Chinese quartz approved for semiconductor equipment and DRAM manufacturing, but it still can't break America's monopoly — China secures domestic supply for chipmaking components, but Spruce Pine still holds the crucible monopoly
- ID
- 23158
- Status
- summarized
- Published
- 10 Sep 2026, 8:20 PM
- Fetched
- 10 Sep 2026, 9:12 PM
- Provider
- Tom's Hardware
- Category
- technology
- Original URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/semiconductors/chinese-quartz-approved-for-semiconductor-equipment-and-dram-manufacturing-but-it-still-cant-break-americas-monopoly-china-secures-domestic-supply-for-chipmaking-components-but-spruce-pine-still-holds-the-crucible-monopoly
- Source URL
- https://www.tomshardware.com/feeds/all
Summary
- Score
- 3.5
- Created
- 10 Sep 2026, 9:14 PM
- Tags
- Audience
- saas_startup_foundersai_ml_learners
What happened
China has approved domestic quartz for use in semiconductor equipment and DRAM manufacturing, securing a local supply of chipmaking components. However, the US — specifically Spruce Pine, North Carolina — still holds a monopoly on the high-purity quartz crucibles essential for silicon ingot growth. The article body was not available; only the title and subtitle were provided.
Why it matters
Malaysia is a major semiconductor manufacturing and assembly hub (Penang, Kulim), so shifts in quartz supply chains could affect local fab costs and equipment availability. Founders building hardware-dependent products or sourcing from Chinese semiconductor suppliers should watch whether domestic Chinese quartz reduces component costs or introduces new compliance considerations under US export controls.
Discussion angle
How does China's partial self-sufficiency in quartz but continued dependence on US crucibles affect semiconductor pricing and supply stability for Malaysian fabs and electronics manufacturers?