Semiconductors are installed in many objects used in daily life, such as laptops and smartphones, and are essential for modern life. The existence of the only factory that the global semiconductor industry relies on for these semiconductors is a hot topic.
According to Material World, a book published in 2023, the global semiconductor industry relies on the Sibelco factory located in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, United States. This plant produces extremely high purity quartz and is said to be the only source of quartz, the fused quartz crucible material needed for refining silicon wafers. Sibelco’s official page explains that high-purity quartz is used to produce fused quartz, which has unique optical, mechanical and thermal properties and is an essential material for manufacturing a variety of high-tech products.
According to experts, it is technically possible to artificially synthesize quartz with a composition equivalent to Sibelco’s high-purity quartz. However, the synthesis of high purity quartz requires enormous costs and requires a long time to expand the production technology. As a result, if Sibelco is no longer able to produce high-purity quartz, the semiconductor industry risks falling into great chaos for a long period of time. Related information can be found here.
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