North American Helium

North American Helium CEO, Nicholas Snyder, speaks about the current helium crisis with @TheStalwart and @tracyalloway on the Odd Lots podcast

Executives across the technology sector have begun flagging supply chain disruptions tied to helium scarcity during the Middle East conflict, a development that coincides with the accelerating commercial scale of AI platforms and… gasworld.com/story/global-h… #gasworld #industrialgas

Why the helium shortage matters for chipmakers ft.trib.al/2wgI6QY

Samsung, SK Hynix Move to Stabilize Helium Supply Chain for Semiconductors Amid Prolonged Iran War Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are strengthening their helium supply chains for semiconductor manufacturing in preparation for a prolonged Iran war. Their strategy involves identifying additional supplier countries beyond the existing Middle Eastern sources and adjusting import volume ratios to maintain a stable supply chain. According to industry sources on the 31st, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have begun managing their semiconductor-grade helium supply chains as concerns over a prolonged Iran war intensify. Samsung Electronics is reportedly compiling a list of countries capable of supplying helium outside the Middle East. Given the high share of Middle Eastern helium in its current imports, the company is seeking to secure additional sources. According to the Korea International Trade Association, Qatar was Korea’s largest helium supplier last year, accounting for 64.7% of import volume by weight, followed by the U.S. (27.1%), Russia (6.2%), and China (1.7%). Samsung Electronics is evaluating additional helium suppliers from countries where geopolitical risk can be minimized. As the current supply instability stems from the Iran war, the company is working to mitigate potential future risks. An industry official noted, “It won’t be easy to increase volumes from Russia, which is still at war, or China, where trade tensions are a concern,” adding that “the most likely options are increasing supply from the U.S. or expanding sourcing to major producing countries such as Algeria.” Samsung Electronics reportedly excluded sourcing helium from conflict-affected nations from the outset. The company also plans to maximize use of its helium recycling technology, which it became the first in the industry to deploy on production lines last year. SK Hynix is similarly formulating strategies for a stable helium supply chain, planning to adjust import share ratios by country. SK Hynix is also expected to minimize helium procurement from conflict-affected nations. Helium is used in semiconductor processes for cryogenic cooling and high-purity cleaning. It is an essential gas for cooling wafers, removing impurities, and improving semiconductor yields. The Iran war has impacted Qatar — Korea’s largest helium import source — raising red flags for domestic semiconductor manufacturers’ supply chains. Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix currently hold approximately six months’ worth of helium inventory and maintain that short-term impact will be limited. However, a prolonged Iran war could disrupt supply, prompting the preemptive response. Both companies are expected to share confirmed plans with their key helium suppliers and establish a full-scale response posture. Samsung and SK Hynix source helium through global industrial gas companies including Linde, Air Products, and Air Liquide, as well as select domestic suppliers. An industry official commented, “Some impact such as helium price increases is unavoidable due to the Iran war, but given that supply chains are already diversified, there should be no immediate significant effect on semiconductor manufacturing,” adding that “the supply chain adjustments by Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are preemptive, medium-to-long-term preparedness measures.“

Helium supply is being actively prioritised across global markets, with producers diverting volumes towards critical sectors such as MRI, semiconductors and aerospace, while lower-value users face immediate cutbacks as Qatari… gasworld.com/story/helium-d… #gasworld #industrialgas

We wrote about the impacts of the war on helium markets a few days ago: nationalinterest.org/blog/techland/…

Iran war chokes off helium supplies in threat to chipmakers and healthcare ft.trib.al/22lsAuX

@Focusscience1 @Gaurab There are multiple layers of insulation, including vacuum. But you are correct, there is also a sacrificial “blanket” of liquid nitrogen in an outer layer that boils off to provide active cooling

@Gaurab There's no way insulation alone can prevent liquid helium from boiling for 35 days or longer. The helium must be boiling and venting already. Insulation just slows the process, so it might take 35 to 48 days for these containers to boil completely dry, with 99% of the helium lost

200 helium containers are stranded in the Persian Gulf right now. Each one holds 41,000 liters cooled to -269°C. The containers have no refrigeration. No compressor, no cooling loop. Insulation is all that stands between the cargo and ambient heat, and it buys 35 to 48 days. After that, the liquid boils, the pressure valve opens, and the helium vents to atmosphere. Re-liquefying it requires a specialized plant. Most ports do not have one. Qatar's North Field supplied 33% of the world's helium as a byproduct of cryogenic separation at its LNG plants. On March 2, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz. Spot prices surged 70 to 100 percent. EUV lithography requires 99.9999% purity helium for wafer cooling and no current substitute exists. The fifth helium shortage since 2006 has just begun.

Qatar Issues Force Majeure for LNG Liftings Through May

NEW ODD LOTSL The helium shortage @tracyalloway and I talk to Nicholas Snyder, CEO of North Americah Helium about a commodity with a surprising number of industrial applications, including and especially the semiconductor industry podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/now…

🌎 #Helium shortage has started impacting #tech supply chains, execs say - Reuters reuters.com/world/asia-pac…

Mind blowing revelation. The Strait of Hormuz isn't just about oil. It controls one third of the world's helium, which is absolutely critical for manufacturing semiconductors and AI chips. Iran literally holds the entire global tech industry by the throat.

Helium episode out tomorrow

>> Fiber Optic Prices Break to an All-Time High… Tight Supply Amid AI and Drone Demand (Shanghai Securities News) • In March, with demand from both drones and AIDC construction rising at the same time, the price of G.657.A2 optical fiber surpassed RMB 210 per core-kilometer, reaching a record high. China Galaxy Securities noted that as AI and computing network deployment accelerates, demand for optical fiber and cable is surging, while near-term capacity expansion remains difficult, causing supply constraints to further drive price increases. • In particular, as AI infrastructure investment expands, demand is rising rapidly for data center interconnects (DCI) and all-optical network buildouts. In other words, this is not merely a simple price increase, but a sign that network infrastructure bottlenecks in the AI era are becoming a reality. $GLW

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Airgas, one of the largest distributors of packaged gasses in the US, will curtail helium shipments after Qatar halted production at a major liquefied natural gas facility following an Iranian strike bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Arm CEO Rene Haas says the latest agentic AI wave will require 4 times more CPUs per gigawatt than last year. 120 million CPU cores per gigawatt versus 30 million cores in past Good for Intel and AMD, too (obviously)

@SolidEvidence We have our own Helium, we lack liquefaction infrastructure, once again we depended on the US to liquify for us. It's high time for Canada to help the Saskatchewan government in developing domestic purification and liquefaction facilities.

I hope no one needs an MRI this year. The world's largest producer of liquified helium is in Qatar and is shut off. We just got a notice that our supply for the year will be at least cut in half. No one could have predicted this (unless they thought about it).

New physics for chip fabs has 2nm resolution. DiFoMBHeAL - Dispersion Force Masked Based Helium Atom Lithography