Precious metals in semiconductors include platinum group metals such as iridium, rhodium, and ruthenium. Though used in minute quantities within chips, their value far exceeds that of gold. By 2025, TSMC's 3nm process will utilize three times more iridium-based reflector components than its 5nm process, with a single chip consuming up to 0.8 grams of iridium powder. These precious metals in semiconductors are present in significant quantities within waste materials. DONGSHENG Precious Metals Recycling has elevated recovery rates from 80% to 99.5% through bioleaching and plasma smelting technologies. Approximately 1.2 tons of iridium-containing target material waste is generated per million 7nm chips, providing a stable raw material source for printed circuit board recycling enterprises.
The semiconductor industry relies on multiple precious metals, each possessing unique properties. Iridium is widely used in high-end chip manufacturing, particularly as a component in reflective mirrors and high-temperature resistant coatings. Rhodium is primarily applied in electrodes and catalytic materials, with LME rhodium prices stabilizing around $18,000 per ounce. Ruthenium, emerging as an alternative to copper interconnects, demonstrates exceptional performance in advanced processes. Its use eliminates the need for barrier layer design, reducing manufacturing steps by 15%. Molybdenum consumption in semiconductors is rapidly increasing, employed in wordline design and contact structures. It enables wordline pitch reduction from 65 nanometers to below 60 nanometers, shrinking storage cell area by 18%. Though used in small quantities, these precious metals in semiconductors are critical materials ensuring chip performance.
In the international market, recovery prices for precious metals in semiconductors show a distinct gradient. Recovery prices for semiconductor target material scrap (purity ≥99.99%) reach $28–35/g, equivalent to 80% of the gold price. Catalyst scrap fetches approximately $21–28/g, minus purification costs. Electronic waste like 5G base station filters (containing 0.5g iridium per unit) commands $17–25/g. Regional markets exhibit significant variations, with the EU carbon tax driving up export prices for iridium-containing scrap, creating domestic-international market linkage. Technologically advanced enterprises employing bioleaching methods reduce energy consumption by 70%, commanding an additional premium of approximately $4.2/g.
(These recycling prices are for reference only.)
Other related metal recycling price pages.
Ruthenium targets are rapidly expanding their applications within the semiconductor sector. Research indicates that ruthenium demonstrates significant advantages as a novel metallization solution, featuring a 40% lower resistivity than tungsten and eliminating the need for barrier layer design. Lam Research's developed cyclic deposition technology enables precise grain size control. Large-grain molybdenum films outperform tungsten, ruthenium, and even copper at thicknesses below approximately 7 nanometers. Kioxia's team discovered that adopting ruthenium wordlines increased chip bit density by 16.3% while reducing dielectric erosion rates by 92%. DRAM testing indicates that ruthenium electrode designs extend data retention time by 47%. While the precious metal components used in these semiconductors carry higher initial costs, they deliver long-term benefits to chip manufacturers through improved yield rates and product performance. Chip manufacturing statistics show that plasma-assisted deposition can increase ruthenium film density to 99.2% and reduce grain boundary defects by 43%.
Though precious metals constitute only a small fraction of chip costs, they are indispensable critical materials in semiconductors. From ruthenium targets to iridium mirrors, these precious metals determine the performance limits of chips. As process nodes continue to shrink, the value of these materials will persistently increase, making precious metal recovery from semiconductors a highly profitable business.
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