PowerSwitch

"Ukraine's two leading suppliers of neon, which produce about half the world's supply of the key ingredient for making chips, have halted their operations as Moscow has sharpened its attack on the country, threatening to raise prices and aggravate the semiconductor shortage.

Some 45% to 54% of the world's semiconductor-grade neon, critical for the lasers used to make chips, comes from two Ukrainian companies, Ingas and Cryoin, according to Reuters ...."

Elsewhere on these forums, we have discussed the liquefaction of air as a means of storing energy, and also to produce oxygen for medical and industrial purposes.
Neon and other noble gases may be extracted from air as a by product of this.

Demand for neon has declined as neon signs are virtually obsolete and neon lamps much less used.

Drifting a LITTLE O/T I was appalled to see that the world famous display of neon signs at Piccadilly circus has been replaced by flat screen TV displays. Real neon should have been retained for something that famous and high profile.