By the end of 2023, Mikron more than doubled the production of chips for documents and bank cards

Based on the results of 2023, Zelenograd Micron increased the production of chips for documents and bank cards by 2.6 times. Next year, according to Kommersant, the plant intends to expand capacity by another 50–70% by launching new and modernizing current production lines. NM-Tech may also produce chips for bank cards – the plant has purchased the design of various integrated circuits from foreign contractors. Experts say that Russian microelectronics manufacturers have adapted to the sanctions and on average increased capacity by 20% year on year.

A representative of Micron told Kommersant that in 2023 the plant increased the production of chips for documents and bank cards by 2.6 times compared to 2022, to 7.5 million pieces. Of these, about 4 million chips were issued for foreign passports. A representative of the enterprise explained that the results were improved “by switching to domestic materials and lean production,” as well as by expanding capacity. Micron did not specify the chip production targets for 2024. According to the latest data from the plant, its capacity is 3 thousand silicon wafers per month (see “Kommersant” dated April 22, 2022).

A Kommersant source close to Mikron clarified that the plant managed to increase the production of chips for bank cards by redistributing existing capacities. However, according to him, next year the company intends to increase its capacity overall by 50–70% due to new lines. Micron, according to him, managed to modernize and partially purchase equipment on the secondary market for the production of chips with topological standards of 130–90 nm.

At the beginning of the year, there was an acute shortage of chips for biometric foreign passports in the Russian Federation: in a number of regions the issuance of documents was suspended; Goznak then attributed the problem to a “shortage of microcircuits” and the need to fine-tune equipment at Micron. A similar situation was observed in the segment of chips for bank cards: due to late deliveries in March, a number of manufacturers, including Aliot and Oren-Kart, filed claims against the plant for a total of 580 million rubles. In July, with the participation of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the situation was resolved, the parties agreed to defer deliveries.

According to a Kommersant source in the market, in 2024, Zelenograd-based NM-Tech will also produce chips for bank and transport cards, which will be launched at the facilities of the bankrupt Angstrem-T. Kommersant’s interlocutor in the bank card market also knows about this. According to an employee of one of the Russian electronics manufacturers, this year the process of debugging and restoring equipment took place at NM-Tech: “It is logical that now they will produce microelectronics that are accessible to technological standards, including chips for bank cards.” A top manager of a large electronics manufacturer adds that NM-Tech, according to his data, purchased from “friendly foreign developers” ready-made designs for a wide range of microcircuits that can be produced using the technical process available at the plant: “The company’s portfolio includes design of chips for medical equipment.” The Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Digital Development and NM-Tech did not answer Kommersant.

Russian microelectronics manufacturers “withstand sanctions pressure,” says Ivan Pokrovsky, executive director of the Association of Electronics Developers and Manufacturers (ARPE). According to him, companies are managing to “restructure the supply of consumables, equipment and spare parts for it,” despite the tightening of sanctions: “Enterprises operating in the government order market have increased production volumes by more than 20%. In commercial civilian markets, not everything is so unequivocally positive, but overall production is growing.”

Russian semiconductor manufacturers “in general have adapted to the sanctions and have established supplies of components and consumables,” confirms Arseny Brykin, director of the Basis consortium: “However, revenue growth is a crafty story. After all, the cost of products and the cost of purchasing equipment and materials have also increased. I do not exclude that the companies’ net profit will not show growth at the end of the year.”

Nikita Korolev