SEMICONDUCTOR CHIPS
- March 6, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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SEMICONDUCTOR CHIPS
TOPIC: Science & Tech
Context- The Russian invasion is making the global chip shortage situation worse.
Concept-
Why is the Russian invasion impacting chip shortage?
- According to a report by Moody’s Analytics, Ukraine supplies rare gases used to produce semiconductor fab lasers, and
- Russia exports rare metals like palladium to make semiconductors.
- This combination is required to build chipsets that power a range of devices, from automobiles to smartphones.
Palladium:
- Palladium is often used as an alternative to gold in making various devices.
- Palladium metal is highly malleable and resistant to corrosion.
- The rare metal is considered to be softer than gold, but is still much harder and durable than the yellow metal.
- This quality of palladium gives it more protection against an impact and a greater resistance to denting.
- So, automobile makers, electronics manufacturers and biomedical device producers prefer the silverywhite metal.
- Russia and South Africa are the two largest producers of palladium.
- While platinum and rhodium could be substituted for palladium, Russia is also a leading producer of the other platinum group metals.
- Palladium is used in nearly all electronic devices, and the metal is a key to make chipsets and circuit boards.
- It is used to make multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), which are important to make smartphone screens, stereo systems, and power circuit breakers.