The "Rare Earth Paradox" in the Semiconductor Industry: The More Advanced, the More Vulnerable

The value of rare earths to the semiconductor industry is essentially "trace but decisive" - their usage often accounts for less than 0.1% of the total, yet they determine the "ceiling" of the entire industrial chain. This characteristic has trapped the semiconductor industry in a paradox of "the more advanced, the more dependent":

On one hand, the more advanced the manufacturing process, the higher the purity and variety of rare earths required. For a 3-nanometer process, the purity of neodymium-iron-boron magnets needs to reach 99.999% (5N grade), while for a 28-nanometer process, 99.9% (3N grade) is sufficient; the isotopic abundance requirements for dysprosium and terbium have risen from "any proportion" to "a single isotope accounting for 99%".

On the other hand, the "irreplaceability" of rare earths cannot be broken in the short term. In the field of permanent magnets, no other material can match the magnetic energy product of neodymium-iron-boron; in the field of polishing agents, the chemical selectivity of CeO₂ is ten times that of silicon dioxide; in high-k dielectrics, the interface dipole effect of lanthanum has no alternative element. The US Department of Energy has invested 1 billion dollars in searching for rare earth substitutes but has yet to make a breakthrough in the semiconductor field.

This dependence is reshaping the global industrial landscape. Japan is sparing no expense to stockpile dysprosium and terbium, with its strategic reserves of rare earths set to increase to 90 days by 2024; the United States has passed the CHIPS and Science Act, requiring domestic mass production of rare earth permanent magnets by 2030; and China not only controls 60% of the world's rare earth reserves but also holds over 90% of the separation and purification technologies (with purity above 5N). This competition over "industrial vitamins" is essentially a struggle for "voice" in the semiconductor industry - whoever controls rare earths will hold the "pause button" in the next-generation 3-nanometer and 2-nanometer process races.

Rare earths are not a "multiple-choice question", but a "compulsory question"

From the nanoscale dance of lithography machines to the atomic-level optimization of transistors, rare earths support every breakthrough in the semiconductor industry as an "invisible force". It tells us a harsh truth: the "ocean of stars" of human technology often depends on a "handful of soil" deep within the earth.

When we talk about chip autonomy, don't just focus on lithography machines - more fundamental than equipment is the control of rare earths, this "strategic cornerstone". Rare earths are not the "supporting actors" of the semiconductor industry, but the "vital point". In the future, with the development of quantum computing, AI chips, and other cutting-edge fields, the demand for rare earths will grow exponentially. This "power struggle in the microscopic world" has only just begun. And for every ordinary person, every smooth swipe on your phone may be underpinned by a "flavor enhancer" from a rare earth mine - silent and unobtrusive, yet determining the future of technology.