etch Gases (NF₃, HF, WF₆)

Business segments

  • NF3 (Nitrogen Trifluoride) — World #160% rev
  • WF6 (Tungsten Hexafluoride) & Other Process Gases30% rev
  • New Materials (EV/Battery Connection)10% rev
JSR Corporation →
HQ JP35% share

JSR Corporation (Tokyo; formerly JASDAQ/TSE: 4185; now private after delisting following Japan Investment Corporation nationalization in 2023) is Japan's leading life science materials company and manufacturer of Amsphere A3 Protein A affinity resin — one of the fastest-growing Protein A resin brands. JSR's Amsphere A3 uses a novel polymer bead architecture (highly cross-linked polymethacrylate) with proprietary recombinant Protein A ligand — designed for high dynamic binding capacity and long resin lifetime. In April 2023, the Japanese government's sovereign industrial fund INCJ (Innovation Network Corporation of Japan, now JIC) acquired a majority stake in JSR Corporation and took it private — an extraordinary step justified by JSR's dual strategic importance in semiconductor photoresists (JSR is the world's #2 photoresist producer, supplying TSMC and Samsung) and bioprocess materials (Amsphere A3). Japan explicitly nationalized JSR to prevent acquisition by non-Japanese parties and to secure domestic control of critical semiconductor and bioprocess supply chains — a template for strategic industry policy that no other major economy had applied to a life science materials company.

Supplies these inputs

EUV/ArF Semiconductor Photoresists

Replaceability

Substitutability 15% · 18 mo to replace

Business segments

  • Semiconductor Photoresists (World #2)45% rev
  • Bioprocess Materials (Protein A + Life Science)20% rev
  • Synthetic Rubber (Original Business)25% rev
  • Display + Other Materials10% rev
Sumitomo Bakelite →
HQ JP30% share

Japanese phenolic-resin and molding-compound maker (Bakelite heritage).

Supplies these inputs

Epoxy Molding Compound (EMC)

Business segments

  • Semiconductor Materials
  • High-Performance Plastics
  • Quality-of-Life / Medical

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.

Supplies these inputs

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

Replaceability

Substitutability 20% · 36 mo to replace

Business segments

  • Semiconductor-Grade Polysilicon50% rev
  • Solar-Grade Polysilicon50% rev

Resonac Holdings K.K. (Tokyo; TSE: 4004; formed 2023 by merger of Showa Denko K.K. and Hitachi Chemical Company Ltd.) is Japan's second-largest ABF substrate film producer after Ajinomoto Fine-Techno, and major semiconductor materials company. Resonac's semiconductor materials division produces ABF-equivalent build-up films under the brand name 'MCL' (Multilayer build-up resin for Core-Less substrates). The merger creating Resonac combined Showa Denko (industrial chemicals, graphite electrodes, specialty gases) with Hitachi Chemical (now Resonac Holdings; adhesives, printed circuit board materials, semiconductor packaging resins) — creating a $8B+ semiconductor materials company directly competing with Ajinomoto in FC-BGA substrates. Showa Denko had itself absorbed Hitachi Chemical in 2021 and rebranded to Resonac in 2023.

Supplies these inputs

ABF Substrate (Ajinomoto Build-up Film) · Epoxy Molding Compound (EMC)

Replaceability

Substitutability 25% · 18 mo to replace

Business segments

  • Semiconductor & Electronics45% rev
  • Graphite & Carbon Products25% rev
  • Chemicals20% rev
  • Inorganic & Functional Materials10% rev

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. (Tokyo; TSE: 4063; ~¥2.3 trillion revenue) is Japan's second-largest EUV photoresist supplier, holding approximately 20-25% of the EUV photoresist market through its SEPR (Shin-Etsu Polymer Resist) product line. Primary EUV resist production at Niigata and Gunma facilities in Japan. The same parent company is the world's largest polyvinyl chloride (PVC) producer, the world's largest silicon wafer producer (through Shin-Etsu Silicones/SEH), and a major hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) pharmaceutical excipient manufacturer. Shin-Etsu's photoresist was among the materials covered by Japan's July 2019 export controls targeting South Korea, as fluorinated polyimide — a resist ancillary material — was one of the three restricted chemicals.

Supplies these inputs

300mm Silicon Wafers

Replaceability

Substitutability 30% · 24 mo to replace

Business segments

  • Semiconductor Silicon Wafers (World #1)30% rev
  • Photoresists + Semiconductor Chemicals15% rev
  • Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) — World #1 Producer25% rev
  • Silicones + Specialty Chemicals20% rev

World's second-largest silicon wafer manufacturer (~25–30% global share). Pure-play wafer company (unlike Shin-Etsu which is diversified). Sumco + Shin-Etsu together supply 60–70% of global 300mm semiconductor wafers. Samsung is a major investor (via SK Siltron subsidiary).

Supplies these inputs

300mm Silicon Wafers

Replaceability

Substitutability 30% · 24 mo to replace

Business segments

  • Silicon Wafers 300mm (Advanced Logic + Memory)65% rev
  • Silicon Wafers 200mm (Mature + Specialty)25% rev
  • Silicon Wafers 150mm and Smaller10% rev

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.

Supplies these inputs

Fumed Silica (AEROSIL) — CMP & Industrial · Electronic-Grade Polysilicon (11N, for Semiconductor Wafers)

Replaceability

Substitutability 20% · 12 mo to replace

Business segments

  • Silicones (~50% revenue)50% rev
  • Polysilicon (~20% revenue)20% rev
  • Polymers — VINNAPAS / VAE (~15% revenue)15% rev
  • Biosolutions — Pharmaceutical Fermentation (~5% revenue)5% rev

Iceblick Ltd (Odessa, Ukraine) was the world's largest semiconductor-grade neon producer by volume before February 2022 — producing approximately 15-30% of global semiconductor-grade neon from crude neon sourced as a byproduct of Ukrainian steel production. Iceblick also produces krypton, xenon, and argon for industrial and specialty gas markets. The company's neon purification capacity is located in Odessa, which was not occupied during Russia's 2022 invasion but was subjected to missile attacks and port blockades affecting operations. Iceblick has resumed partial operations post-2022 but the Ukrainian steel industry (a primary crude neon source) has been severely reduced by the war, limiting crude neon feedstock availability.

Supplies these inputs

Neon Gas (Semiconductor-Grade, for Excimer Lasers)

Replaceability

Substitutability 35% · 18 mo to replace

Business segments

  • Semiconductor-Grade Neon55% rev
  • Krypton & Xenon30% rev
  • Argon & Industrial Gases15% rev

Japan's second-largest photoresist manufacturer (~25% global market share). Produces ArF immersion and EUV photoresists critical for advanced DRAM/NAND patterning. Investing in new photoresist production for 2nm chips alongside JSR. JSR government acquisition and TOK expansion represent Japan's strategic lockdown of this sector.

Supplies these inputs

EUV/ArF Semiconductor Photoresists

Replaceability

Substitutability 15% · 18 mo to replace

Business segments

  • EUV and ArF Photoresists55% rev
  • Developer and Process Chemicals25% rev
  • EUV Pellicles + Photomask Materials10% rev
  • Advanced Packaging + Display Materials10% rev
SUMCO →(SUOPY)
HQ JP23% share

Second-largest silicon wafer manufacturer globally with ~23% share of 300mm market. Joint venture heritage from Mitsubishi Materials and Sumitomo Metal Industries. Critical supplier to TSMC and Samsung.

Supplies these inputs

300mm Silicon Wafers

Replaceability

Substitutability 25% · 36 mo to replace

Business segments

Second largest fumed silica; Cab-O-Sil brand; Tuscola IL and Hanover Germany plants; semiconductor CMP and electronics applications; also activated carbon (Norit)

Supplies these inputs

Fumed Silica (AEROSIL) — CMP & Industrial

Replaceability

Substitutability 50% · 12 mo to replace

Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; TSE: 4063; ~¥2.1T revenue; ~$14B) is the world's largest PVC resin producer and one of its top two or three silicone producers globally, with approximately 15-20% global silicone market share. Shin-Etsu's silicones division produces KF-96 series dimethicone fluids (5 to 100,000 cSt viscosities) that are widely used in personal care formulations across Asia and globally — KF-96 is one of the most recognized cosmetic-grade dimethicone references in personal care ingredient databases. Primary silicone manufacturing is at Naoetsu, Niigata Prefecture (Japan Sea coast) and Gunma Prefecture plants. Shin-Etsu Chemical's enormous scale in both PVC and silicones makes it unique: the company produces chloromethane (methyl chloride) — the key Müller-Rochow process reagent — from its chlor-alkali operations, giving it vertical integration from chlorine production through dimethicone. Shin-Etsu also produces EUV photoresists, making it a supplier to both haircare formulators and TSMC's 3nm fab within the same corporate entity.

Supplies these inputs

EUV/ArF Semiconductor Photoresists

Replaceability

Substitutability 15% · 24 mo to replace

Business segments

  • PVC & Chlor-Alkali36% rev
  • Silicones27% rev
  • Semiconductor & Electronics Materials25% rev
  • Functional Materials12% rev

Ukrainian specialty gas company (Odesa/Odessa, Ukraine); one of the two major Ukrainian semiconductor-grade neon producers before and during the 2022 Russian invasion. Cryoin's Odesa facility processes crude neon from Ukrainian steel mill ASUs into semiconductor-grade product (5N purity — 99.999%) for export to Asian and European chip manufacturers. Unlike Ingas in Mariupol, Cryoin's Odesa facility was not directly destroyed in the early months of the war — Odesa, while subject to missile attacks, remained under Ukrainian control. Cryoin reportedly supplied approximately 20-30% of global semiconductor-grade neon pre-war. Cryoin's continued operations represent a tenuous supply lifeline for semiconductor manufacturers — operating in a country at war, subject to electricity shortages, and under constant threat from Russian missile strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure (which Russia systematically targeted starting in late 2022). Each Russian strike on Ukrainian power infrastructure disrupted Cryoin's neon purification operations.

Supplies these inputs

Neon Gas (Semiconductor-Grade, for Excimer Lasers)

Replaceability

Substitutability 35% · 12 mo to replace

Business segments

  • Semiconductor-Grade Neon (5N)55% rev
  • Xenon (Electronic & Space Grade)25% rev
  • Krypton (Satellite & Insulating Glass)15% rev
  • Crude Gas Processing & Other Rare Gases5% rev

Where it's made

Facilities

18 facilities producing inputs that feed semiconductors and chips.

ASML Veldhoven Headquarters & Manufacturing →

NL

ASML Holding · Veldhoven, North Brabant · equipment_manufacturing

Only site in the world where EUV machines are assembled. Each EUV machine contains 100,000+ parts from 5,000+ suppliers and takes ~18 months to build. Ships ~50 units/year.

Ajinomoto Fine-Techno Kawasaki Production Facility →

JP

Ajinomoto Fine-Techno · Kawasaki, Kanagawa · specialty_materials

Primary manufacturing site for ABF (Ajinomoto Build-up Film). Produces the insulating film shipped as panels to substrate manufacturers (Ibiden, Shinko Electric, AT&S) who build the organic substrates for Intel, AMD, Nvidia chip packages. Ajinomoto expanded capacity after 2021 shortage.

Cryoin Odessa Neon Facility →

UA

Cryoin Engineering · Odessa, Ukraine · neon extraction and purification

Legacy Soviet-era air separation byproduct extraction. Halted February 24, 2022 upon Russia invasion. Represented part of the 45-54% Ukraine share of global semiconductor-grade neon.

FUJIFILM Electronic Materials -- Fort Worth, Texas →

US

FUJIFILM Electronic Materials Process Chemicals · Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, USA · manufacturing_plant

US headquarters for FUJIFILM Electronic Materials Process Chemicals (ex-KMG/Entegris). One of 7 global manufacturing locations. Acquired by FUJIFILM from Entegris for $700M (closed 2023). Supplies UHP sulfuric acid, H2O2, and other wet chemicals to US fabs including Intel, Samsung Austin, TSMC Arizona.

Hemlock Semiconductor -- Hemlock, Michigan (EG Polysilicon) →

US

Hemlock Semiconductor · Hemlock, Saginaw County, Michigan, USA · chemical_plant

Primary US electronic-grade polysilicon facility; ~25-28% of global EG polysilicon supply. JV between DowSilicones (Dow Chemical), Shin-Etsu Chemical (Japan), and Mitsubishi Materials (Japan). Founded 1961. Hemlock MI is named for the township, not the plant -- the plant gave the city its modern prominence. Largest US domestic chip-grade polysilicon producer. Critical for US semiconductor supply chain security.

JSR Yokkaichi Photoresist Plant →

JP

JSR Corporation · Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture · photoresist_manufacturing

Primary JSR photoresist manufacturing facility. Produces ArF, KrF, and EUV photoresists shipped globally to Samsung, SK Hynix, TSMC, Intel, and Micron. Post-nationalization (2023), now strategically managed under Japan's INCJ.

Mitsubishi Chemical Yokkaichi Japan Complex →

JP

Mitsubishi Chemical Group · Mie · processing

Mitsubishi Chemical Yokkaichi industrial complex in Mie Prefecture; produces NMP and related specialty solvents for domestic Japanese dialyzer manufacturing, electronics, and battery markets; primary NMP source for Japanese dialyzer manufacturers requiring high-purity medical-grade solvent

OCI Company -- Gunsan, North Jeolla, South Korea →

KR

OCI Company Ltd. · Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, South Korea · chemical_plant

OCI primary polysilicon production facility; produces both solar-grade and some electronic-grade polysilicon. Gunsan Saemangeum Industrial Complex. OCI is South Korea's primary domestic polysilicon producer; primarily solar-grade with some EG-grade capacity. OCI also has Malaysian polysilicon operations.

PVS Chemicals -- Buffalo, New York (UHP Plant) →

US

PVS Chemicals · Buffalo, Erie County, New York, USA · manufacturing_plant

55 Elk Street (Lee Street plant), Buffalo NY. The only US-owned UHP sulfuric acid manufacturing facility for semiconductor applications. Invested $30M since 2016 to build three generations of purity grades. Strategically located near Micron's Syracuse fab (~50 miles) and other Northeast US chip plants. Explicitly positioned as CHIPS Act domestic supply beneficiary.

REC Silicon -- Butte, Montana (Polysilicon) →

US

REC Silicon · Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana, USA · chemical_plant

US polysilicon production facility (semiconductor and solar grade); has experienced extended periods of mothballing due to Chinese anti-dumping tariffs on US solar polysilicon exports affecting economics. REC Silicon also operates in Porsgrunn, Norway. FBR (fluidized bed reactor) technology gives different product form factor vs. Siemens CVD chunks used by Wacker/Hemlock. Montana facility uncertain status as of 2024-2025.

Shin-Etsu Shirakawa Silicon Wafer Plant →

JP

Shin-Etsu Chemical · Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture · wafer_manufacturing

One of Shin-Etsu's primary 300mm wafer facilities; produces polished and epitaxial wafers for advanced logic and memory. Critical node in global wafer supply chain.

Stella Chemifa -- Izumiotsu / Sakai, Osaka →

JP

Stella Chemifa Corporation · Izumiotsu City / Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan · manufacturing_plant

Primary UHP chemical manufacturing sites for Stella Chemifa. Izumiotsu (1-41 Rinkai-cho) and Sakai City, Osaka. Produces UHP sulfuric acid, hydrofluoric acid, and other semiconductor-grade wet chemicals. Osaka coastal industrial zone. HQ in Osaka Chuo-ku.

Sumco Saga Manufacturing Complex →

JP

Sumco Corporation · Saga, Saga Prefecture · silicon_wafer_manufacturing

Sumco's largest 300mm wafer manufacturing complex. Together with Shin-Etsu's Japan facilities, dominates global semiconductor-grade wafer supply.

Sumitomo Chemical -- Ehime Works →

JP

Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd. · Niihama City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan · manufacturing_plant

Primary UHP H2SO4 production facility for Sumitomo Chemical. UHP production since 1991; capacity doubled with new production lines commencing FY2024. Niihama is Japan's historic chemical industry hub (Sumitomo Chemical's largest site). Additional capacity expansion announced for South Korea.

TSMC Hsinchu Science Park (Fab 12, 18) →

TW

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) · Hsinchu, Taiwan · logic_fab_advanced

TSMC's most advanced logic fabs. Fab 18 (N3/N2 production) in Hsinchu. Fab 12 handles N5/N4. Together, TSMC's Taiwan fabs produce ~92% of the world's sub-5nm logic chips. A Taiwan Strait conflict or blockade that shut TSMC Taiwan would remove the ability to manufacture leading-edge chips for Apple, Nvidia, AMD, and Qualcomm within weeks.

Tokuyama Shunan Complex (Yamaguchi, Japan) →

JP

Tokuyama Corporation · Yamaguchi · manufacturing

Tokuyama Corporation's main production complex in Shunan City, Yamaguchi Prefecture; produces electronic-grade IPA (IPA SE) via proprietary direct hydration process (water + propylene, no sulfuric acid) achieving 99.99%+ purity. Tokuyama ships IPA SE to Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and China. Same site produces polycrystalline silicon for solar and semiconductor wafers. Source: https://www.tokuyama.co.jp/eng/products/electronic_materials/ipa_se.html

Tongwei Leshan Solar Industrial Base →

CN

Tongwei Co., Ltd. · Sichuan · manufacturing

Tongwei's original polysilicon base in Leshan, Sichuan; also produces solar cells; ~200,000 MT polysilicon capacity

Wacker Chemie -- Burghausen, Bavaria (Electronic-Grade Polysilicon) →

DE

Wacker Chemie AG · Burghausen, Upper Bavaria, Germany · chemical_plant

World's single largest electronic-grade polysilicon facility; ~27% of global EG polysilicon from this site. Siemens CVD process (trichlorosilane decomposition at ~1100°C on silicon rods). Burghausen is Wacker's primary chemical complex on the Salzach River. EG polysilicon here achieves 11N purity (<1 ppt metal impurities). Any disruption at Burghausen would materially affect global semiconductor wafer supply within months.