China restricts exports of gallium and germanium

The Chinese government has issued export restrictions for gallium and germanium, as well as compounds that contain these elements. The announcement of the curbs comes days after the publication of export control measures by the Dutch government, requiring ASML and ASM to apply for a license to ship certain tools. Starting 1 August, Chinese suppliers of gallium and germanium will be subject to similar licensing requirements.

Gallium is currently predominantly used to make gallium arsenide (GaAs), a compound semiconductor used as a substrate in RF, microwave and high-speed digital circuits, among other applications. It’s also widely found in optoelectronic devices such as lasers, LEDs and solar cells. Another popular destination for gallium is gallium nitride, which shares many of GaAs’s applications in addition to gaining traction as a power semiconductor.

Major end-uses for germanium include (fiber) optics, infrared technologies and electronics. Alloyed with silicon, SiGe circuits offer the high-speed, high-frequency performance that’s appreciated in RF applications. SiGe also enables integrating analog, RF and digital functions on a single IC.