"I've been posting for a long time that immersion is the future of lithography machine development.

It is better to find a light source than to find a medium, and such a simple thing as adding a layer of medium can change the wavelength can actually plague companies in the chip industry for so many years.

It can be seen that the foreigner's mind is not bright enough. ”

The doctor who posted the post also posted a screenshot of his own discourse on lithography machines from three years ago, which talked about how changing the medium might work wonders.

"In the end, it was the Chinese enterprise that thought of this method, which is the unique wisdom of the Chinese people."

"Dr. Lin of Xinxin seems to be Vietnamese."

"His ancestral home is Chaoshan, which is equivalent to a Chinese."

"It shouldn't be that simple, right, if you just add a layer of media? Why can't foreign companies think of it?

I don't believe that only the Chinese have thought of this solution.

It should be that layer of media is very difficult to find, just like Edison found a suitable material as a filament and conducted thousands of experiments to find the right material.

I guess it took so long to find this medium.

Other companies have also looked for it, but they haven't found it, and the luck or number of experiments of Huaguo enterprises is more. ”

The data collection in 2006 was much more difficult than that of 20 years later, and the difficulty of circumventing the wall was lower than that of 20 years later, but there was no translation software, and all kinds of self-media were far less developed than in later generations.

Netizens can only rely on the words in the news broadcast by Yang Ma to speculate about what the immersion lithography machine is all about.

The breakthrough of the new core is simply attributed to finding the medium, and foreigners can't think of this trick.

"A company introduced a soap packaging line, and found that there was a defect in this production line, there would be boxes flowing from the assembly line without loading the soap, and they invited a doctor to let him design a plan to sort out the empty boxes.

The doctor set up a scientific research team, using microelectronics, automation, detection and other technologies, and spent 900,000 yuan to successfully solve the problem. Whenever an empty soap box passes through the production line, detectors on both sides detect it and drive a robot to push the empty box away.

Another company also bought this production line, and after the boss found out about the problem, he asked workers to solve it. The workers spent 190 yuan to put a high-power electric fan next to the production line to blow violently, and as long as there were empty boxes flowing through the assembly line, they would be blown away. ”

This story is similar to the immersion lithography machine that netizens thought was just adding a layer of medium.

Of course, there are various follow-ups to this story, and it is said that later the doctor upgraded the system and established a perfect quality inspection system, which effectively improved product quality and market competitiveness.

To be honest, the latter solution is also a way, and it is a good way to solve the problem.

Another follow-up is more interesting, the first company told the story, and then raised 9 million, and the boss cashed out 8.1 million and left. The second company issued an announcement, claiming to overcome key technologies, the cost was reduced by 98% compared with the same industry, and the boss applied for a patent and then the boss cashed out 18 million and left.

Xinxin's technological breakthrough has opened a hole in the chip field for Huaguo, and in the upstream and downstream links of chips, there are finally key nodes that are mastered by Huaguo enterprises.

Although Xinxin is a leader in mobile chip design, whether it is a series chip or a series of chips such as Yanque and Honghu, they all have better performance and lower energy consumption than chips of the same process designed by other companies.

But this is not critical, because the chips that do not use the new core system are not fatal, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, and Samsung are all staring at this market, and they wish that the new core would not be sold.

Only the lithography machine, which represents the most advanced process, can be called a key node.

After Xinxin announced the technological breakthrough, the domestic public opinion level was lively, and the Tokyo Semiconductor Equipment Exhibition was lively, and the position of Xinxin was crowded, and almost every semiconductor company sent people to Xinxin's booth to take introduction materials.

Nikon and ASML were both envious and jealous, and they wanted to inquire about the situation and came to talk.

"Lin Jun, when you came to Nikon to buy technology, I had a hunch that Xinxin would become an important opponent of Nikon in the field of lithography machines.

As a result, the development of Xinxin is faster than I expected, and in just five years, Xinxin has successfully achieved overtaking, and I really didn't misunderstand you. Miro Kariya smiled on the surface, but in fact regretted it inside.

I regret that I wanted to sell the lithography machine technology to Xinxin back then, and if I hadn't made this choice back then, Nikon would not be so passive now.

Miro Kariya, translated as "Michiro Kanya" by the Chinese media, joined Nikon after graduating from Yokohama National University and worked in various departments such as cameras, lenses, and precision instruments, and was appointed as Nikon's new CEO at the board of directors on September 6, 2005.

For Miro Kariya, he first came to Shenhai in '98, when he had just taken over Nikon's camera department and held a middle-level position, when Shenhai was not very developed, and he was deeply impressed by the scene of Huaguo at that time.

It was at that time that he visited Huaguo and gave Miro Kariya the impression that Chinese companies were not very good, so when Xinxin later purchased Nikon's backward technology, he would vote in favor as a member of the senior management team.

Lin Benjian did not show a smug look, in his opinion, Nikon is a respectable opponent, they are likely to be entangled with Nikon for a long time, this is only a temporary victory, and he will not show it in his heart: "President Kariya, Xinxin has always maintained a good cooperative relationship with Nikon.

I am very grateful to Nikon for helping me say hello to Chairman Yoshida. ”

The front is a polite word, Xinxin gives money, Nikon gives technology, one hand pays money and one hand delivers the business, there is no gratitude, in exchange for Canon or ASML, it will also be sold to them, nothing more than good or bad technology.

That last sentence is sincere, and Hayashi has great respect for Nikon's former chairman and current advisor Shoichiro Yoshida.

After the Neon defeat led to the bankruptcy of Shoichiro Yoshida's family business, he joined Nikon 56 years after graduation and single-handedly led the development and rise of Nikon's lithography machines, playing a crucial role in Nikon's combination of optical and precision instruments, helping Nikon achieve a monopoly in the field of lithography machines.

Without him, there would be no Nikon lithography machine, and he created a new business field for Nikon, and Nikon's lithography machine could be sold to Ameriken, sold to IBM and Texas Instruments, and it was inseparable from him.

Compared with Miro Kariya, who only voted in favor, Shoichiro Yoshida's consent is the key to Xinxin's ability to get Nikon's lithography machine technology.

After the retirement of Shoichiro Yoshida in the original time and space, he made an academic report at the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the academic report was of a very high standard, which was personally presided over by the vice minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology at that time, in order to see if he could get something out of Nikon.

Miro Kariya smiled, "Okay." ”

After a pause, he said, "Lin Jun, it was Xinxin who asked us to buy technology before.

This time Nikon wants to buy the technology of the new chip, do you think it's okay?

Because Xinxin's lithography machine technology is very similar to Nikon's, we can directly use your results on immersion lithography machines, and we hope to purchase your results on immersion lithography machines. ”

Nikon is not panicking because they believe that once they break through the 157nm dry lithography machine, the market that was snatched up by Xinxin can also be snatched back by them.

With the immersion type, the 157nm lithography machine has a greater advantage.

But this involves a key, that is, time, Nikon can't give Xinxin more time, if Xinxin's yield rate is too high, Nikon will have to spend a very high price even if it can grab the market back.

So even though Miro Kariya knew it was unrealistic to buy the most advanced lithography machine technology from Shinchip, he wanted to give it a try.

For Nikon, it is very important not to be robbed of too much market by Xinxin and gain too much time advantage.

"We are buying technology that is a generation behind Nikon, and Nikon will not sell us the most advanced technology," Hayashi said.

I haven't asked Newman what he means, but I'm sure he won't agree either. ”

Because Zhou Xin is too famous, Newman has almost become synonymous with him outside, and there are many people who call this name, and if you don't add a prefix, you will default to Newman being Zhou Xin.

So in communication between foreigners, it is customary to use the word Newman.

Miro Kariya took a step back: "We only need to buy the objective lens system of the immersion lithography machine, and we don't need anything else." ”

Hayashi said helplessly, "Does President Kariya think I don't know what our redesigned objective lens system means to Nikon?"

For Nikon, with this objective optical path, you can save at least a year of time to combine the 157nm wavelength light source with the infiltration method to regain the advantages of the process.

Sorry, we have a good relationship with Nikon, but we are also in direct competition in the field of lithography machines.

Although we have achieved technological breakthroughs, Nikon still occupies the market advantage, and we have not yet turned the technological advantage into a market advantage.

At this point in time, it is impossible to transfer this set of technologies. ”

Lin Benjian didn't say anything to death, and when this set of technology is backward, it is not impossible to transfer it.

Kariya Miro sighed: "Sure enough, it seems that my attempt has failed, and the competition between Lin Jun, Nikon and Xinxin has only officially begun now." ”

His subtext is that Xinxin was not an opponent in the field of lithography machines before.

Almost before and after, Nikon, Canon and ASML took turns to come to Xinxin's booth to chat with Lin Benjian, hoping to acquire Xinxin's technology, but they all came with slim hopes and returned with disappointment.

But they weren't too desperate, Nikon knew that he wasn't far from a 157nm dry lithography machine, and that the lab samples had already been developed, just a process of debugging and calibration.

ASML relied on its backing on Americon Capital, and it was originally a catch-up, chasing Nikon before, and now catching up with Xinxin, so it is not too frustrated.

The ones who really regret and even panic are TSMC and Samsung, and TSMC is even more panicked than Samsung.

Because they are all engaged in chip foundry business, Xinxin has achieved a breakthrough in the manufacturing process, you must know that Xinxin also has chip foundry business, and Xinxin's 40nm lithography machine will definitely give priority to supplying its own factory, and then other manufacturers.

Xinxin's leading process in the foundry field will be maintained for at least half a year to a year, coupled with the advantages of yield rate and running-in, Xinxin's advantages will be reflected in this entire generation of process at least.

For example, a total of 100 chips have been produced, and the yield rate is 99%, that is to say, 99 good chips have been produced, and the chip demander must settle with the chip foundry according to 100 pieces.

Because Xinxin started the foundry of the 40nm process faster, the yield rate will be higher than TSMC for a period of time, which means that the cost of a single chip on the chip demand side to find Xinxin will be lower than that of TSMC.

This is a fatal blow to TSMC, Nikon and ASML have a backhand in the face of this blow, and they have a way to overtake in corners, TSMC does not, they are just the integrator of technology.

TSMC regrets even more that they and Xinxin invited Lin Benjian at the same time, and as a result, Lin Benjian joined Xinxin, Zhang Zhongmou thought after receiving the news that if Lin Benjian joined TSMC at that time, TSMC would be the first to achieve a technological breakthrough.

Samsung is also uncomfortable, but because Samsung is an IDM model, that is, from chip design to chip foundry, and even front-end consumer electronics, he is involved, so the impact on Samsung is limited.

"Internally, we expect to start receiving orders for 40nm in the first quarter of next year.

Of course, 40nm lithography machines should be supplied to Xinxin's own chip foundry factory first, but considering the good relationship between us and Intel, Intel will also supply them to Intel if necessary.

We can provide samples to Intel first, and you can do production verification first, and if you think it's okay, we'll sign a contract. "Benjian Lin is talking to Barrett, the chairman of the board of directors of Intel.

This time, there were many big names at the Semiconductor Equipment Show in Tokyo.

"Newman? Okay, no problem, I'll help you say hello to him, and he's looking forward to meeting you, but he has other things to do lately, so he doesn't have time to attend this Tokyo Semiconductor Show. ”

"Do you want to go to Zhangjiang to visit him in person? Okay, I'll help you ask what he means, and then I'll get back to you.

I'm guessing Newman would be willing to meet you. ”

"Xinxin and Intel have always maintained a good cooperative relationship."

"That's right, we are Intel's most important partner in China and even the Asia-Pacific region, and I understand the importance of Xinxin to Intel."

Lenovo would be sad if it knew that the chairman of the board of directors of Intel said that Xinxin was their most important partner in the Asia-Pacific region, and what kind of spirit did they use only Intel's CPUs for more than ten years in order to grab this title.

TSMC will also be jealous, you are our shareholder, I help you OEM so many chips every year, and I am not as important as the new chip?

"Intel wants to have closer cooperation with Xinxin? Want to carry out equity swap with Xinxin?

I'm afraid you'll have to talk to Newman in person, it's not for me to decide. ”

Procrastination is committed ...

I sat in front of the computer at eight o'clock in the morning, and I wrote two thousand words at twelve o'clock in the evening, and I didn't know where the time went in between.

(End of chapter)