Samsung is testing hydrogen fluoride photoresist etching gas from non-Japanese companies, reports the Nikkei, as Japan’s government puts export curbs on Japanese suppliers.

Samsung currently buys its photoresist from Stella Chemifa, Morita Chemical Industries and Showa Denko.

The company has now approached companies in Taiwan, Korea and China abourt sourcing the gas from them.

Last week it was reported that Russia had offered to supply hydrogen fluoride to Korean chip makers.

Samsung is said to be concerned about the effect of the interruption of supplies on its EUV-based 7nm process.

Testing hydrogen fluoride from new suppliers is expected to take two to three months.

In the wider trade dispute, Japan is citing unresolved issues over compensation demanded by Korea for wartime labour practices and Korean restrictions on imports of Japanese food from the area affected by the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.