Mineral commodity summaries 2024

Cover: Photograph of microchips, also known as integrated circuits (ICs), on a semiconductor wafer.Microchips have become an integral part of daily life, as they are essentially the brain of modern electronics found in everything from computers, communication devices, medical and healthcare technology, vehicle and transportation systems, satellites, military systems, clean energy technology, wireless networks, the Internet of Things (IoT), and countless other applications.Advances in semiconductor and microchip technology have enabled the development of more compact, faster, more powerful, more reliable, and less expensive electronic devices.Gallium (p.74) and silicon (p.160) are two important materials in modern semiconductor technology.Gallium, which is extracted from bauxite (aluminum) and zinc ores, used in the form of gallium arsenide (GaAs) and gallium nitride (GaN) on a silicon substrate, offers superior semiconductor performance compared to silicon, including higher electron mobility, optical features, and higher energy efficiency, making it the preferred material of choice for high-performance and high-frequency specialty applications, such as high-speed telecommunications (for example, 5G networks), high-performance computers, and aerospace systems.High-purity silicon is currently the most widely used material for semiconductor microchips because of its electrical properties, abundance, and cost effectiveness.Photograph courtesy of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.(TSMC).