Export controls on critical metal have sent price of key tool surging Tungsten carbide bits, like these made by Taiwan's Topoint, drill micro-holes in printed circuit boards PCBs and chip substrates.
Export controls on critical metal have sent price of key tool surging Tungsten carbide bits, like these made by Taiwan's Topoint, drill micro-holes in printed circuit boards (PCBs) and chip substrates. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Cheng Ting-Fang) TAIPEI -- China's export controls on critical metals have disrupted supplies of micro drill bits, little-known but critical components in the AI chip supply chain, in the latest example of how geopolitical tensions are rippling through the global tech industry.