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Why is there a chip shortage?

2022-09-22

The tech industry is at a crunch point.
Today, millions of products - cars, washing machines, smartphones, and more - rely on computer chips, also known as semiconductors.And right now, there just aren't enough of them to meet industry demand. As a result, many popular products are in short supply.

Global Chip Shortage’s Latest Worry: Too Few Chips for Chip-Making

Intel and TSMC are looking to boost chip output amid supercharged demand, but getting the equipment to do so requires increasing patience.The drought in chip availability that has hit auto production, raised electronics prices and stoked supply-chain worries in capitals around the globe has a new pain point: a lack of chips needed for the machines that make chips, industry executives say.

The wait time it takes to get machinery for chip-making—one of the world’s most complex and delicate kinds of manufacturing—has extended over recent months. Early in the pandemic it took months from placing an order to receiving the equipment. That time frame has stretched to two or three years in some cases, according to chip-making and equipment executives. Deliveries of previously placed orders are also coming in late, executives say.

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