5N Plus partners with Rio Tinto for domestic supply of Tellurium
by CM Staff
The tellurium will also be used to manufacture ultra-high purity semiconductor substrates at its facility in St. George, Utah.
MONTREAL — 5N Plus Inc., a global producer of specialty semiconductors and performance materials says it has reached a commercial agreement with Rio Tinto to refine the tellurium produced at its Kennecott copper operation in Utah.
The tellurium will be refined at the company’s Montreal facility and primarily used for the manufacturing of thin‐film photovoltaic (PV) modules by First Solar under an existing semiconductor supply agreement between that company and 5N Plus.
5N Plus says its has been a main supplier to First Solar since 2007. The tellurium will also be used to manufacture ultra-high purity semiconductor substrates at its facility in St. George, Utah, to serve clients in the security and medical imaging markets.
“As a leading global supplier of specialty semiconductors for applications in the renewable energy, security and medical imaging sectors, 5N Plus is proud to have secured this partnership with global mining group Rio Tinto. Our intention is to continue to pursue such strategic partnerships for the sourcing and refining of critical minerals in North America to the benefit of the critical industries we serve,” said Gervais Jacques, president and chief executive officer of 5N Plus in a statement.
