A fire at a nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) factory owned by Japanese industrial gas maker Kanto Denka Kogyo Co. led to the death of one worker and a second being hospitalized with unknown injuries.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

As a result of the explosion, one of the plant’s two production lines sustained partial damage, Taiwanese news outlet Commercial Times reported, adding that authorities have ordered the company to suspend operations at the plant in Shibukawa, northwest of Tokyo.

Nitrogen trifluoride is a toxic gas primarily used in semiconductor manufacturing for cleaning and etching silicon wafers. Kanto Denka is one of the largest producers of NF3 globally, and is a supplier to Micron, Rapidus, TSMC, Samsung Electronics, Sony, and Japanese memory manufacturer Kioxia.

Repairing the damaged production line and resuming shipments could take several months, the report said, noting that concerns have been raised about the potential disruption this could cause to the global semiconductor supply chain.

In an effort to minimize disruption, the Japanese government is evaluating the possibility of increasing imports from South Korea, with several impacted chip manufacturers also looking for NF3 alternative suppliers, the report said.

DCD's sympathies go out to the workers’ families, friends, and colleagues.