Russia's Mikron sells framed test wafers as semiconductor souvenirs

Russia's Mikron semiconductor fab is selling novelty framed test wafers and cleanroom air vials as merchandise—wafer packs contain up to 120,000 processors across 12 design variants, priced around $170 per frame. The move reflects a pivot toward souvenir revenue as geopolitical sanctions isolate the fab from global supply chains.

While amusing on the surface, the shift signals Mikron's constrained ability to compete in production markets. For supply-chain security teams, it underscores ongoing fragmentation in non-U.S., non-allied chip manufacturing amid export controls on advanced nodes.