The White House has been urging the chip industry to develop workarounds to potential material disruptions that could result from a political tension between the U.S. and Russia, Reuters reported Friday.
Russia produces neon and palladium, which are important elements used in chip manufacturing. Factories use neon from Ukraine for laser gases in lithography, and companies use palladium from Russia for chip packaging as well as in some sensors and memory, according to the materials consulting company Techcet.
As reports emerge Friday that Russia could invade Ukraine as early as next week, staffers for the White House National Security Council’s Peter Harrell have been in contact with chip businesses and have urged them to find alternative material sources, according to Reuters. The chip equipment industry association has also recently asked members about their exposure to materials sourced from the region, Reuters reported, which could yet again extend the prolonged chip shortage.
Climate TRACE's data show emissions at the facility-level.Image: Climate TRACE