Russia failed to create its own strategic silicon: the multimillion-ruble contract was terminated

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation terminated a RUB 400 million contract with a Rosatom enterprise that was supposed to develop technology for producing special silicon for power electronics. UNN reports this, citing the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

Details

Due to the failure to fulfill its obligations, the launch of domestic production of the strategically important material in Russia may be postponed until at least 2028.

The contract was with JSC Research Institute of Instruments, which is part of the Rosatom structure. The enterprise was supposed to develop technology for manufacturing 150 mm-diameter silicon wafers needed to produce high-power electronic components.

The agreement was concluded in December 2024, and the work was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026. However, the contractor was unable to fulfill its obligations even under the first stage of the project, which involved manufacturing pilot batches of the material and conducting preliminary tests. The deadline for completing the first stage expired on May 15, 2026. At the same time, the institute failed to provide the required reporting documentation and documents for accepting the work. Due to the breach of the contract terms, the Russian ministry imposed a fine of RUB 1.5 million on the enterprise, which remained unpaid at the time the agreement was terminated.

The project envisaged mastering the production of ingots and polished wafers of neutron-transmutation-doped single-crystal silicon. This material is used to manufacture power thyristors, IGBT transistors, and high-speed diodes, which are used in electric transport, power equipment, as well as the defense and space industries. However, Russia currently has no domestic production of this type of silicon, while the procurement of foreign counterparts is complicated by the material's strategic purpose. That is why the development was supposed to become one of the elements of Russia's import-substitution program in the field of high-tech electronics.

The enterprise was expected to prepare the technological foundation for creating production with a capacity of at least 100,000 silicon wafers per year. The transition to mass production was planned for 2027. However, following the termination of the contract, these deadlines have been called into question. According to Oleksandr Tymoshenko, head of Troichni Technologies, the development of production of the strategic material in Russia may now be postponed until 2028 or later.

Recall

In March 2026, the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked the Kremniy El Group plant in the Russian Federation, which manufactures chips for missile systems and unmanned aerial vehicles. The plant produces components for Iskanders and S-400s.