Feature article - America’s semiconductor facilities are being built: The speciality chemical supply chains that feed them are not - Speciality Chemicals Magazine

The resurgence of the U.S. semiconductor industry is accelerating, with major players like TSMC, Intel, and Samsung investing heavily in domestic manufacturing facilities. However, the specialty chemi... Read original →

The real bottleneck in U.S. semiconductor reshoring isn’t fabs—it’s the near-absent domestic supply chain for ultra-pure specialty chemicals essential to 3nm and EUV processes. Critical inputs like photoresists, CMP slurries, and etch gases remain overwhelmingly sourced from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, China, with virtually no U.S. semiconductor-grade production. While the CHIPS Act funds wafer plants, it neglects upstream material ecosystems, inflating construction costs by over 30% and delaying timelines. Technically, the absence of local high-purity feedstocks jeopardizes yield ramp, especially as advanced nodes demand impurity control at sub-ppb levels. Compliance-wise, import reliance heightens geopolitical supply risk, forcing firms into costly buffer stocking. TSMC and Samsung may accelerate joint ventures for onshore materials to secure capacity, while Intel risks falling behind if it fails to vertically integrate. Within 18 months, dominance in U.S. advanced manufacturing will belong to those who build a regional triad of materials, equipment, and fabrication.