[Popular electronic specialty gas products see daily price changes; industry insider: factories running double shifts still face undersupply]
Tungsten hexafluoride is a key deposition material in the manufacturing of memory chips and advanced logic chips, and it has been a popular product in the current surge in demand for electronic specialty gases. Affected by factors such as the exit of some ex-China capacity and continuous capacity expansion of downstream memory chips, the supply-demand gap has widened, directly pushing product prices into an upward trajectory. An analyst said: "Taking tungsten hexafluoride, which has seen a significant market price increase, as an example, the average monthly price of 5N-grade in June is expected to reach 1,760 yuan/kg, up 236% YoY. The surging demand for memory chips has been the core underpinning throughout." The head of a specialty gas producer in Shanghai said that demand for helium had climbed sharply recently and that, despite running double shifts, the plant’s production still could not meet demand. The head noted: "The semiconductor industry has very high demand for helium. Many clients are asking—prices change daily. It's possible that the price you pay today won't be available tomorrow, or you simply can't buy it.