Author Topic: China ban on germanium and gallium - LEDs?  (Read 1444 times)

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Offline peter-hTopic starter

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China ban on germanium and gallium - LEDs?
« on: July 24, 2023, 03:17:19 pm »
This came in early July 2023.

I don't know about germanium (obviously straight germanium semis are old now) but gallium is used in LEDs and I see prices having doubled on some parts.

The only LEDs I use are certain Osram (Siemens) types but presumably those are not made in Germany :) Also China makes 90% of the world's supply of gallium.

Can LEDs be made from other materials? It appears the answer is Yes but is anyone doing it?

« Last Edit: July 24, 2023, 03:46:29 pm by peter-h »
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Offline themadhippy

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Re: China ban on germanium and gallium
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2023, 03:29:44 pm »
Nice way of sticking 2 fingers up to the rest of the world who have banned exporting to china
 

Offline peter-hTopic starter

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Re: China ban on germanium and gallium - LEDs?
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2023, 11:24:11 am »
You may say that but one disti's entire LED stock has just vanished.
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Online SiliconWizard

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Re: China ban on germanium and gallium
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2023, 10:46:42 pm »
Nice way of sticking 2 fingers up to the rest of the world who have banned exporting to china

We expect banning and sanctioning others and still get what we want from them. That's how it works, right? ;D
 

Offline peter-hTopic starter

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Re: China ban on germanium and gallium - LEDs?
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2023, 01:32:58 pm »
One doesn't come to EEVBLOG for a lecture of ethics, etc :)

I posted it as a heads-up for anyone using LEDs, but it looks like everybody here has either bought lots of LED stock or nobody is using LEDs ;)
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Offline Bud

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Re: China ban on germanium and gallium - LEDs?
« Reply #5 on: July 27, 2023, 10:13:01 pm »
My Cristmas LED lights should be fine for the next couple years  :box:
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Offline VK3DRB

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Re: China ban on germanium and gallium - LEDs?
« Reply #6 on: July 28, 2023, 10:55:48 am »
Such behaviour might backfire on the Chinese side. The West is already looking for sources of rare earth minerals outside China. The problem is this shoud have been done decades ago because putting all eggs in the one risky basket is reckless at best. If it isn't LEDs it will be something else.

In any case, this just makes life hard for us electronic engineers who have had a gut full of component shortages. In retrospect, I should have sat om my backside and invested everything I had into Altium in 2011 (9 cents share price) and sold at $45 per share ten years later. Hindsight.
 

Offline ag123

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Re: China ban on germanium and gallium - LEDs?
« Reply #7 on: July 29, 2023, 07:36:43 am »
 


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