At present, tensions between Russia and Ukraine are escalating. The United States, Canada and other countries have withdrawn their diplomats and called on citizens in Ukraine to return home. Secretary of state Blinken said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a great threat and is imminent.
Considering that Ukraine and Russia are major producers of special gases for semiconductor manufacturing in the world, the White House had warned that the chip industry should be prepared for Russia’s supply interruption. Today (February 13), Sinolink Securities Co.Ltd(600109) also released a research report on the semiconductor material industry, saying that the tense relations between Ukraine and Russia and geopolitical risks may affect the supply of semiconductor materials.
According to Sinolink Securities Co.Ltd(600109) analysis, the 8 inch and 12 inch wafer fabs in the US and Europe are more likely to be affected. Chinese Mainland / Taiwan, Korea, Japan and other non related countries and regions have a chance to gain market share in the short term because of the smooth access to semiconductor gas and materials.
or affect terminal products such as power management chips and power semiconductors
123109 {refers to metal lithography materials.
It is understood that different lithographic gases and voltages can produce light of different wavelengths. After polymerization and filtering, the light source of the lithography machine will be formed, which directly determines the resolution range of the lithography machine.
Most of the lithography gas is the mixture of rare gas and fluorine. The common lithography gas includes argon / fluorine / neon mixture, krypton / neon mixture, argon / neon mixture, argon / xenon / neon mixture, etc. the high requirements for proportioning accuracy and purity directly lead to the high technical difficulty of lithography gas.
Ukraine plays an important role in the lithography gas market. According to the data, Ukraine supplies about 70% of the world’s neon gas, 40% of the world’s krypton gas and 30% of the world’s xenon gas. Neon gas and krypton gas can be used for KrF laser. This process is mainly used for the 250 ~ 130nm mature process of 8-inch wafer.
At present, 250 ~ 130nm process products include power management chip (PMIC), micro electromechanical system (MEMS), MOSFET components, IGBT and other power semiconductor components. Under the background that the global core shortage has not been alleviated, this is bound to further aggravate the core shortage problem.
Another hot material “palladium” is a key material in aerospace, nuclear energy and automobile manufacturing. It is mostly used in the rear packaging link in semiconductors. only a few countries such as Russia and South Africa produce in the world. According to techcet, an American electronic materials market research company, 35% of palladium in the United States comes from Russia.
the U.S. government has begun to develop an emergency plan
The agency is not alarmist. According to the data of the US Trade Commission (ITC), neon prices rose by 600% during the period of tension on the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. In fact, the price of some special gases has begun to rise. According to the data of China’s neon content of 5699} cubic meters in October 2021, the price of China’s Baichuan gas has risen by more than 1600 yuan / cubic meters.
Foreign media broke the news that the White House warned the chip industry to prevent Russia from retaliating against possible sanctions by limiting the supply of key raw materials. Members of the White House National Security Council have been in contact with people in the chip industry in recent days to understand the supply of chip manufacturing materials in Russia and Ukraine and urge them to find other sources.
Joe Pasetti, vice president of global public policy of semi, a group of chip and electronic manufacturing suppliers, has sent an email to members asking to assess the supply risk of important raw materials for chip manufacturing.
Chinese manufacturers have the opportunity to benefit
Analysts from Guojin semiconductor team believe that if there are subsequent supply risks related to neon, krypton and xenon, it will take more than half a year for downstream wafer factories to seek alternative suppliers, which will face new short-term risk.
According to Sinolink Securities Co.Ltd(600109) analysis, and 8 inch /12 inch wafer fabs in Europe and the United States are more likely to be affected. In Chinese Mainland / Taiwan, Korea, Japan and other non related countries and regions, because of the smooth access to semiconductor gas and materials, they have the opportunity to benefit from the increase of market share in the short term.
Further, China Guangdong Huate Gas Co.Ltd(688268) , Hunan Kaimeite Gases Co.Ltd(002549) can supply lithography gas, Guangdong Huate Gas Co.Ltd(688268) supply krypton neon mixture, fluorine neon mixture and other gases for lithography; Hunan Kaimeite Gases Co.Ltd(002549) supply relevant rare gases, such as neon, krypton, xenon and mixed gases. If the supply of neon and krypton in Ukraine is blocked, China Guangdong Huate Gas Co.Ltd(688268) , Hunan Kaimeite Gases Co.Ltd(002549) is expected to benefit.
China Ningbo Kangqiang Electronics Co.Ltd(002119) supplies electroplating wire for semiconductor packaging; Upstream high-purity palladium suppliers mainly include Sino-Platinum Metals Co.Ltd(600459) , Nanfang Zhongjin Environment Co.Ltd(300145) and other companies, but their products are mainly used in automobile exhaust catalysts, renewable resource materials and so on.
