[Bloomberg] Key Supplier of Wafers for Chips Has Sold Out Through 2026

[Playstation Tablet 1,731]

We're fucked. Why aren't they opening more plants?

[jehurey 3,243]

6 hours ago, Team 2019 said:

We're fucked. Why aren't they opening more plants?

They are opening more plants.

 

If you have $5 billion dollars in cash today, and break ground on new construction, tomorrow (Friday, February 11th 2022)............you can't get a Semiconductor Fabrication plant ready until maybe 3-4 years from now.

 

And, if you were thinking about running the absolutely smallest semiconductor node in order to create the highest-end circuitry that you use for smartphones and GPUs, that fab plant would need about a couple of more years (and some top of line experienced engineers) to get the fab capable of producing such products at an acceptable yield.

 

Now, that particular article is about a company who makes the bare wafer prior to that wafer going to a Semiconductor Fab plant.

 

So, they get the bare silicon, that was purchased from wherever the raw material is being produced, and they're the ones shaving it down and cutting it into 300mm (12 inch) disc-shaped pieces (wafers), and then they sell those to the actual places that will be imprinting circuit micro-architecture onto those wafers.

 

Honestly, I think major world governments need to step in and tell smartphone makers to stop making new phones every year. That could probably be the quickest and most-effective thing we could do to help with the chip shortage.

Edited February 10, 2022 by jehurey

[madmaltese★ 2,588]

Supply issues with current systems for years to come and zero chance of a Switch 2 in the near future.