Helium — along with other gases used in semiconductor manufacturing — is an often overlooked part of the production process. However, it has become a more significant concern to electronics designers and similar industrial parties. That’s because of an existing shortage that some analysts say will only worsen because of the increasing demand for semiconductors.
These challenges mean designers may need to plan for shortages. However, there must be a larger effort in the industry from people who look for opportunities to solve the problem creatively. They realize the world cannot continue consuming helium as it has been without considering future consequences.
Examining the Extent of the Problem
A quick online search will retrieve numerous articles about the helium shortage and its effects on the semiconductor industry. However, manufacturers may feel more compelled to act if they realize things may not change for the better unless conscious actions lead to improvements.
One report predicts a more than fivefold increase in helium demand in semiconductor manufacturing by 2035. That gives manufacturers a relatively small window in which to find alternatives. The situation is more severe considering that the dwindling helium supplies are happening when semiconductors are increasingly in demand and used throughout industries.
Disruptions within the components’ fabrication facilities or processes could eventually cause shortages of products ranging from cars to home appliances, as has previously happened during semiconductor supply chain bottlenecks.
Another challenge arises because gases used in semiconductor manufacturing serve multiple purposes, and helium has specific properties that make it particularly useful. It is inert, meaning it will not react with other elements. However, production requires numerous gas or liquid-based chemical reactions at different stages. Having helium around the silicon acts as a safeguard by preventing unwanted reactions. Helium’s high thermal conductivity also assists in temperature management, enabling increasingly miniaturized semiconductor designs.
A Brief Look at the Roles of Other Gases
Semiconductor production processes need gases beyond helium. For example, workers use pure fluorine gas or fluorine/nitrogen mixes to clean the chemical vapor deposition chambers used to produce thin films. That activity supports process consistency while preventing contamination. Additionally, phosphorus trifluoride selectively removes materials from semiconductor wafers. Since it has a lower global warming potential, it may be a more eco-friendly choice than other fluorine gases.
These examples illustrate that a helium shortage is not the only thing semiconductor manufacturers should consider as they examine their supply chains. They show how a shortage of one or a few essentials could have ripple effects on designers, consumers and additional parties who make semiconductors or use products containing them.
Establishing a Helium Recovery System
Why does a helium shortage exist even though there has been a less-dramatic demand-availability mismatch for other gases used in semiconductor manufacturing? One of the main reasons is that many industries and applications also need helium. Welders use it as a shielding gas during some fabrication techniques, while health care professionals need it for the MRI examinations millions of patients undergo annually. Scientific laboratories also use helium heavily.
Genuine progress can occur when users find alternatives to intensive consumption. One possibility is to create a helium recycling program. That was the approach taken at an Oklahoma State University campus, where consumption patterns associated with the gas resulted in substantial costs. The chemical and engineering departments use helium daily in their research. However, it became about 400% more expensive within 12 years. Those rising costs have restricted the university’s ability to pursue innovation.
Those affected found an innovative option to address the matter. They created Oklahoma’s only helium recovery system. One individual involved with that effort explained how the system would allow the university’s helium-consuming programs to survive, whereas others elsewhere had collapsed. Recovering the gas allowed moving to a more sustainable option that would give users an alternative to ongoing consumption, with no option to reverse the trend.
The system required significant problem-solving and collaboration, especially because it was the state’s first. The design features 980 feet of piping to connect to the university’s machines that use helium. The apparatus can hold 400 liters of liquid helium when full, although those involved in its creation do not think they will ever reach that capacity because the gas so frequently moves through the infrastructure.
Finding Additional Helium Sources
Semiconductor manufacturers have already made numerous changes to their supply chains and production methods to stay competitive. For example, one robotic machine handles 275 wafers each hour, freeing humans for more high-value or complicated activities. As they explore ways to manage the helium crisis, manufacturers should explore what they should do differently to reduce the effects.
They could ensure that workers only use helium for essential reasons and rely on alternative, more plentifully available gases used in semiconductor manufacturing when possible. Producers in some industries have already made similar alterations, such as designing MRI machines that need less helium. Even though they still require it, getting the same results without as much resource dependence is a clear win.
One of the difficulties is that the world’s helium supply chain depends on only three countries and approximately a dozen companies. When so many industries and applications rely on it, some people wonder if untapped resources exist. Helium is a by-product of natural gas drilling, accessible via underground pockets containing hydrocarbons. However, helium is so light that it eventually moves into space.
Some researchers believe helium could exist underground elsewhere, not mixed with natural gas. For example, a 2023 discovery indicated parts of Tanzania may have vast helium resources. In March 2025, a helium exploration company received an offer letter from the authority that would grant a mining license for determining the area’s potential. It allows the business to examine two districts of the region where parties initially found the possible helium.
It could take a while to commercialize new helium resources. However, some affected manufacturers may want to facilitate the processes by investing in these efforts.
Conserving Gases Used in Semiconductor Manufacturing
This overview should remind design professionals and others involved in semiconductor production not to view helium or additional necessary gases as limitless. They are finite resources, and it is essential to continually consider different, new ways to use less while finding or recovering more.