This is not all bad news - manufacturers are realizing that just-in-time global supply chains are highly fragile and this is spurring quite a bit of domestic in

This is not all bad news - manufacturers are realizing that just-in-time global supply chains are highly fragile and this is spurring quite a bit of domestic investment in production facilities. Helium shortages are as much a problem as neon shortages, but that's driving specialty gas production domestically > "For example, helium, a critical material for semiconductor manufacturing, has been under considerable strain recently. The inert gas has a thermal conductivity second only to hydrogen, so it is perfect for safely cooling down chips and tools during the patterning process. Helium is also used in some lasers, and ionized helium is a potent etchant. Many analysts describe helium as irreplaceable for semiconductor manufacturing, and the new nodes use more of it than ever... Russia’s invasion of Ukraine further disrupted helium supplies by scrambling the natural gas market; most helium is extracted as a side product from natural gas wells. The current helium shortage is the fourth in recent history, according to helium consultant Phil Kornbluth, and it may be the worst yet." https://cen.acs.org/materials/electronic-materials/Semiconductor-makers-inspire-chemical-investments/100/i19 https://cen.acs.org/materials/electronic-materials/Semicondu...