Chips dip

The electronics
industry is being
threatened by yet
another period of
scarcity, with
reports that the
demand for polycrystalline
silicon is outstripping supply
(The Electronics
and Wireless World,
June, 1995).

Fears about the
supply of polycrystalline silicon -
the raw material for
monocrystalline ingot
production - are growing
as the continuing boom in chip
sales spurs
semiconductor
manufacturers to
step-up their demand
for wafers. The world demand for
polycrystalline silicon this
year is estimated
to be 13,500 tonnes
(t), whereas total
production is not
likely to exceed
12,000 t.