Industry
China tungsten curbs disrupt WF6 supplies, raising risks for HBM and AI chip output
The push to expand AI semiconductor output is straining supply chains for specialty electronic gases, an analysis said. China’s controls on high-purity tungsten exports have led to disruptions in Japan’s supply of tungsten hexafluoride (WF6), raising new supply-chain risks for high-bandwidth memory, DRAM and advanced logic chips. Usage of specialty gases rises sharply as processes shrink and as HBM and 3D NAND output expands. Alternative suppliers are limited, while Chinese producers are expanding capacity and prices have risen.
