Rewind time to a day ago, the day in the United States, the late night in China.

The headquarters of the Science editorial office is located at 1200 NW New York Avenue in Washington, D.C., no more than a kilometer from Washington's world-famous White House.

Speaking of this magazine, the most famous is probably when it was founded, the world-famous inventor Edison, was one of the sponsors of the magazine. However, after several financial crises, it was taken over by the American Association for the Promotion of Science and Technology, and gradually became a world-renowned science and technology magazine.

Another well-known incident was that at the beginning of the 21st century, Science magazine and Nature magazine fought over who would be the first to publish a map of the human genetic arrangement. It's hard to say who won, but in 2008, the first complete genome sequence map in human history was published in the journal Nature.

Of course, this does not mean that "Science" is worse than "Nature", after all, the national power is there.

And for many scientists, there is no need to pay a page fee to publish a journal in Science. Of course, the premise is that the content of the paper must pass a more prudent review.

The current editor-in-chief, Bull Wilson, is not only a graduate of the Ivy League University Harvard, but also the president of another world-renowned school, Stanford University. At the same time, he is also an expert professor in the direction of materials science.

Very high grade.

But in fact, magazines of this type are extremely friendly to the general reader.

After all, this is a comprehensive journal that includes all scientific research directions, and unlike professional journals such as mathematics and physics, most people can read and understand the papers published in Science.

Because there were other things to do, the time for the Boolean Magazine was not much. A lot of the time it's telecommuting, and the associate editor of the editorial office can also keep the journal running well.

Today, when he came to the editorial office, he heard very interesting news.

A while ago, a young Chinese mathematical genius who stirred up the entire world mathematics community with a watermark actually submitted a paper to science, and even submitted two articles directly.

That's a really interesting thing.

Many editors in the editorial office even began to bet on whether Qiao Ze's submitted papers also had watermarks.

Well, mathematicians contribute to Science, and José is not the first.

Still, Bull was interested in Josser's paper.

Obviously, he was not interested and could not do it, because the deputy editor-in-chief, Connor, said to him with a serious face, "Bull, I think you should take a good look at Joe's two papers." Especially the one about making lithography machines. ”

"Lithography machine? Did I hear me right? You're saying that the paper that the math kid sent us was about how to build a lithography machine? ”

"Yes, you heard it right, it's about lithography machines! I don't know how to describe it, but how to put it, his paper is a bit vague in its formulation, and I also sent it to some experts, but this paper is really strange......"

Bull looked at his right-hand man with some strange looks.

Because it obviously sounds very incoherent.

It's hard to imagine a rigorous associate editor of a top-tier journal who can seem logically confusing when it comes to making simple statements.

"Okay, I see, Connie, I'd suggest you relax and have a cup of coffee first? Let's wait until I have read the paper roughly before we talk about it. If you can't find a better reviewer, I'll figure it out. You know, there are a lot of teams at Stanford University that are doing related research, such as the high-density elastic circuit monolithography in the school, and they will definitely be interested in this paper. ”

Bull Wilson directly interrupted Deputy Editor-in-Chief Connie.

"Okay, Mr. Wilson, then you should read the paper first."

After saying that, Connie turned around and walked out of the editor-in-chief's room.

After watching the deputy editor-in-chief leave, Bull pulled up Qiao Ze's paper from the computer and began to read it.

After spending two hours and reading Josser's paper carefully, Bull Wilson probably understood why the associate editor had lost his temper.

The feeling that this paper gave him was probably that anyone who looked at it would be confused.

According to the words in the paper, it is just a purely theoretical derivation paper, but the paper gives very detailed data to support it, and the group of data is indeed like a laboratory out. And the analysis of this data, it's really too detailed.

And most importantly, if this is just a machine on paper, who would be bored enough to develop a suitable control system for a machine that has not yet been physically built?

It is important to know that the control system that controls 28 beams of light at the same time has almost all the requirements for stability and accuracy.

For example, ASML's state-of-the-art extreme ultraviolet lithography machine first reflects high-power CO2 laser pulses through several absolutely flat lenses, illuminates a tin droplet target with a diameter of only 30 microns, and then excites a high-power 13.5-nanometer plasma, which is used to generate an EUV light source with a wavelength of 13.5 nanometers to expose and engrave the wafer.

The high level of precision required by the control unit is evident.

Although Qiao Ze's design in the paper has reduced the requirements for the accuracy of the instrument a lot. But this is a lithography machine after all, and its function is to engrave countless transistors onto silicon wafers. The requirements for stability and precision are there.

What's more, if this thing is true, then it is equivalent to 28 lithography equipment working at the same time, processing and producing chips with different functions in different processes at the same time, and each channel can also make instant adjustments to the light source according to production needs.

Its production efficiency and production flexibility are much higher than those of today's traditional lithography equipment.

Really, after reading the first paper, Bull was completely stunned, and he didn't even bother to open the second paper.

Thinking of many current policies, if the Chinese really build this kind of equipment, they don't need more, even if they can only produce one unit a year, this is also the existence that can directly beat ASML. And with the potential of Huaxia's industrial reserves and the desire for high-end lithography technology, it is almost impossible to produce only one unit a year out of the laboratory.

It won't be a few years before this thing will bloom everywhere.

Once the flowers bloomed, what might happen next, Boole didn't dare to think about it.

That's really outrageous.

Agitated, he immediately called Connie's deputy editor-in-chief into his editor-in-chief's office again.

……

"Connie, this paper has already been reviewed, right? Tell me, the opinion of those professionals. ”

"Yes, Editor-in-Chief Wilson, they have even used computers to deduce and verify to a certain extent, and according to the results of the current calculations, the authenticity of the data given in the paper is more than 80%. And then there's that control system, trying to verify it with a virtual machine, which is to simulate the components described in those papers, and then use that system to simulate the control, well...... How so...... In addition to the fact that the operation interface is too simple, the final evaluation score is very high, not perfect, but at least excellent. For example, the system supports programming of each channel and simulates production results. ”

"But the paper clearly says that he only did theoretical derivation and design, and if you look at the description of the beam here, he even uses the word conception......"

"yes, yes, that's where everybody feels contradictory. Let's assume that these are theoretical derivations, but how do you interpret those data? And under normal circumstances, I can't imagine that I can develop an adaptive system without physical objects, and even include the drivers of each device at the lowest level, as well as fine-tuning the resolution. ”

Bull Wilson stopped talking, and didn't know what to say.

After all, after so many years in the industry, he really has never seen such a strange paper. Strange enough that he even had to sit with the associate editor-in-chief to analyze whether what was written in the paper was real or just an idea on paper.

"Bull, it feels weird, doesn't it? I just talked to Walter about this paper, do you know what he said? ”

Bull Wilson bowed slightly, motioning for Connor to stop selling off.

"This paper gave him the feeling that a little grandson wanted to show off some good things he had seen, but he was afraid that others would rob him if they thought this thing really existed, so he used a lot of vague words and some real data to stitch together, so he had this paper."

Bul Wilson suddenly felt a sudden realization.

yes, that's how he feels, it's just so weird, he doesn't know how to describe it.

After all, the lithography machine is not a child's toy.

"That Qiao Ze doesn't seem to be very old?"

"Yes, I heard that it is less than twenty years old."

So what Walter actually means is that Joe showed a talent for mathematics and was invited by the school to visit a lab that was working on lithography machines, and he was exposed to some data and systems, and then he wrote a paper? But that doesn't make sense, does it? Shouldn't this lab data be kept confidential? Even if the lab data is open to a visitor, the source code of the control system will not be disclosed to a visitor, right? And Jozer wrote the paper, what about the other people involved in the project? ”

"That's what I thought, you should know that Joe's first two papers were about causal coupling in group theory, and built an intelligent platform out of it. Is it possible that the lithography project team invited Joe because they had some problems that were difficult to solve. After all, at the same time, high-precision and stable control of twenty-eight beams, the intelligent requirements for the system are extremely high, and then Joe participated in the optimization project, so he came into contact with the latest data and source code? ”

"You mean, after he completed this commissioned work, out of a show-off mentality, even in spite of the non-disclosure agreement, he wrote this paper and submitted it directly to us? Let me see...... Ha, the corresponding author and the first work only have his name! ”

"I don't know, Mr. Wilson, that all of this is speculation based on the assumptions of this paper. But as things stand, I can't think of a more reasonable guess. Unless we believe that this paper is indeed only describing a theoretical technical possibility, and that all the data in it are indeed as stated in the paper, they are derived by computers based on theorems and formulas of fundamental physics. The authors of the paper then developed a control system for this machine, which only exists in theory and is conceived. ”

"Another thing, Connie, the author of this paper twenty days ago, was still working on basic AI algorithms."

"Yes...... you should feel it, this inference feels even more ridiculous to me...... I'd rather believe that he was completely oblivious to the non-disclosure agreements he might have signed. ”

"So what are you waiting for? Connie, publish this article right away. Problems that we can't figure out, we can let everyone help us figure it out. If it's true, this can be regarded as a reminder to those semiconductor companies that we should pay attention to. If it's fake...... Well, damn it...... As mentioned in the paper, these are his speculations and ideas. We don't even need to worry about possible retractions in the future. ”

"Okay, Mr. Wilson, I'll publish this paper on the official website right away."

"Put it directly on the front page, and by the way, the next issue of the magazine, this paper can be used as a cover. By the way, if another paper has been reviewed, it will be sent directly. ”

"Got it!"

……

In this way, after a long conversation between the two, Qiao Ze's paper was published on the official website of Science magazine.

The first hurdle passed in the confusion of the editor-in-chief, the deputy editor-in-chief and the reviewers.

The moment the paper was published on the official website of Science magazine, it was like throwing a pebble into the calm water and began to ripple.

After all, the title of this paper is the idea of a new type of lithography machine.

At this sensitive moment, this product, known as the crown of modern industry, has been deeply concerned by countless people.

Coupled with the credibility of Science itself, the paper was soon downloaded to the computers of scientists in many industries.

This time, it is not limited to pure academics, but more scientists who are already working on related engineering, but are more interested in this kind of paper with a high degree of application.

"Joe? The name seems a little familiar. ”

"Huaxia, Xilin University of Technology? Lithography machine? ”

"New lithography machine? A new light source? Just kidding, right? ”

This is how many people react when they first see the paper, and after a few hours, when the first scientists and engineers who have downloaded and read the paper have read it roughly, many forums and technical communication teams are buzzing.

"Hey John, have you read that paper on the new lithography machine in Science?"

"What paper?"

"Haven't seen it yet? I suggest you put down what you're doing and check it out. Or if you open the internal forum now, you will find that it will be too late if you don't read it, and you will probably have a meeting for this paper today! That's right, it's the one on the front page of Science! ”

In this way, the same topic began to spread like a virus in the industry.