Since domestic chip manufacturing companies were previously engaged in the production of low-end products, the demand for high-end lithography machines seems a bit awkward.
After all, you can’t buy a top-level lithography machine worth 1.5 billion and use it to produce low-end chips! And high-end chips can’t be designed in a short while.
For a while, they were also weighing the pros and cons. After all, a chip production line requires not only a photolithography machine, but also a series of other equipment.
This is a large amount of money, and they cannot afford to be careless.
Go to Shanghai.
Microelectronics Equipment Group was previously the only photolithography machine R&D and production company in China.
At this time, an intense negotiation is taking place.
There are four parties involved in the negotiations, including Shanghai State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Microelectronics, and parent companies Shanghai Electric and Sisi She Company.
Cai Zhixing and Gao Zhiyuan came to Shanghai to participate in this negotiation on behalf of Sisishe Company.
The main reason for this negotiation is that Huang Mingzhe hopes that Microelectronics Company can undergo a reorganization. Microelectronics Company's products are all 100-nanometer and above lithography machines, and the 40-nanometer lithography machine being developed is also half-dead.
The reason why this company can survive is mainly because the country is worried that Westerners will cut off the supply of photolithography machines, so it uses money to develop a backup plan.
But now with the rise of Shenguang Instrument Company, the role of microelectronics is already minimal.
"Mr. Cai, if there is a reorganization, how should Microelectronics be reorganized?" Qin He, director of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, asked.
"Our plan is for government supervision and private ownership. In terms of equity division, Sisi Society requires 40% and management rights. Officials can send personnel to supervise finance and major events, but they are not allowed to interfere with daily management."
After Cai Zhixing finished speaking, he took out a drafted terms of rights and obligations. The assistant on the side copied the document and handed it to everyone present.
Qin He flipped through page after page. Judging from the documents, Sisi Society had a lot of concessions, but also a lot of demands.
For example, the state-owned part of microelectronics will no longer be affiliated with Shanghai Electric and other state-owned units, but will be directly affiliated with the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.
In addition, very detailed regulations and divisions have been made for situations that may arise during management. This is a very strict management model, mainly to avoid excessive official interference in the company's daily management.
Especially when it comes to personnel appointments, removals, salaries, rewards and punishments, Thinking Society will not allow those people to have their hands on them.
In fact, to put it simply, it is equivalent to the official selling Microelectronics to Sisishe, but the official holds 60% of the B shares.
Under such circumstances, it was indeed a test for the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission and Shanghai Electric. The four parties negotiated for more than a week, and finally the plan was generally implemented.
March 16th.
Sifang completed the delivery and transfer of shares, and Sisishe immediately carried out drastic reforms in the microelectronics company.
Gao Zhiyuan did not expect that after a long journey, he would eventually become the immediate boss of Microelectronics, which can only be said to be a fate.
Microelectronics Internal Conference.
In front of thousands of people in the dark audience, Gao Zhiyuan said loudly: "Many people know me, but I would like to introduce myself. My name is Gao Zhiyuan. I am very happy to be here."
Bang bang bang... Regardless of whether you like it or not, the applause continues as always.
"I won't speak in official terms. In the future, the rules of microelectronics will need to be changed. Those who want to eat from the big pot, line their own pockets, or work as slaves should consider the consequences." Gao Zhiyuan looked murderous when he said this.
Many people below have ugly expressions, especially those who have evil intentions in their hearts.
After the meeting, Gao Zhiyuan took the portfolio Huang Mingzhe gave him and started cleaning out the bugs and rats in microelectronics.
Then some management personnel were transferred from Shenguang Instruments to fill in, and with the addition of personnel recruited from outside, the internal environment of Microelectronics immediately improved greatly.
After acquiring Microelectronics, Shenguang Instrument Company will use Microelectronics to produce mid-range and low-end X-ray lithography machines.
Shenguang Instruments focuses on the development and manufacturing of high-end lithography machines, fully covering the lithography machine market.
…
In order to meet the needs of companies such as Ziguang, Huada Semiconductor, and Yangtze Memory, Shenguang Instruments launched the Shenguang 0.5 X-ray lithography machine in mid-March.
Shenguang 0.5 X-ray lithography machine mainly has three models: 12 nanometer, 14 nanometer and 16 nanometer.
Since there are already top-level lithography machines of 10 to 2 nanometers, it is now very convenient to produce high-end lithography machines.
Shenguang Instruments only needs to consider how to reduce costs and reduce accuracy, mainly for those lenses, electronic controls, and detection equipment, which can reduce costs.
In addition, because top-level photolithography machines have been developed, research and development expenses have also dropped significantly.
The top version comes out first, and then the low-end version is developed. It can only be said that this weird model is the first time for everyone to encounter it.
After a comprehensive evaluation, Shenguang’s 0.5-12 X-ray lithography machine (12 nanometer level) is sold for 800 million; Shenguang’s 0.5-14 X-ray lithography machine (14 nanometer level) is sold for 600 million; Shenguang’s 0.5-14
16X-ray lithography machine (16nm level), priced at 400 million.
Although there is only a design plan and not even a prototype has been produced, the Shenguang 0.5 X-ray lithography machine was immediately popular among domestic companies as soon as it was announced.
Tsinghua Unigroup, Huada Semiconductor, Yangtze Memory, and previously SMIC, immediately booked a large number of orders.
The three models of Shenguang 0.5 X-ray lithography machines have received a total of 24.6 billion orders, and these orders have been scheduled until 2014.
In addition, HiSilicon and Zhang Rujing, who has just returned to the industry, are also negotiating with Shenguang Instruments to purchase lithography machines.
…
The capital of Hubei Province—Jiangcheng.
Everyone at SMIC's chip factory was very nervous. Even President Zhao Jun and Chief Technology Officer Li Weiguang were present in person.
Shenguang Instrument engineers are installing a lithography machine. This is the second Shenguang 1 X-ray lithography machine produced by Shenguang Instrument Company, and it is also the first lithography machine officially delivered for use.
After buying a precision equipment like a photolithography machine, there is no way to use it immediately. Without adjustment by the original factory engineers, chip manufacturing companies do not dare to mess with it.
All lithography machines sold by ASML not only do not allow chip manufacturing companies to change parameters and positions randomly, but also install positioning systems and network monitoring.
In other words, Asmer knew everything about the chips produced by the chip manufacturing company, as well as the chip design drawings and parameters.
The same goes for Shenguang Instruments.
After three days of adjustments by engineers, the lithography machine was finally ready for trial operation.
"Thank you very much, everyone." Zhao Jun quickly signaled to his assistant, who then gave each of the dozen engineers a red envelope.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Zhao." The engineer captain smiled and accepted the red envelope. This kind of red envelope thinking is not prohibited by the club, but it must be registered with the Finance Department.
The trial operation started, but Shenguang Instruments engineers still left five people, because the chip production line not only has photolithography machines, but also other equipment, and the photolithography machines must continue to be adjusted during the trial operation.
Li Weiguang personally led people to continuously test and adjust the production line.
As a top-level photolithography machine, Shenguang Instruments has given a backward compatibility benefit, that is, it can not only produce 10-7nm level chips, but also 30-10nm level chips.
SMIC currently only has a 16-nanometer overall process, so it can only kill the chicken with a bull's-eye.