Ultra-pure wet chemicals: Feedstocks
Why the raw acid barely matters to the final price
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.Feedstocks are commodity chemicals, so raw material cost is small relative to price. What matters is a reliable base supply with low starting impurities, ultra-pure water, purification equipment and clean packaging close to fabs.
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S Sulfur | about 1 t technical acid per t electronic grade (indicative) | SPM cleaning | small (indicative) | sulphuric acid tile; indicative |
| F Fluorspar | about 2.1 t acidspar per t HF (HF tile) | oxide etch and clean | small relative to price (indicative) | hydrofluoric acid tile |
| Gas Natural gas | not published | oxidiser and SC1 clean | small (indicative) | hydrogen peroxide and ammonia tiles |
| NaCl Salt | not published | SC2 metal clean | small | Indicative |
| P Phosphate rock | not published | silicon nitride etch | small | Indicative |
| Oil Crude oil | about 0.7 t per t IPA (stoichiometry) | drying solvent | small | stoichiometry |
Who is low-cost, and why
Not a commodity cost curve: Japanese and Korean suppliers with decades of purity know-how and plants near fabs win, and price is set by qualification and service. New entrants compete only after long qualification.