What is the most talked about in recent days is the situation between Russia and Ukraine. Russia is originally a military power, and its every move has attracted the attention of the world. In the context of the deteriorating situation in Russia and Ukraine, the international financial markets have suffered no small shock. Some netizens joked on the social platform that the contradictions between the two countries broke out, but they did not expect that what was finally hurt was their "position".
In addition to the financial markets affected by the conflict between the two countries, the chip market has also been strongly impacted. As we all know, the chip industry belongs to the high-tech industry, and the reason why it will suffer a serious impact is mainly because 70% of the key materials of the chip are in the hands of Russia and Ukraine. Just some time ago, asML, the big guy of lithography machine in the industry, also made a related voice on this, what is going on?
First, the current situation of the chip industry
In recent years, the international chip market itself has been affected by the epidemic, and the supply of raw materials is not sufficient. Many chip manufacturers said that during this period, because of the problems in the upstream and downstream supply, the output of chips will decline to a certain extent in the following period. However, some people believe that the decline in chip supply is only a short period of time, and it will soon recover.
There is nothing wrong with such an idea, because the chip industry has become the most valued industry in many countries at present. Even if it is affected by the epidemic, there will be no complete imbalance in supply, and countries will not allow such a situation. But the accident happened at a time when people were not prepared, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated, giving the chip industry a "heavy punch".
In the process of producing chips, there is an important material called neon gas, which is actually an inert gas. This gas is a gas that has no color and no taste, and because it is an inert gas, it is not easy to ignite. This gas is widely used in life and can be accessed in our lives.
Just like our common outdoor advertising, the colorful neon filled gas inside is often the use of neon gas. In addition, whether it is voltage regulation or illuminated indicators, neon gas is required. Russia and Ukraine basically control 70% of the world's neon resources, so in the case of increasing tensions in these two countries, the chip market will be impacted.
As an important raw material for the manufacture of chips, many related companies need to import this rare gas in Ukraine or Russia. This time, due to changes in the situation between the two countries, it is not the first time. In 2014, there was a serious conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and there was a shortage of neon gas supply during this period.
According to data from that year, the price of natural gas increased sixfold when the two countries clashed in 2014. However, at that time, although the chip market was also affected by the insufficient supply of neon gas, it was not as serious as it is now. Mainly because the spread of the epidemic in recent years has affected the supply of neon gas, this time the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is simply to make the chip market worse.
ASML is a lithography giant, targeting the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which has caused turmoil in the chip market, the company made an external statement. According to relevant reports from some foreign media, the company said on February 23 that it did not import much neon gas in Russia and Ukraine. However, the conflict between the two countries is bound to cause a chain reaction in the industry, so it was decided to find a substance that can replace neon gas and avoid losses.
Second, semiconductors have been impacted in the short term
It is no exaggeration to describe the impact of the Conflict in Russia and Ukraine on the market, and the complexity of the regional situation is bound to affect the supply of neon gas in the region. It is reported that the mainland's current chip index has fallen by 2.25%, and there will be fluctuations for a period of time after that.
Of course, there will certainly be no production line breakage in the short term, but with the continuous reduction of gas supply, the price will have a large upward trend. This also means that the production cost of the semiconductor industry will continue to rise for a period of time in the future, after all, neon gas has always been known as the "blood" of the electronics industry.
The application range of neon gas is very wide, in addition to the chip industry, including liquid crystal displays, optical fibers, crystalline silicon solar cells and other aspects need to be applied to this gas. In addition to neon gas, Ukraine is also rich in xenon, xenon, krypton and other electronic special gases, is a veritable electronic gas supply country. Therefore, if this conflict lasts a long time, the impact on the global modern electronics industry is incalculable.
Most semiconductor manufacturers rely heavily on Russia and Ukraine, so it's no surprise that lithography giant ASML issued such a statement. 90% of the neon gas used by the United States comes from Ukraine, although the United States and China once claimed that they had sufficient neon gas reserves and would not be affected much. But only they know what the actual situation is.
At the same time, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine has also affected the domestic semiconductor industry. Many companies are discussing the same problem, that is, how to ensure that the supply of neon gas will not be interrupted. This has also led some companies to start looking for substances that can replace neon gas, which from another point of view has a certain role in promoting the search for new substances.
Third, the impact on China's semiconductor market
If the supply of neon gas is completely broken, such a situation is unlikely. However, its price is bound to skyrocket, which is what many semiconductor industry companies are most concerned about at the moment, because the price increase will cause costs to increase. And now there has been a rise in the price of neon gas in the mainland, which makes the domestic related enterprises more "headache".
According to relevant survey data, the price of the mainland and even its price in October 2021 was 400 yuan and 1 cubic meter. But with the deterioration of the situation in Russia and Ukraine, even its price has risen to 1600 yuan and 1 cubic meter. In less than 5 months, its price has quadrupled on the mainland.
However, from another point of view, it is speculated that the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine will cause a shortage of neon gas and related materials and increase prices, but it is mainly affected by the downstream industry, and there is a positive trend for the material itself.
epilogue
Although the mainland will suffer some impacts, with the continuous development of these years, China has realized the Chinese production of many materials, so the impact is only limited. The time when the impact risk is concentrated is not now, but in the period of time when new suppliers are sought, there will be a more serious shortage of materials.
All in all the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which is currently causing the price of neon to rise. Although the impact on the chip industry is not deep. As long as the conflict between the two countries cools down in a short period of time, the chip industry will soon recover. So how do readers and friends think about the trend after neon? Welcome to like the message.