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Semiconductors

Semiconductors are materials with electrical conductivity between that of conductors and insulators, forming the foundation of modern electronics and digital technology. Silicon is the most widely used semiconductor material, though compounds such as gallium arsenide and silicon carbide are employed for specialised applications. Semiconductor devices include transistors, diodes, integrated circuits and microprocessors, which control and amplify electrical signals in virtually all electronic equipment. The technology underpins industries ranging from computing and telecommunications to automotive, healthcare and renewable energy. Manufacturing involves highly complex processes including photolithography, doping and etching, carried out in ultraclean fabrication facilities known as fabs. The global semiconductor industry is concentrated in East Asia, North America and Europe, with leading manufacturers including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Samsung and Intel. Demand for semiconductors has surged with the proliferation of smartphones, data centres, electric vehicles and Internet of Things devices. Supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions have highlighted the strategic importance of semiconductor production, prompting governments to invest in domestic manufacturing capacity. Advances in miniaturisation, following Moore's Law, have driven exponential increases in computing power and energy efficiency over decades. The sector faces challenges including resource intensity, electronic waste and the need for circular economy approaches to recover valuable materials from end-of-life devices. Semiconductors remain central to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the transition to sustainable, digitally enabled economies.

Semiconductors Updates


USA Rare Earth Round Top project site
USA Rare Earth to invest $1.2bn in South Carolina facility to boost domestic supply
3rd June 2026 By: Reuters

USA Rare Earth said on Tuesday it will invest $1.2-billion to build a magnet manufacturing and rare earth metals facility in South Carolina, as it expands domestic production capacity. Shares of... 


ASPI to make first enriched Si-28 shipments to the US in the third quarter
26th May 2026 By: Schalk Burger

JSE- and Nasdaq-listed advanced materials company ASP Isotopes (ASPI) has successfully restarted the first 18 stages, comprising segments one and two, of its Silicon-28 (Si-28) enrichment facility,... 


Tungsten in containers
EU shortlists tungsten, rare earths for first stockpile to curb China reliance
20th May 2026 By: Reuters

The European Union has shortlisted tungsten, rare earths and gallium for its first joint stockpile of critical minerals aimed at reducing its reliance on China, three sources familiar with the... 


Prolonged uncertainty could trigger fragile period, shortages and wider financial stress – Unctad
19th May 2026 By: Schalk Burger

The global economy is moving from an initial phase of supply disruptions and inflation into a more fragile period, where prolonged uncertainty could trigger shortages and wider financial stress,... 


An image of phones
Council highlights platinum’s role in producing crystals for electronics, optics
15th May 2026 By: Tasneem Bulbulia

Industry organisation the World Platinum Investment Council has highlighted the importance of platinum‑based equipment for producing large, flawless crystals for electronics and optics... 


Mixed rare earth sulphate
China still drags its feet on rare earths sometimes, says Greer
15th May 2026 By: Reuters

Rare earth exports from China to the US are improving although Beijing is still slow to approve some shipments, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Thursday. China still drags its feet... 


An image of a laptop
Refurbished hardware bypasses constraints
15th May 2026 By: Nadine Ramdass

Refurbished hardware offers a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to buying new hardware while bypassing constrained chip availability and supply chain disruptions, says refurbished... 


An image of a automotive assembly line
Structural constraints leave OEMs’ supply chain exposed
15th May 2026 By: Nadine Ramdass

Despite experiencing frequent supply chain disruptions over the last six years, suppliers remain reactive rather than proactive, owing to structural constraints within the value chain, leaving... 


US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping
Trump, Xi to weigh rare earth truce extension, but China's curbs still bite
13th May 2026 By: Reuters

China and the US are considering extending a truce on Chinese rare earth export curbs at a leaders' summit this week, but Chinese customs data shows Beijing is still throttling shipments of the... 


Fluorspar heaps
Mont Royal mulls fluorspar circuit viability at Ashram
5th May 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

With fluorspar having recently been named a critical mineral in Canada, the US and Europe, ASX- and TSX-V-listed Mont Royal Resources continues to reaffirm the potential of its Ashram rare earths... 


Lynas Rare Earths site
Australia, Japan strengthen critical minerals ties
4th May 2026 By: Reuters

Australia and Japan have beefed up their cooperation around critical minerals amid a State visit by Japan's prime minister, with the countries providing A$1.67-billion, or $1.20 billion, in support... 


Autonomous drone
Adisyn granted use of ‘breakthrough’ stealth drone IP
22nd April 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

ASX-listed Adisyn has been granted worldwide exclusive rights to commercialise graphene-based radar signature reduction technology, marking a transition from research to a structured commercial... 


Semiconductor microchip
Australian company demos tech that solves prominent semiconductor issue
20th April 2026 By: Marleny Arnoldi

ASX-listed Adisyn has successfully demonstrated full coverage graphene on a 1 cm by 1 cm coupon using an industrial Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) system, with the deposition process having been... 


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