New and original microchips are harder and harder to find, especially "end of life" or obsolete components. Chip recycling is big business in China. It is a multi-billion dollar per year industry and is very closely guarded. The small microchip recycling house on this video generates approximately $1M each year. The majority of the boards are from the USA and Russia. AAACTL was fortunate enough to have access to a number of small recycling houses and witness their processes. This video shows how microchips are being harvested. Most of the boards are stored outside in open air, with water damage, and absolutely no ESD protection.
