The Millennium Semiconductor Survival Guide.

Chapter 319 Gold Content

"The breakthrough of lithography machine is indeed valuable. Before I came here, when I went to Shenhai with Lao Zhang to interview new chips, we stopped by Academician Xu Zhizhan of the Institute of Optoelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shenhai.

I asked him what he thought of Xinxin. Whether it was in front of us or later I interviewed his students privately, they all praised Xinxin’s lithography machine technology. "

Xu Zhizhan is an academician and is currently the director of the Shenhai Institute of Optics and Precision Machinery. Although he is not engaged in research in the field of lithography machines, the research on laser physical devices is somewhat related to lithography machines.

“Academician Xu said that Xinxin has pushed photolithography technology to a new level and is a new breakthrough for Chinese enterprises in this field.

Before Xinxin entered the field of lithography machines, the most advanced lithography machine technology in China was the lithography machine developed by the Institute of Optoelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Yanjing.

What they develop is an i-line lithography machine. The light source wavelength is 365nm, and the highest process accuracy is 0.35 microns. According to them, Xinxin's process has entered 40nm, which is at least two generations of technology gap. "

Because it was going to be made into a documentary, everyone did a lot of basic research and interviews with relevant experts before coming. They knew very well what Xinxin's technological breakthrough meant.

This means that the gap between China and foreign lithography machines that was widened in the 80s has been successfully reversed at this moment.

193nm波长光源的光刻机又叫ArF，如果单纯看光源发展历史的话，光刻机一共经历了五代：436nm的g-line、365nm的i-line、248nm的KrF、193nm的ArF和13.5nm的EUV。

The dry lithography machine with 157nm wavelength light source developed by Nikon is not included in the list because it is not mainstream.

If there are no new cores, the most advanced lithography machine in China at this time should be the URE-2025 i-line lithography machine developed by the Institute of Optoelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which is a full generation behind the mainstream lithography machines.

After saying that, the man smiled again, with an indescribable meaning in his expression: "Didn't I go to Shenhai two days ago?

I have a friend who works at Shenhai's Optoelectronics Institute. He told me that they were privately complaining about Xinxin. This time Xinxin used the infiltration method to achieve a lead in the photolithography process, and they suddenly had nothing to say. "

"Huh? Shen Hai's Optoelectronics Institute is complaining about the new chip?

Didn’t their graduate students and Ph.D. students more than triple their salary after leaving because of Xinxin?
What do they have to resent Xinxin? "

"Haha, I heard from my friend that the lithography machine project in the Tenth Five-Year Plan was originally going to be allocated to Shenhai Institute of Optoelectronics. Even Huadian Institute of Technology plans to move all the 45 lithography machine teams from their institute to Shenhai Institute of Optoelectronics. Hainan, merged with the Institute of Optoelectronics, and then jointly took on this project.

Because of the Hanxin incident, the superiors were extremely distrustful of Shenhai's scientific research environment. Among the universities and scientific research institutions in Shenhai during the Tenth Five-Year Plan, only Fudan barely managed to get one project, while other universities and scientific research institutions didn't get anything.

The salary of graduate students and doctoral students from the Institute of Optoelectronics has tripled. The problem is that for the researchers of the Institute of Optoelectronics, their salary has not tripled. They have also lost major research projects, and their capable colleagues have been poached by Xinxin. , the rest are either leaders with positions, or even many middle-level employees.

Either they have no skills and got in by relying on connections. It would be strange if they don’t hate Hanxin. If the new boss doesn’t peel off Hanxin’s skin, they won’t be unable to take on the tough projects of the [-]th. "

"So that's it. The Hanxin incident has a sequel. In the two years after Hanxin, the scores of universities in the entire Shenhai area dropped by about ten points."

Another reporter from CCTV did not ask why Xinxin has achieved a breakthrough in lithography machines using the 40nm process, and whether China's lithography machine project will continue.

As a reporter from CCTV, he has enough acumen in this regard. Not to mention that Xinxin successfully developed a 40nm process. Even if Xinxin develops a lithography machine with a 10nm process, the projects led by China will still be difficult to tackle. continue.

First, because the money must be used up before the project is established, and the project will not be stopped unless it is very special. Second, because Xinxin’s lithography machines still have to rely on foreign suppliers, and the technology will not be licensed to them for free. For Chinese enterprises, it is necessary for China to develop its own photolithography machine technology.

When Huaguo was working on this project, Xinxin had already purchased 130nm lithography machine technology from Nikon and was doing well. Therefore, Huaguo believed that Xinxin could use its own production line to produce 130nm lithography machines. After the machine has gained a foothold, Huaguo can also rely on state-owned enterprises such as Huahong and Huajing to gain a foothold after achieving technological breakthroughs.

Therefore, with the case of Xinxin, instead of suspending the lithography machine project in the Tenth Five-Year Plan, China increased its support for this project and directly placed it in charge of the Institute of Optoelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Yanjing. Shenhai Microelectronics is responsible for cooperating with the research and development of the project.

"Dr. Lin, hello, I am CCTV reporter Chen Xiaoxia. We have a few questions to interview you. You can speak freely." Chen Xiaoxia is a reporter from the International Channel and works in the field all year round, so when he came to the Ariake Convention and Exhibition Center, he did not What does it feel like? He has even traveled to Antarctica. This can only be said in a trivial way.

When the young people in the team came this time, they exclaimed, feeling that Tokyo was built much better than the big cities in China. Any convention and exhibition center was so grand and majestic, with a construction area of ​​more than 20. square.

Lin Benjian was not surprised to be interviewed. Yangma’s team came to Tokyo on the same flight as them, and Yangma had already communicated with Xinxin before coming.

"Okay, Reporter Chen, you can ask." Lin Benjian was very calm. He had just finished the introduction and had not yet come out of the excitement in the previous introduction. He had a mechanical reaction to the communication with Chen Xiaoxia.

"Dr. Lin, first question, what do you think Xinxin's technological breakthrough means? For the field of lithography machines and the field of semiconductors?"

"It means that the light source problem that has plagued the industry for 20 years has been solved. Since the 90s, the light source wavelength has been reduced from 365nm to 193nm, but the industry has been unable to achieve a breakthrough.

Xinxin has achieved a breakthrough in light source wavelength this time. From 40nm to 20nm, it will be smooth sailing without any difficulties.

The semiconductor industry will continue to develop according to Moore's Law until it encounters new bottlenecks. "Lin Benjian said it calmly, but he was very proud in his heart.

At the scene, he saw Boris Lipkin, an old acquaintance of IBM and his opponent, the head of IBM's light source team.

When he was at IBM before, he insisted on deep ultraviolet light or infiltration methods to break through the 193nm wavelength limit, while Boris insisted on X-rays. Lin Benjian's later "internal retirement" by IBM had something to do with Boris.

Seeing the enemies, friends, opponents, and partners in the audience, although everyone has different positions, they are all applauding and happy for another advancement in semiconductor technology. This technological advancement was brought about by himself, and Lin Benjian felt sincerely happy.

Chen Xiaoxia couldn't quite understand Lin Benjian's mood. He knew it was very important. Even if it wasn't important, Mother Yang wouldn't send a whole team here. He didn't know how important it was. After listening to Lin Benjian's answer, Chen Xiaoxia had a more intuitive feeling. .

A 20-year-old problem has been solved. This is indeed something worth writing about. It was our Chinese enterprises that achieved this breakthrough.

"Dr. Lin, how did you achieve this technological breakthrough? How did you surpass companies like Nikon, Canon and ASML in the Netherlands?

They all have a relatively long history in the field of lithography machines. How did Xinxin achieve its goal of catching up? Lin Benjian said: "Because we have chosen the right direction."

We are taking a completely different direction than other companies.

In the late 90s, the industry proposed various solutions to break through the 193nm wavelength, including 157nm F2 laser, electron beam projection, ion projection, deep ultraviolet light, X-ray, etc.

Among them, X-rays, electron beam projections, and ion projections are all too far away. This is an idea that is feasible in theory. The current situation of materials science determines that it is unrealistic. These are just preliminary studies.

The most common one is the 157nm F2 laser. Nikon, Canon, and ASML all follow this technical route.

However, this technical route also has some difficulties to overcome. For example, the 157nm wavelength light will be absorbed by the lens of the 193nm wavelength light source photolithography machine. They have to re-develop the lens and the photoresist. The difficulties they have to overcome are more than We are more.

The infiltration method we use can be the simplest solution in terms of direction.After discussing with Newman, I determined the technical direction and then moved towards this technical direction. It didn't take long for me to achieve a breakthrough. "

Lin Benjian was very proud. The reporter keenly captured the hot news. Everything related to Zhou Xin was a hot news topic. Chen Xiaoxia quickly asked: "Dr. Lin, you just mentioned Newman. Is this the Zhou Xin I understand?"

Lin Benjian nodded: "That's right."

Chen Xiaoxia continued to ask: "You mean Dr. Zhou Xin also played a role in it, right?"

Lin Benjian smiled and said: "He is the boss, the technical route we take is different from other companies, he has to decide whether to work or not.

After I introduced my idea to him and why I thought the technical route of infiltration method was promising, he immediately said yes, I agree with your idea, so we further discussed the infiltration method and reached an agreement, and then the new core started Invest all resources into the research and development of infiltration methods.

We successfully completed the verification in the middle of this year, and now Xinxin’s immersion lithography machine has begun to enter our production process. "

Chen Xiaoxia's next question is a bit sensitive: "We all know that because of the Wassenaar Agreement, Chinese semiconductor companies have been unable to implement the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes.

Generally, it is at least one generation behind the most advanced foreign processes. In the early 90s, it was even 2.5 generations behind.

I would like to ask if Xinxin has achieved a breakthrough in lithography machine technology, does it mean that we will not be restricted by the Wassenaar Agreement, and Chinese companies can use Xinxin's lithography equipment to become more advanced than foreign countries? What about the chip manufacturing process? "

Lin Benjian thought for a while and then said: "The photolithography machine is only an important part of the chip manufacturing process, but it is not the only link.

Chip manufacturing also involves raw materials, cleaning equipment, thin film deposition equipment, heat treatment equipment, etc.

Breakthroughs in photolithography machines can raise the upper limit of Chinese semiconductor manufacturers, but I am not sure whether they can achieve the same chip manufacturing process as foreign countries.

This depends on the performance of China's domestic equipment in the subsequent actual production process. "

Xinxin has internally discussed whether it can use technological breakthroughs in photolithography machines to allow the Wassenaar Agreement to lift export controls on semiconductor equipment.

They haven't started yet and aren't sure they can get it done.

Zhou Xin is certain, but he has to seize the time window. After 08, this matter will be difficult to handle. 07 is the only time window.

Chen Xiaoxia no longer understood. He had no idea what Lin Benjian was talking about. He could only smile and nod. He had almost asked what he wanted to ask and ended the interview after asking a few random questions.

The news program at [-] o'clock that evening broadcast the news of Xinxin's technological breakthrough in the field of lithography machines:

“Recently, at the Semiconductor Equipment Exhibition held in Neon Tokyo, Xinxin Lithography Machine, a semiconductor company from my country, was invited to participate in the opening ceremony and demonstrated the latest developed 40nm process lithography machine at the opening ceremony.

This lithography machine has taken the chip manufacturing process a big step forward from 65nm. It is also the first time that a Chinese company has conquered key technologies in the semiconductor field and led the development of the world's semiconductor industry. "

The briefing was followed by what Lin Benjian said in an interview:

"It means that the light source problem that has plagued the industry for 20 years has been solved. Since the 90s, the light source wavelength has been reduced from 365nm to 193nm, but the industry has been unable to achieve a breakthrough."

After the news was broadcast by Yangma, major Internet forums and traditional paper media in China were filled with discussions about new chips and lithography machines.

We are not as lacking in national identity as we were at the turn of the century, but technological breakthroughs can still arouse the pride of Chinese people.

Because China has suffered losses in competition with other countries in the world since modern times, which are ultimately due to technological backwardness, the Chinese people have an obsession and ultimate pursuit of technological progress.

No matter how much ridicule is made on the Internet about the poor domestic scientific research environment and scientific research atmosphere, Hawking still has to stand up and toast two glasses when he comes. What is reflected behind this kind of ridicule is everyone's enthusiasm for scientific research and respect for scientific research talents.

Scientific research talents should not follow China's universal operating rules. The secular should be secular, and science should be scientific. The greatest common denominator of Chinese religions must be scientific materialism.

Outside China, the breakthrough of Xinxin lithography machines mainly affects the industry. Semiconductor-related companies are discussing the possible impact of this incident and the future development of the semiconductor industry.

In China, people are discussing lithography machines, just like when Chen Jingrun discovered 1+1=3 and a lot of people began to study Goldbach's conjecture.

Especially after Yang Ma’s documentary was broadcast, a bunch of photolithography machine enthusiasts emerged from the public.

　The crow has returned home, follow-up updates will be as normal!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)