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Gigaphoton has developed a neon recycling system for the argon fluoride (ArF) lasers used in semiconductor lithography, with a reported recovery rate of 50%. Tom’s Hardware reports the figure, citing Business Wire, and says the system could reduce neon consumption by up to 470 kilolitres per year per unit.

Why it matters

That matters because neon is used in chipmaking and its supply chain has faced disruption. Recycling offers chipmakers another way to reduce reliance on fresh supply, though 50% is a starting point, not a record: the report notes another system has demonstrated recovery above 90%. For chipmakers, the practical question is whether the system can deliver its claimed savings in production and how quickly it can be qualified.

Discuss: Is a 50% recovery rate a useful supply-chain safeguard, or should chipmakers wait for systems that recover substantially more?

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