# Electronic specialty gases: Feedstocks

How fluorspar, tungsten and natural gas feed the fabs

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/feedstocks/

What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.

Fluorine gases depend on fluorspar and HF; WF6 on tungsten; helium on natural gas processing; rare gases on large steelworks air separation. Cost is mostly purification, cylinders and logistics, so producers near fab clusters in Korea, Taiwan, Japan and China win.

#### Inputs per tonne

| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [F Fluorspar](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/) | fluorine about 0.8 t per t NF3 and 0.38 t per t WF6 (stoichiometry) | fluorine source | not published | stoichiometry |
| [He Helium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/helium/) | not applicable (product) | cooling and purge gas | about $6 of helium in an $18,000 EUV logic wafer (2026) | Smith (Apr 2026) |
| [W Tungsten](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tungsten/) | about 0.62 t per t WF6 | WF6 metal source | not published | stoichiometry |
| [St Steel](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/steel/) | not applicable | rare-gas source | not published | Conway (2023) |
| [Si Silicon](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/silicon/) | not published | silicon precursor | not published | Indicative |
| **Ammonia (for NF3, nitride films)** | about 0.24 t per t NF3 (stoichiometry) | nitrogen source | small | stoichiometry |

#### Who is low-cost, and why

Not a cost curve market: producers compete on purity, reliability and local presence. Chinese entrants (Peric, Huate) have pushed NF3 prices down; Korean and Japanese suppliers hold leading-edge qualifications (indicative).

#### Raw materials on the commodity table
[F Fluorspar](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/fluorspar/)[He Helium](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/helium/)

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/production/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/electronic_gases/links/index.md)