Hu Zhengming knows history very well, but he doesn't know the current situation, and he quickly grasped the key point after listening: "Hua Hong Semiconductor is now equivalent to being coerced by neon companies."

Previously, all the energy was focused on memory chip foundry, resulting in revenue being completely kidnapped by the market environment of memory chips. ”

Zhou Xin nodded: "That's right, Hua Hong Semiconductor and Neon's NEC company have established a joint venture company, and the joint venture company will do memory chip foundry." Although Hua Hong Semiconductor's equity accounts for more than 70% in this joint venture, the actual control is in the hands of Neon Enterprises. ”

Hu Zhengming said: "I understand, although the 909 project adopts a chip foundry model that is more in line with the current international mainstream, Hua Hong Semiconductor is also mainly engaged in chip foundry.

However, the current situation of 909 and the status quo of the 908 project seem to be different on the surface, but in fact, the fundamental reason behind them is that Huaguo's chip industry is too weak.

Even if there are advanced chip foundry companies, they need to be parasitic in the neon chip system in order to survive. The neon chip industry has been going downhill since it experienced its peak in the 80s and signed the Ameriken-Neon Semiconductor agreement.

Neon's semiconductor market is constantly squeezed by Goryeo and Wanwan, and they are difficult to protect themselves, let alone help the development of Huaguo's chip industry. ”

Zhou Xin said: "NEC's condition for Hua Hong Semiconductor is to underwrite products, which means that Hua Hong has given up chip foundry and turned into a downstream manufacturer of NEC, and other links are very right." ”

For Hua Hong Semiconductor's huge loss in the first half of this year, it has caused huge controversy in China's semiconductor industry, and there is little discussion about it in the outside world, which is comparable to an eight-magnitude earthquake in the industry.

From the government to the industry, they all have high hopes for Hua Hong Semiconductor, codenamed 909 Project, who would have thought that the most advanced production line would start to lose money as soon as it was put into production.

As for the reasons for the current situation, industry insiders have different opinions.

"The reason why Huahong is invested in the extremely risky product field of memory chips is a necessary choice for joint ventures." The director of Yanda Microelectronics Institute believes: "As the main project of '909', Huahong was originally going to do chip foundry, but the reform of the enterprise system is not in place, the specific management team has not been established, and the international market cannot be obtained. So at that time, I had to negotiate joint ventures with some large foreign companies, and the conditions offered by NEC at that time were the most favorable. ”

Yan Dayuhuan Microelectronic System Engineering Co., Ltd. general manager said bluntly: "The cooperation between Huahong and NEC has little effect on the Huaguo chip industry, and the effect is almost equivalent to Motorola's new factory in Huaguo." ”

Zhou Xin continued: "And when we are talking about cooperation with Huahong, it is particularly difficult to promote because the specific business is in the hands of Neon people.

Their willingness to help test the lithography machine is already the result of coordination.

Mphone's chip is made in 130nm, while Hua Hong Semiconductor's process is 350nm, which is obviously not enough.

Hua Hong Semiconductor can't become a foundry for A1E chips, but that doesn't mean I don't have any other way.

The decoding chip we designed for Apple, Hua Hong Semiconductor's process can fully manufacture the chip that requires this accuracy.

However, when discussing cooperation with Hua Hong Semiconductor, Neon was extremely reluctant to do so. ”

Neon, Goryeo and then Bend, semiconductor technology is all imported from Ameriken and then self-developed on this basis.

Two years after the dissolution of Batumi in 1994, Ameriken organized the signing of the Wassenaar Agreement in the Netherlands, which led to the fact that the semiconductor technology exported to China must be two generations behind.

Originally, when the 909 project was launched, it was only possible to buy a 0.5 micron production line, which is a 500nm process, but later cooperated with NEC to obtain a 350nm process production line from NEC.

At that time, the production line of the 350nm process was already a rare good condition, and even if I knew that it was a sugar-coated shell, I had to swallow it.

Hu Zhengming said: "I know about the cooperation between NEC and Huahong, and it is not surprising that NEC would do such a thing.

NEC would offer such conditions back then, purely because Tadahiro Sekimoto took a fancy to the Chinese market.

He wanted to take the opportunity to open the Huaguo market, but after the production line cooperated by Huahong and NEC was put into operation, he found that 95% of the memory chips produced by this production line needed to rely on NEC to help digest.

Originally, the calculation was that Huaguo's own market could digest these chips, but Huaguo could only digest 5%, which greatly surprised him.

When I recently chatted with Yang Chonghe on an email, I also talked about the operation of NEC, and the most important thing about NEC is that it cuts off the industrial chain.

For example, the chips produced by Huahong NEC that have not yet been packaged, Neon bought all of them, took them to Malaysia for packaging, and then took another chip from Malaysia to Yanjing for packaging.

One is not to let Hua Hong NEC master the core technology, and the other is not to let Hua Hong NEC form a complete industrial chain, Hua Hong NEC is just equivalent to a processing department of Japan NEC located in China. ”

After listening to this, Zhou Xin suddenly realized that his connections were far inferior to Hu Zhengming, and Guan Jianying couldn't inquire about such details in China: "No wonder there are orders, Hua Hong Semiconductor doesn't dare to do it, it turns out that it is completely coerced by neon in chip foundry."

So there are orders that can turn them around the current huge losses, and they also have to look at the eyes of the neon people.

Apple's decoding chip not to mention helping them completely turn losses into profits, it is also a lot of income, and this order is done, it will be a long-term business cooperation.

And the decoding chip does not have high technical requirements, I haven't figured it out before, but now I finally understand it. ”

Zhou Xintou is a bit big, SMIC's shareholding structure is complex, and marketization and profit demand make it difficult to promote cooperation with SMIC.

Not to mention that when SMIC was founded, the chip industry trough caused by the Internet crash, and the Philadelphia semiconductor index fell all the way.

If Mphone's A1E chip orders are given to SMIC, they will not face east if they are guaranteed to face west.

But the problem is that Hua Hong Semiconductor can't make chips with a 130nm process, and SMIC can't make chips either.

Hu Zhengming said: "So it is best to cooperate with TSMC, and Huahong can be used as an alternative."

When I go back, I'll see if I can solve this problem, I still have some energy in China.

As a well-known entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, you have a huge amount of capital in your hands, and you can influence more than just your own companies.

Mphone's chip can be used as a bargaining chip, Apple's decoding chip can be used as a bargaining chip, and you can also help Xinxin Technology fight for chip foundry from other companies.

NVIDIA's chip foundry can also be used as a bargaining chip.

The other thing is Intel, and the most important thing is to convince Intel that Intel is willing to support us.

The first thing I will do after returning to China this time is to cooperate with Xinxin Technology and Intel to develop a chip specifically for the Chinese market, focusing on cost performance.

Then cooperate with computer manufacturers in Huaguo, the main focus is low price.

However, there are many things that need to be done, such as understanding the consumption capacity and actual demand of the Chinese market, predicting the future situation, and so on. ”

As early as 2006, Intel launched a lot of 533MHz FSB residual blood products, which are mainly supplied to the Chinese market, and the main focus is a low price.

"In the field of chips, Intel is the most important player at the moment, from Samsung to TSMC, forming a positive cycle of the chip industry, all of which are on board with Intel's express train."

After chatting with Hu Zhengming, Zhou Xin found that the other party had formed a complete line of thought and had a set of clear playing styles.

This made him breathe a sigh of relief, Guan Jianying's ability is no problem, but there are too many things to do, and it is obviously not something he can do alone.

In addition, in China, the relationship is too important, compared with Hu Zhengming, who has been dealing with China's academic and industrial circles since 1985, Guan Jianying can be said to have no connections in China, and the only thing he can rely on is Shenhai City.

After Hu Zhengming went back, he greatly improved the work of Xinxin International in all aspects.

"Zhou Xin, you don't seem to be in a good mood?" Back at home, Li Jingyi, who was originally reading a book, looked at Zhou Xin, who seemed to be looking at his mobile phone, but in fact his fingers did not do anything, and his eyes looked dull.

After Zhou Xin glanced at the other party, Li Jingyi, who was wearing home clothes, always gave him the feeling of a good wife and mother, "Professor Hu promised me to return to China to serve as the chairman of Xinxin Technology, and be fully responsible for all my business in China." ”

Li Jingyi asked curiously, "Then why are you not interested?"

Isn't that something to celebrate?

Didn't you always try to persuade Professor Hu to come back and help you?

For you, Professor Hu can be trusted, and he is the top talent in the field of integrated circuits, with his help, it should be easier for Huaguo to develop its own semiconductor industry. ”

Zhou Xin asked Hu Zhengming not to mention his resignation first, but to return to China to settle down and then submit his resignation to Berkeley by email, and then he served as Hu Zhengming's plenipotentiary to help him discuss with the university whether he could retain his position.

In the past, Hu Zhengming returned to China in the name of academic exchanges, and he saw a lot of news about the mysterious death of Chinese scientists on the news.

Although the situation is far less dire now than it was 20 years later, it is always right to be careful.

Zhou Xin said: "Because there is one less person I know in Silicon Valley, parting is always melancholy.

The only people I know well at Berkeley are Professor Hu and Brother Zhang, Brother Zhang went to Texas Instruments, although he came to Silicon Valley very frequently, but when he came to Silicon Valley, either I was not there, or I was not available, and it was rare for everyone to see each other.

Professor Hu, we see each other almost every week, and he has been very helpful to me, both academically and when I first came to Silicon Valley, and we are both teachers and friends.

He replied to Shenhai to help me do things, but everyone could only contact me through WeChat for many years after that. ”

Zhou Xin also wanted to dig Zhang Zhongbo back, but the problem was that Zhang Zhongbo was very happy at Texas Instruments.

Zhang Zhongbo used to make digital signal processors, and later after the Mphone fire, major mobile phone manufacturers began to make semi-smart phone demand. Therefore, Texas Instruments is also conducting research and development in response to the market trend, and intends to develop a mobile chip that is more supportive of Internet applications.

Zhang Zhongbo was transferred to this new research group.

This also made Zhou Xin less anxious to dig him, and it would be good to stay at Texas Instruments for a few more years.

Li Jingyi comforted: "No one can be satisfied with everything. ”

Zhou Xin sighed: "Yes, it's because there are too few people, so I can't find the right person to do many things."

I feel more and more that I should learn from Meng Weijun and raise 3,000 diners, so that I won't have to worry about not having talents in my hands.

What you just said is that no one can do everything right, and even what was said before can change.

Do you remember Senior Brother Li? Robin is the one who makes search engines. ”

Li Jingyi nodded: "Remember, what's wrong?" He came to our house a few times to eat.

Every time he comes to the house for dinner, I feel that when you speak, he looks at you with affection in his eyes, and if he is a woman, he will definitely be interesting to you. ”

Zhou Xin raised his forehead: "The point you pay attention to is too strange."

Last year, Google wanted to merge with Baidu and want to annex Baidu, and at that time, the investors behind Baidu, represented by Goldman Sachs, put pressure on Baidu to accept Google's conditions.

At that time, Robin came to talk to me and said that he did not want to accept the merger and wanted my support.

Of course I support him, we have such a good relationship, and I haven't taken this benefit of the merger of Google and Baidu into the market.

At that time, everyone said okay, I supported him, I helped him block the pressure from Goldman Sachs, and a year later, Baidu firmly crushed Google in the search engine market.

Mphone's built-in search engine, I also handed it over to Baidu to do.

As a result, Robin recently came to talk to me, saying that after thinking about it, he still plans to merge with Google, and after the merger, the listing can enjoy a premium far higher than Baidu's separate listing. ”

Li Jingyi was surprised: "How could such a change happen?

He rejected before, but now he has achieved a phased victory on the search engine battlefield, and now it is abnormal to give up. ”

Zhou Xin said: "Because this is Baidu's merger with Google, Robin will be the chairman and CEO of the merged search engine company.

So Robin was intrigued.

Originally, the share of the search engine market is about 43 for Baidu, 38% for Google, and then for other companies.

Baidu has always been ahead, but the lead is limited. The premium that can be enjoyed by listing will not be very high.

It's different from Google's merger, after the merger, they can be said to have a similar share of the search engine market as Windows monopolizes the operating system market.

The new Baidu-Google will be seen as the Yahoo of the new era. Storytelling is the most important thing in the capital market, and Baidu alone doesn't have much to tell, and it won't be the same after the merger with Google.

Moreover, it is now Baidu annexing Google, and it is not Google annexing Baidu. ”

I've been too busy lately, and I've been a bit lazy to update, but I'm slowly getting back to work after that!

Another very important reason is that these chapters are really difficult to write, and some specific materials are too difficult to find

(End of chapter)