Does neon supply really have any impact on the semiconductor business?


Semiconductors dropped on aggregate about 5% on Friday on warnings that neon production, which is heavily concentrated in Ukraine, might be disrupted by a Russian invasion. I've read a bunch of articles on this warning and they all reference the seeming importance of neon to semiconductor lasers.

Can anyone with intimate knowledge of the semiconductor manufacturing process explain where neon is used and how important it is to the process? Does the potential supply disruption justify the 5% drop across the industry? Or is it an overreaction and potential buying opportunity?

I did my own research on the relevance of neon in silicon manufacturing and I can't justify the claims. As far as I can tell, most silicon manufacturing today is either DUV or EUV lithography. The former uses argon/krypton-fluoride lasers, while the latter uses tin plasma. I can't find a reference to neon anywhere.


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