by MTHULISI SIBANDA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – ASP Isotopes, the United States-headquartered company, has commissioned its silicon enrichment facility in South Africa.
This follows the completion of the site, located in the capital, Pretoria.
The company aims to start supplying commercial quantities of Silicon-28 during the first half of 2025.
It is a stable, non-radioactive isotope of silicon that is the most abundant isotope of naturally occurring silicon.
ASP Isotopes expects highly-enriched silicon to be required by manufacturers of next-generation semiconductors.
“To create faster, smaller next-generation semiconductors, the world is likely going to require materials that are currently not available in commercial quantities,” Paul Mann, ASP Isotopes’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, explained.
“ASP Isotopes is currently working on many isotopically pure elements that we believe will help semiconductor companies create the chips that the world will require in the future to enable technologies such as quantum computing and artificial intelligence,” Mann said.
The company has already signed two supply agreements with US-based customers for highly enriched Silicon-28.
The two are a semiconductor company and an industrial gas firm.
ASP Isotopes confirms discussions with multiple other potential customers for more supplies and expects to sign more agreements during the next six months.
The facility in Pretoria is projected to enrich over 50 kilograms of silicon, per annum, enriched to almost 100 percent.
According to experts, there is a growing demand for isotopes such as Silicon-28 for enabling quantum computing.
– CAJ News