The Baotou Rare Earth High-tech Zone signed an investment agreement with GRINM Semiconductor Materials Co on March 21 for a large-size semiconductor silicon monocrystal project, with an annual output of 1,000 metric tons.

As a major landmark project for the zone to promote the high-quality development of the silicon industry, it is of great significance in addressing weaknesses in the semiconductor industry chain, upgrading the silicon-based industry, and ensuring the self-reliance and self-sufficiency of key national materials.

The project covers a total land area of around 177 mu (11.8 hectares). Construction began in March, and it is scheduled to be put into operation by the end of December 2027.

Upon reaching full production capacity, the project will be able to produce 1,000 tons of high-end semiconductor silicon single crystals a year, with products widely used in key fields such as silicon wafer processing and the manufacturing of core semiconductor components.

The project fills the gap in the middle and downstream sectors of the silicon industry chain in the zone, driving the transformation of the silicon industry from the low-end photovoltaic sector to the high-end semiconductor sector. It is expected to help break through the bottleneck restricting the development of high-end electronic materials.

It will also attract the clustering of upstream and downstream supporting enterprises and high-end talent relying on the enterprise's technological and brand advantages, enhancing the zone's core industrial competitiveness.

The zone will take this project as a driving force, intensify investment promotion to extend, supplement, and strengthen the industrial chain, accelerate the cultivation of a high-end semiconductor industrial cluster, and inject strong impetus into the high-quality development of the silicon-based industry.