News Snapshot:
Silicon is the crude oil of the Digital Age. About eight million metric tons are mined every year in China, Russia, Norway, the US and elsewhere, some of which is used in the $500 billion global market for semiconductors. In turn, the manufactured silicon chips, wafers, and integrated circuits power tens of trillions of dollars worth of hardware running personal and business software, wired and wireless communication devices, consumer electronics, automotive components, industrial technology, and other critical processes worldwide. Manufacturing semiconductors involves not only a network of highly specialized firms in an often multistage production process, but a dependence upon...
