On 15 June, Chinese scientists achieved a breakthrough in the enrichment of stable isotopes and the production of high-purity silicon. For the first time, they successfully realized the independent mass production of silicon-28 with an abundance exceeding 99.99 per cent. Key product indicators have reached internationally advanced levels.

This development will provide solid support for China’s independent development of core materials for silicon-based quantum computing, as well as for high-quality development in cutting-edge fields such as advanced semiconductor processes, advanced navigation and precision measurement standards.

The product was developed and manufactured by the Institute of Physical and Chemical Engineering of Nuclear Industry (IPCE), a subsidiary of China Nuclear Energy Industry Corporation.

This achievement comes in the final year of the Three-Year Action Plan for High-Quality Development of Nuclear Technology Application Industry (2024–2026). It represents a significant step towards establishing an independent, controllable, collaborative and efficient industrial landscape for stable isotopes in China, propelling the country’s industrial application of nuclear technology from isolated breakthroughs to chain-based development.

(Source: China National Nuclear Corporation)