From all-round academic master to chief scientist

"What a work of art!"

As the last aluminum plate was installed, Lin Xiao had a smile on his face and couldn't help but sigh.

Looking at these five huge machines, he could be said to have installed them step by step.

From the outside, the neat aluminum plate reflects the lights in the workshop, and the surface is extremely clean and tidy. As a mechanical instrument, it will probably not get dirty in its life, unlike the computer case at home that is used for a period of time. It will accumulate dust, but it will always be so shiny.

After all, photolithography machines can print money faster than banknote printing machines. They can produce hundreds of thousands of mobile phone SoC chips in one hour, and the cost of one SoC chip in a mobile phone can be estimated to be about 500 yuan. This is equivalent to printing nearly 100 million in one hour. No money printing machine can print that well.

Of course, things like printing money are just small things.

The most important thing is that the economic circulation driven by a photolithography machine is even more unmatched by a money printing machine. With the photolithography machine as the core of the entire semiconductor industry chain, it creates wealth and jobs for the entire industry. Positions, which are also incomparable to money printing machines.

From upstream to midstream to downstream, a photolithography machine can bring billions of dollars of economic circulation to the entire industry chain every year, and the semiconductor industry chain can create a market of more than 500 billion U.S. dollars every year. The economic circulation can easily exceed one trillion U.S. dollars, and China's GDP in 2021 is only 177,000 U.S. dollars.

For another example, the most profitable industries in the world are mobile phones, automobiles, and real estate, and the semiconductor industry is closely related to mobile phones and automobiles. Even smart homes in real estate can be related to semiconductors. In terms of market size, semiconductors are not at all No worse than these industries.

Therefore, occupying any key link in the semiconductor industry chain will bring huge profit margins.

Why Japan can become the third largest economy in the world? From the perspective of their three major economic pillars, the first is the important market of automobiles, and then animation. In addition to these two, it is their semiconductor industry. If it were not for the After the Plaza Accord of the century, Japan, which originally accounted for nearly 80% of the world's semiconductor market, now has a GDP that is probably even higher.

In addition, it is very important for a country to have independent chip production technology, especially a truly independent country like China.

As for Russia, another independent country, because the technology tree was wrongly selected at the beginning, it did not develop transistors, but electron tubes. It has not developed transistors until now. But obviously, the performance of electron tubes cannot be compared with transistors, because electron tubes cannot Like transistors, which are very small and mass-produced, Russia also needs to import things like mobile phone chips, computer processors, etc. Of course, perhaps it is precisely because Russia does not engage in transistors that it has not suffered in semiconductors. After all, there is no neck anymore. Western companies are still willing to sell chips to Russia. If you have money, you are a bastard.

But for China, because it wants to develop semiconductors and also wants to develop into a major semiconductor country, it naturally encounters many difficulties and resistance.

However, these obstacles will be a thing of the past.

The five instruments in front of Lin Xiao will become the beginning of Huaguo Semiconductor's rise.

In the workshop, not only Lin Xiao, but also other people in the X-ray project also cast their eyes on the lithography machine in front of them, with excited smiles on their faces.

After so long, they finally built their own photolithography machine!

It is also the world’s first photolithography machine that uses X-rays as a light source and can be mass-produced!

How could this not make them excited?

Regardless of whether they are ultimately successful or not, these five lithography machines, each costing up to one billion yuan, can be called the sum of the wisdom of thousands of people working on their X-ray project. Of course, they are not just the top of their X-ray project. Thousands of people, in fact, at least tens of thousands of Chinese people were directly or indirectly involved in their X-ray plan.

Of course, everyone present knew that the person who had paid the most was their chief designer, Lin Xiao.

The three core breakthrough technologies faced during the entire X-ray project, including less than 100pm-RMS level polishing technology, their dual workbench technology, and the most critical RDX pure silicon crystal, were all Lin Xiao's time. It was done, and the most they solved were some relatively common technical difficulties.

In addition to feeling a little embarrassed, they also understood how wonderful it was to have a god-level teammate. They almost didn't do anything, and no matter how difficult the problem was, it could be solved quickly.

As of now, although these five lithography machines have not yet started up, they are considered to be the closest to success.

Deputy Chief Designer Yang Kaiping, who was standing next to Lin Xiao, also took a good look at the big Wutai guy in front of him. After his heart was no longer surging, he looked at Lin Xiao and asked: "Chief Engineer Lin, what's next?" What do we do?”

As he asked the question, everyone else also looked at Lin Xiao, waiting for his response.

Lin Xiao took a deep breath, and then said loudly: "Turn on the phone!"

After hearing Lin Xiao's words, Yang Kaiping immediately turned to look at the team in charge of power supply and shouted: "Turn on the power!"

The next moment, the staff in charge of the power supply pulled down five switches. Every day, the X-ray lithography machine was controlled by one switch. After the five switches were opened, the light representing the power supply came on on the operating table of the X-ray lithography machine. got up.

Then, a person stood in front of the operating desk of each lithography machine and pressed the start button of the computer host. Then, the computer responsible for controlling the entire lithography machine started.

The system uses a Linux system. There is nothing on the desktop, only one software.

The software is called [X-ray planning lithography machine control panel].

This software was developed by the X-ray planning software group. It can be said that they have been writing such a software since the beginning of the X-ray planning.

This control panel is equivalent to the operating system of their X-ray lithography machine. The software is not complicated, but the code inside is quite complicated.

Whether the hardware of the lithography machine itself can meet the standards is the key to ensuring the performance of the lithography machine, and the software is related to whether the performance can be properly exerted. Of course, even if the software is made, you must be able to use it. , otherwise it is all in vain.

Huaxin International and TSMC have both purchased Asmail's DUV lithography machines. However, TSMC can produce 7nm chips using DUV lithography machines, while Huaxin International can only produce 14nm chips because it cannot. Use software well.

Of course, before using the software, they must first ensure that the software in front of them can work properly.

First, click on the software. After a slow loading process, you finally enter the home page of the software. The entire Chinese operation interface does not contain a single English letter.

At this time, Lin Xiao also walked to the operating table of one of the lithography machines and commanded: "First perform a system self-check on the entire lithography machine."

"yes!"

The staff member responsible for operating the lithography machine responded immediately, then entered the control panel-system interface and clicked on the system self-test.

Since it is a self-inspection, it is natural to check whether each internal component can operate normally. Of course, the most important thing is to check whether the accuracy of these mechanical operations can meet the standards, and whether the X-ray source can be excited normally, and whether it can be used normally. RDX pure silicon crystal mirror regular diffraction, etc.

After a moment of loading, a progress bar appeared on the display. This was the start of the self-test. However, the inside of the lithography machine was still quiet, unlike other machines that made various noises when operating.

Because if there is sound, it means there is vibration, and for a lithography machine, even a little vibration is fatal. Therefore, all the machinery in the lithography machine is basically frictionless, such as the double worktable. Magnetic levitation is used to avoid vibrations. Of course, the dual worktables are the only two core machines in the lithography machine that can move. Then the mechanical arm that controls the lens will also move, and the other core components will basically not move. , the more variables there are, the harder it is to control.

In this way, time passed slowly, and everyone was silent or nervous, waiting for the results to appear, and some even started to pray.

Because this step is so critical, if the self-inspection fails, then they have to disassemble the entire machine, and then check the part with the problem to find out what caused the failure, and obviously, that will cost a lot of money. A lot of time.

As long as the self-inspection passes, it means that their lithography machine is basically qualified!

It is possible to start producing chips!

Therefore, each of them is looking forward to this time, they can succeed directly!

Just like that, about a few minutes passed.

There was a crisp "ding" from the computer, and the green words "Self-test Passed" appeared on all five computer screens.

Seeing this, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief, and then they were all moved by it.

"Success!"

"We made it!"

Everyone present showed extremely excited expressions, and some even had wet eyes and shed tears of happiness.

All the hard work for so long has been in vain!

They truly broke the Western blockade on photolithography machines and created a top-notch domestic photolithography machine!

Everyone felt extremely excited at this moment.

I don’t know how many of them all hate the sanctions from foreign countries. Now, they can respond to those gringos with great pride, saying that they have also built top-notch lithography machines!

And Yang Kaiping, the deputy chief designer, was already in tears at this time.

As the designer of the domestic 600 series lithography machine, he knows very well how difficult it is for China to develop such a thing, but now, they have succeeded!

Looking at the five lithography machines in front of me, all the precisions have reached the single-digit nanometer level. Even the light sources they use are 3.56nm level X-rays, which is nearly lower than EUV’s 13.5nm. 10nm!

What is Asmail’s EUV lithography machine?

Still have to look at their X-ray engraving machine!

Finally, he gently wiped his wet tears, then turned to look at Lin Xiao, bowed at a ninety-degree angle with utmost seriousness, and said, "Master Lin, thank you! Thank you for your hard work!"

Lin Xiao quickly went up to help him up and said in a dumbfounded voice: "This is my responsibility as the chief designer. Chief Yang, you don't have to do this. What's more, this was accomplished with the joint efforts of everyone."

Yang Kaiping shook his head and said: "General Master Lin, don't be humble. Without you, we would not be able to succeed. Each of us knows it."

Others standing around also said: "Yes, Chief Master Lin, this is all your fault!"

Seeing so many people talking, Lin Xiao shook his head with a smile, and then said: "I won't argue with you. Okay, now we are happy, it's time to prepare for the next thing."

The next thing?

Everyone else's eyes lit up and they all asked: "Are you ready to announce the news?"

They never hide news about their X-ray project, and announce it when they have breakthroughs. Now, their lithography machines are basically operational, and they can't wait for it.

However, to their surprise, Lin Xiao just smiled and said, "Don't worry, didn't I tell you that I would make our first chip on National Day?"

"On that day, we will announce the news!"

Everyone present could not help but be stunned.

Building their first chip?

At this time, Lin Xiao asked: "Which of you has the phone number of Warwick Ren Zhengfei?"

Everyone present looked at each other, wondering what Lin Xiao was going to do.

And Yang Kaiping said: "I have it."

As the boss of domestic lithography machines, he also had communication with Ren Zhengfei, so he left his mobile phone number.

Lin Xiao took out his cell phone and said, "Give me his number."

Yang Kaiping nodded, then took out his mobile phone, found Ren Zhengfei's phone number, and reported the number to Lin Xiao.

Later, Lin Xiao entered the number into his mobile phone and dialed the number.

After a while, the call was connected.

An old man's voice came from the other side: "Who is it?"

"Dong Ren, I wonder if you are interested in re-producing Kirin 9000 chips?"