chemical · input
Synthetic fluorine compound (HF + NH₃ → NF₃) used in remote plasma chamber cleaning, replacing high-GWP PFC gases. Dominant chamber-cleaning chemistry at advanced nodes <5nm.
4
Source countries
4
Companies
1
Goods affected
0
Claims on record
What depends on it
1 essential American goods rely on nitrogen trifluoride (nf₃) — chamber cleaning somewhere upstream in their supply chain.
Where it comes from
Share of global supply, by country.
| Country | Share of supply |
|---|---|
| KRSouth Korea | 45% |
| JPJapan | 35% |
| USUnited States | 15% |
| CNChina | 5% |
Who makes it
4 companies produce nitrogen trifluoride (nf₃) — chamber cleaning.
World's largest NF₃ AND one of top WF₆ producers; subsidiary of SK Group. Revenue ~₩1.2T (2024). Operates Gyeongbuk (Yeongju) facility for both NF₃ and WF₆ using shared HF/F₂ feedstock infrastructure. SK Materials is the only company in the world that is simultaneously a top-3 producer of both NF₃ (chamber cleaning) and WF₆ (CVD tungsten) — making it a dual critical chokepoint for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
Japanese specialty fluorine chemicals company (TSE: 4286, HQ Sōja, Gunma; ~¥70B revenue); one of Japan's two dominant LiPF6 (lithium hexafluorophosphate) producers alongside Stella Chemifa, together producing approximately 25-30% of global LiPF6. Kanto Denka's LiPF6 synthesis route uses high-purity HF and phosphorus pentafluoride (PF5) in anhydrous conditions — a highly moisture-sensitive synthesis requiring specialized chemical manufacturing infrastructure. Kanto Denka also produces SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride, used as a dielectric insulating gas in high-voltage electrical switchgear), ClF3 (chlorine trifluoride, used in semiconductor chamber cleaning), and electronic-grade fluorine gases for semiconductor manufacturing — one Japanese specialty chemicals company supplying both the semiconductor fab and the EV battery supply chain from the same fluorine chemistry platform.
Air Products and Chemicals (NYSE: APD; Allentown, PA; ~$12B revenue) licenses the APCI (Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.) natural gas liquefaction process technology used in many small- and mid-scale LNG liquefaction trains worldwide, including utility peak-shaving plants. The APCI propane pre-cooled mixed refrigerant (C3MR) process dominates large baseload LNG export trains globally (used in >90% of world's baseload LNG capacity), but Air Products also licenses adapted cycles for smaller peak-shaving applications. Air Products competes with Linde Engineering for small-scale liquefaction process technology licensing. Air Products is also the world's largest industrial gas producer, supplying nitrogen and other gases used in LNG facility construction and purging.
Japanese specialty chemicals manufacturer; third-largest NF₃ producer globally. Revenue ~¥200B (2024). Produces NF₃, WF₆, and fluorinated compounds at Ube, Yamaguchi and international plants. ~12% NF₃ global share. Also a major glass manufacturer (flat glass, optical glass). Central Glass is uniquely positioned as both a glass and specialty gas manufacturer — its HF (hydrofluoric acid) feedstock operations feed both divisions.
