[6] NF3 is a greenhouse gas, with a global warming potential (GWP) 17,200 times greater than that of CO2 when compared over a 100-year period.

[6] It oxidizes hydrogen chloride to chlorine:[citation needed] However, it only attacks (explosively) organic compounds at high temperatures.

[15][16] Nitrogen trifluoride is primarily used to remove silicon and silicon-compounds during the manufacturing of semiconductor devices such as LCD displays, some thin-film solar cells, and other microelectronics.

The greater abundance of negatively-charged free radicals thus generated can yield higher silicon removal rates, and provide other process benefits such as less residual contamination and a lower net charge stress on the device being fabricated.

[17] The utilization efficiency of the chemicals applied in plasma processes varies widely between equipment and applications.

The annual reporting of NF3 production, consumption, and waste emissions by large manufacturers has been required in many industrialized countries as a response to the observed atmospheric growth and the international Kyoto Protocol.

[23][24] Robson projected that the maximum atmospheric concentration is less than 0.16 parts per trillion (ppt) by volume, which will provide less than 0.001 Wm−2 of IR forcing.

This is a significantly higher percentage than has been estimated by industry, and thus strengthens the case for inventorying NF3 production and for regulating its emissions.

[26] One study co-authored by industry representatives suggests that the contribution of the NF3 emissions to the overall greenhouse gas budget of thin-film Si-solar cell manufacturing is clear.

It is a pulmonary irritant with a toxicity considerably lower than nitrogen oxides, and overexposure via inhalation causes the conversion of hemoglobin in blood to methemoglobin, which can lead to the condition methemoglobinemia.