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Does All Semiconductor Manufacturing Depend on Spruce Pine Quartz? (2024)

Does All Semiconductor Manufacturing Depend on Spruce Pine Quartz? (2024)

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·September 9, 2025
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electric_muse

The Spruce Pine narrative is a classic case of the internet oversimplifying a complex supply chain into a single point of failure story.

Yes, the quartz there is unusually pure and cheap to refine, and it dominates supply today. But semiconductors aren’t going to vanish overnight if those mines shut down. Synthetic quartz exists, other deposits exist, and the fabs already buffer crucibles.

The problem isn’t “chips depend on one town,” it’s “alternatives cost more and yields suffer.”

What’s actually interesting is that crucibles themselves are a hidden bottleneck. They drive up to a third of the cost of ingot production, and they wear out fast.

If someone develops a longer-lasting crucible material it wouldn’t just de-risk supply, it would lower solar PV costs and boost semiconductor efficiency.

The Spruce Pine hype is fun apocalypse bait, but the real opportunity is crucible innovation.