The International Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Industry Association, as an international neutral organization for the world's semiconductor industry, announced the 2013 semiconductor industry information at the end of December 2013.
This most authoritative industry report immediately sparked heated discussions around the world.
The report announced the changes in the international semiconductor industry this year, especially in the two fields of semiconductor raw materials and semiconductor equipment, which caused an uproar.
China's semiconductor equipment manufacturers have collectively climbed to the forefront of the world.
Among them, Shenguang Instrument Company surpassed ASML in lithography machines and became the world's top lithography machine manufacturer; Microelectronics surpassed Japan's Nikon and Canon to become the world's third largest lithography machine manufacturer.
In the field of etching machines, China Micro Semiconductor and Applied Materials are tied for first in the world, and Northern Huachuang is second in the world.
Among the other seven subdivisions, China's semiconductor equipment manufacturers have caught up with the world's first-class level, and the coating machine technology is also the world's top.
In the semiconductor raw material industry, Shenguang Instruments is also not to be outdone in terms of photoresist. After all, there is only one X-ray photoresist company, and this is a real monopoly business.
Silicon wafers, silicon wafer cleaners, ion implanters, etc. are also improving in China.
Traditional semiconductor equipment or materials companies such as ASML, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electronics, and Shin-Etsu are feeling a lot of pressure at this time.
Los Angeles, USA, Applied Materials Company located in Silicon Valley.
Since they are the world's top companies in semiconductor equipment and raw materials, they have to face the Chinese semiconductor equipment army headed by Shenguang Instruments.
At this time, the company's president's office was looking gloomy and gloomy.
President Robert James looked at the report in his hand, and his heart couldn't help but bleed. Due to the unprecedented fierce competition, their revenue this year dropped by 27% compared with 2012, and the net profit directly became negative 11%.
"James, we have to think of a way now, otherwise we won't be able to hold on for long." Chief Technology Officer George Hall looked anxious.
"How to..." James also looked worried.
Now that the company's stock has plummeted, many directors are exerting pressure, and he is also in a very difficult position.
Suddenly the phone on his desk rang, and he saw it was Wen Nink, CEO of ASML.
"Hello, why did Wen have time to call me?"
"Okay James, let's talk directly!"
"OK."
"We need to put pressure on the VA to lift restrictions as soon as possible, otherwise there will be consequences..." Wennink's words are self-evident.
But James frowned: "We have two companies"
"NO, it's all semiconductor equipment companies together." Wennink said firmly.
The two discussed for a long time and finally decided to put pressure on Western officials to lift restrictions on semiconductor equipment.
In this way, they can enter the hinterland of China. As for the troubles in the chip manufacturing industry, they must give priority to their own survival now.
They immediately connected the capital forces behind them and put them into operation immediately, so that the restrictions on the export of semiconductor equipment and raw materials restricted by the China Association of Waxing Association could be lifted as soon as possible.
However, Applied Materials is not limited to this. The next step is to reduce prices and promote sales to seize the Chinese and world markets.
The last step is to play legal battles, the favorite method of high-tech industry giants-patent wars.
…
Gao Zhiyuan couldn't help but sneer as he looked at the pile of lawyer's letters and the summons from the US Federal Court in his hand.
He knew that these foreign devils liked to play this trick. In fact, Shenguang Instrument had already been alert and prepared for this situation.
Otherwise, they would not have chosen the X-ray lithography machine route in the first place, just to avoid being troubled by ASML on the extreme ultraviolet lithography machine.
However, other semiconductor equipment companies will have more or less technological overlap, which is unavoidable.
He immediately notified all subsidiaries and partners to respond to the lawsuit, and at the same time appealed to the Chinese court for patent infringement as a counterattack.
Since we are going to fight a patent war, we cannot passively respond to the war, but must take the initiative. The worst case scenario is that we will hurt each other, and we don’t know who will win in the end.
At the same time, Shenguang Instruments dispatched a large number of researchers to help subsidiaries or partners avoid each other's patents as much as possible.
Then work hard to develop new technologies and continue to use new technologies to cover the original technologies, so that everything will be foolproof.
Of course, these foreigners must be trying to play hooligans. Gao Zhiyuan knew that if he went to the United States to file a lawsuit, he would probably lose, but time must be delayed slowly. It is best to fight for four to five years.
With the development speed of Shenguang Instruments, when the time comes, it will use its strong technological advantages to directly crush the opponent and cause these companies to go bankrupt.
The purpose of appealing in Chinese courts is to make the other party take advantage of it. Once the federal court dares to do something evil, don't blame the Chinese courts for retaliating.
As soon as the patent war between the two parties began, a war of public opinion also broke out.
The Internet at home and abroad is full of news and hot discussions from both sides.
January 1st.
Two self-produced memory chips from Yangtze Memory have been officially released globally.
Under the spotlight, President Yang Shining trotted onto the stage with excitement. He took the microphone:
"Welcome all guests to attend the press conference of Yangtze Inspur Memory Particles, and we also welcome all viewers watching on the Internet."
Bang bang bang... Most of the people present were Chinese, and my family would definitely want to applaud and encourage me.
"Now, I will personally introduce to you the Yangtze River Wave-1 and the Yangtze River Wave-2."
Yang Shining introduced the performance of Yangtze River Inspur-1 and Yangtze River Inspur-2 in detail, and finally offered a price that was almost the same as the market price.
Although this price is a way to make money at a loss, Sanxin, Hynix, and Micron have already lowered their prices, so Yangtze Memory can only resort to tricks.
After entering the reporter's question-and-answer session, the guy looking for trouble came indeed.
A Dong-A Daily reporter took the microphone and asked: "President Yang, is it true that Sanxin Electronics sued Yangtze Memory for infringing memory patents?"
Obviously, this reporter’s question was deliberately intended to cause ambiguity. Is she asking whether the prosecution is true or whether the patent infringement is true.
"First, Sanxin Electronics did sue Yangtze Memory; second, our company did not infringe Sanxin's patent." Yang Shining was not fooled.
"Then why is your company's chip design speed so fast? This obviously violates the general rules of chip design." The reporter pursued her.
Yang Shining replied coldly: "Rules are meant to be broken. We have adopted a new design concept."
Before the reporter could continue to ask questions, Yang Shining preemptively said: "Our memory particle technology is 16 nanometers. What process does Sanxin Electronics use for its memory particles?"
Well... the reporter was immediately speechless.
Of course, Sanxin cannot use the 16-nanometer process to produce memory particles. International memory particles generally use 22 or 24 nanometers. The main reason is that this process is very mature, has low equipment requirements, and has a high yield rate.
Sanxin Electronics' 16nm process is used to produce high-end products such as CPUs and graphics cards.
At this time, other reporters did not dare to ask this question, but turned to other questions, such as when 32G memory particles will be mass-produced, and whether there are any plans to produce other chips.
At the same time as Yangtze Memory released memory particles.
On the same day, the VA announced the lifting of bans on semiconductor equipment and materials. It seems that ASML and Applied Materials are moving very quickly.