Chapter 266 Emergency Meeting of the Academy of Sciences [Subscription Request]

"My previous proposal was passed in yesterday's parliament. The document will be officially issued in the next two days. By then, they will face unprecedented difficulties in the semiconductor field."

"Looking around the world, there is no foundry that will manufacture high-end chips for them."

Thursday, November 2016, 12.

Congressman Gwen was standing on a golf course, swinging his club and speaking to Huget next to him.

The corners of his mouth rose slightly, revealing a smug smile.

As the world is researching and developing the 5G field, Taiwan Electro-Mechanical Corporation has begun mass production of high-end chips using 7-nanometer process specifications.

Its chip production technology is world-leading.

In this case, if anyone cannot obtain high-end chips, it will be a huge blow to the entire semiconductor industry, which is equivalent to blocking the road to 5G research.

Everyone knows that China currently does not have the technology to manufacture extreme ultraviolet lithography machines in the semiconductor field.

Naturally, it is impossible to produce high-end chips.

Under normal circumstances, even if a company designs its own domestic 5G chip, it must be manufactured by overseas outsourcing.

But now that the proposal has been passed in parliament, it will be subject to restrictions when it is officially implemented.

There will be no one to do the work for you anymore.

In other words, if we cannot master the extreme ultraviolet lithography technology, we will lose the channel to obtain high-end chips.

Huget naturally knew what this meant, so after hearing Gwen's words, a smile appeared on his face, and he felt a lot more relaxed.

Because in his opinion, the other party suddenly faced such pressure and had no choice but to compromise.

Agreed to join the collaboration and share GaN radar technology.

Speaking of which, he has been in very bad condition in the past three months, and it can be said that he rarely smiles.

After all, facing various voices on the Internet, Northrop, as the world's fourth largest military factory, chose to remain silent and did not respond. It is conceivable how much pressure he, as the president and CEO, is under.

The key point is that the research on gallium nitride radar has not stopped at all during this period.

But judging from Leon's report, there has been no progress at all.

This made him realize even more clearly that it would be impossible to conquer gallium nitride radar in a short period of time relying solely on the group's laboratory research.

We still have to place our hopes on cooperation.

He was originally worried whether his proposal to put pressure on the other party would be approved by Parliament.

Unexpectedly, the result was quite smooth.

Faced with a fatal blow in the semiconductor field, he was just participating in an international radar project cooperation, and he believed that the other party would definitely make the right choice.

In addition, he has already started to think about it in his mind. When this international project is officially launched, he will also ask Xu Yuan to come and cooperate and participate.

Maybe even technologies in other fields will see breakthroughs as well.

What is certain is that he has now completely recognized Xu Yuan, especially Xu Yuan's talent level in various disciplines. It is not an exaggeration to say that whoever can have Xu Yuan will at least double the speed of his overall scientific and technological progress.

The value of it is unmatched by anyone else.

"Great."

"It seems that we will receive a reply from the other party soon, which is really good news."

"I think I should be able to get some good sleep tonight."

Gwen raised her eyes and looked into the distance, glancing at the golf ball she had hit.

He propped the golf club on the ground and turned to face Huget.

"I was actually a little surprised by this result. I didn't expect the enforcement would be so strong."

"Obviously, their development speed in the aerospace field in recent years is too fast. In just ten years, they have almost surpassed our decades of technological accumulation."

“It’s really terrifying!”

"Perhaps the higher-ups also want to use this opportunity to restrict their development momentum."

Huget listened to everything Gwen said and thought about it carefully, and there was indeed nothing wrong with it.

From the J-20 fighter jet that has quickly become one of the world's first-tier fighter jets, to the Wing Loong UAV that has performed amazingly in actual combat, plus the fully built Tiangong space station and the manned lunar landing program, any one of them can be called a miracle.

But all of them were done.

Anyone who sees it will be shocked, and fear will surge from the bottom of their hearts.

What he wanted to say more was that so many miracles in the aerospace field were all related to Xu Yuan.

It can even be said that it was Xu Yuan who was in charge of it.

It was precisely because of this that I began to feel a little worried about Xu Yuan's talent and strength.

After a slight hesitation, he finally couldn't help but ask tentatively.

“What if the other party still refuses to cooperate and is unwilling to share GaN radar technology?”

"With Xu's talent, will he be able to solve the problem of the lithography machine?"

His worries were absolutely justified. If Xu Yuan was not there, it would not matter.

However, Xu Yuan has created so many miracles in the scientific community that people are a little hesitant to place bets, fearing that if he creates another miracle in the field of semiconductor chips, wouldn’t that be slapping himself in the face.

As for Gwen's concern for Huget, after hearing what she said, all that appeared on her face was a smile.

And the smile was loud.

Obviously not worried about this issue at all.

After a few seconds, Gwen was seen walking towards the chair under the pavilion next to him.

Hugett hurried to follow.

It was not until Gwen sat down that he took over the conversation and responded.

"You can rest assured. I can guarantee that what you are worried about will never happen."

"Maybe you don't know much about semiconductors."

"The extreme ultraviolet lithography machine that can manufacture high-end chips is a pearl in the semiconductor industry."

"Each EUV lithography machine has more than 100,000 parts and integrates the top technologies of the world's top suppliers. Even if we give them the detailed drawings directly, we still can't make the same EUV lithography machine."

"This Xu is indeed very powerful, but he can't be as omnipotent as God."

Originally, Huget was indeed a little worried, but after hearing what Gwen said, the last trace of worry in his heart disappeared instantly.

The next second, the smile on his face became even more intense.

"I see. It looks like we can start preparing for the radar cooperation project."

Finally, he said this with a smile, and when he got excited, he pulled out a golf club from the side and swung it a few times under Gwen's gaze, which was rare.

……

It turned out that Gwen did not deceive Hughett about this matter.

Because on the second day after the New Year's Day holiday, the relevant news was finally officially released through official channels.

This approach will have a huge impact on the world situation and the semiconductor industry.

It indirectly or directly affects the interests of many companies.

So as soon as the news came out, many media reported it.

Even overseas users were very surprised by this. After all, everyone was researching 5G communications normally, but you suddenly blocked their upper limit, which was no less than a breakup.

Some people quickly thought of the previous incident with gallium nitride radar and characterized this practice as revenge.

But the ones who are most unhappy about this practice are definitely the world-renowned chip companies and wafer fabs.

Originally this was a very large market, and they purchased a large number of chips every year.

OEM production costs are also a big part of the cost.

It can almost occupy a very important proportion of the profit of the wafer factory.

As a result, there is no way to proceed now.

Although it is only an external announcement at the moment, there is still about a year and a half before the specific implementation of the zodiac regulations. It is obvious that such a long time has been deliberately reserved to consider participating in international project cooperation.

However, for anyone with a discerning eye, this so-called buffer period has no effect at all.

After all, according to the current development of 5G, it will reach the stage of maturity and explosion in more than a year.

But by then the country will have no choice but to stay where it is.

From this perspective, it seems that choosing to cooperate with Northrop and share gallium nitride radar technology is the best solution at present.

Anyway, even if Northrop has mastered the manufacturing technology of gallium nitride radar, the two sides are just at the same starting line in terms of radar, and the impact it can produce is relatively small.

As such a major event, the news naturally spread back to the country quickly.

It instantly topped the hot search lists on all major online platforms.

Originally, everyone saw that Northrop had not responded and thought that the other party had chosen to admit defeat. It turned out that they were secretly planning a bad move and using this method to put pressure on them.

Netizens were filled with righteous indignation at this, and said that the more this happened, the more they should not let the other party succeed.

But among the huge group of netizens, there are definitely rational people who think that they should agree to cooperate at this time.

First, we will use gallium nitride radar technology to ensure the research and development layout in the domestic 5G field, and then we will focus on extreme ultraviolet lithography machines to completely solve the weaknesses in the semiconductor field.

In the end, as everyone left messages, several different voices gradually formed on the Internet.

It can be said that this situation was rarely seen before.

"How shameless! Northrop Grumman actually used this method to exert pressure. They just want our gallium nitride radar technology."

"I was shocked when I saw this news on my phone today. I thought it was a prank by some netizens, but after checking it carefully, I found that it was actually true."

"We have to admit that they have found our weakness. We really can't find a good way to deal with high-end chip manufacturing."

"The internet has been calm for the past few months, and I thought the last incident was over, but it turns out it was just the calm before the storm."

"It is recommended that we agree to cooperate with them first, otherwise it will definitely affect our 5G layout."

"We absolutely cannot start this kind of thing, or we'll be doomed."

"I believe in Academician Xu. We should quickly let Academician Xu participate in the research and development of domestic extreme ultraviolet lithography machines. Maybe before it takes effect, our domestic extreme ultraviolet lithography machines will have been completed."

"It's so frustrating!"

"Will 5G chips no longer be used in the future?"

"Do you really think that if you agree to cooperate, the other party will leave us alone? Obviously, this is not just for GaN radar technology."

……

Cheng Sixu is a Zhihu columnist. Because he has some professional knowledge in many fields, he often writes articles to analyze some hot events from other perspectives. He has also gained a lot of fans on the platform.

Today he wanted to see what major international events had happened recently, but as soon as he went online, he saw the trending searches.

However, due to his professional acumen, he quickly realized it.

Such a big thing suddenly happened in the field of semiconductor chips, probably not just for gallium nitride radar technology, so based on his own judgment, he replied with a message on his account.

Unfortunately, it was quickly covered by new comments and did not cause much waves.

Faced with this situation, he suddenly felt it necessary to write an article to give a comprehensive analysis of the whole matter.

Help netizens make correct judgments.

"This matter may be related to the previous Northrop Military Industry, but it is definitely not the most important condition."

My thoughts were working quickly. While I was thinking in my head, my hands were already on the keyboard and I started writing the article.

In his article, Cheng Sixu stated that overseas countries did not simply want to share gallium nitride radar technology, so they decided to restrict the development of the domestic semiconductor field.

Rather, the rapid development of domestic science and technology in recent years has caused deep concern overseas.

Fear of having their status challenged.

The more panicked and worried you are, the more likely you are to do something unexpected.

Its purpose is nothing more than to restrict development and give a blow at the same time.

But this just shows the fear from overseas.

Under this situation, even if we choose to share gallium nitride radar technology, the crisis in the semiconductor field will probably not be resolved.

It can even be said that even if GaN radar had not been announced before, this would have happened sooner or later.

Belonging is inevitable.

Only by relying on your own efforts can you completely get rid of your weaknesses.

That is truly like a fish entering the sea. From now on, we no longer have to be careful and low-key in the international arena.

Cheng Sixu's thoughts burst forth, and he successfully finished writing the article in less than an hour.

After it was successfully released, fans soon clicked in.

And with the promotion and forwarding of Tap Water, the number of readings and comments increased rapidly.

After reading it carefully, everyone felt that it made a lot of sense.

But at the same time, a new problem arises: can China independently develop extreme ultraviolet lithography machines?
"I think the analysis in this article is correct. Some people don't want to see us develop too quickly, so they try various ways to influence us. GaN radar should be just one of the factors."

"The blogger said it very well. We must not compromise at this time."

"If we agree to share technology this time, then we must not open the loophole in the future."

"That being said, the buffer period is only a little over a year. Can we develop an extreme ultraviolet lithography machine?"

"Now that extreme ultraviolet lithography has become a top priority, there will definitely be no shortage of research funds and talent. Perhaps Academician Xu will also join in."

“If Academician Xu is involved, then it feels like a sure thing.”

"To be honest, I don't have much confidence this time. Although Academician Xu is indeed very talented, the extreme ultraviolet lithography machine is a collection of the world's top technology. We are currently far behind."

"What do you think about this, blogger? Do you think we can develop an extreme ultraviolet lithography machine?"

……

After Cheng Sixu posted his article, he refreshed the comment section. Seeing someone asking him about his opinion on domestic extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, he thought for a moment and then started typing.

"The research on extreme ultraviolet lithography is indeed difficult, but we have encountered many such challenges along the way."

"Whether it was the atomic bomb or the satellite rocket, we overcame difficulties and achieved success in the end, so I am still optimistic this time. I believe that when we are completely out of trouble, the world situation will also be completely changed."

After typing this paragraph and making sure it was correct, he immediately pressed the send button and expressed his views in the comment section.

In the following time, he selected a few comments to reply to, and then returned to continue paying attention to the hot topic.

As the incident continued to gain momentum, many domestic manufacturers began to worry.

In addition to convening an emergency meeting, people were even mentally prepared for the company to suffer a significant drop in profits and losses.

After all, an impact of this magnitude cannot be perfectly resolved by the company simply making some decisions.

Basically, the role that one's own strength can play is very small.

It still depends on the decision above.

-

Shenzhen.

Warwick Technologies building.

As a well-known communications technology company, it had already started planning for 5G several years ago. Just when the technology was about to mature and could be fully promoted, it encountered this kind of thing.

The impact can be imagined.

In addition, in order to research our own domestic chips and avoid relying entirely on overseas procurement of high-end chips.

They also set up a special research institute to develop domestic high-end 5G chips.

It has now entered the late stage and I believe it won’t be too long before it is released.

Originally, after this domestically produced high-end chip was released, we planned to cooperate with the wafer fab to outsource it to the foundry, but now the chip has not even been produced and has already died in the womb.

After all, even if it can be successfully designed, its performance will be no less than that of high-end chips from overseas.

If it can't be manufactured, it has no value.

Xu Weifeng, the president's person in charge, who received the news, immediately went to the chairman's office to report.

"Director Ren."

"Overseas suddenly..."

Xu Weifeng pushed the door and walked into the office. He was about to explain the situation, but was interrupted after just a few words.

"Sit down and drink some water first. I already know the situation."

Xu Weifeng was not surprised to hear this. Considering that he had almost jogged all the way here, he finally sat down on the sofa.

He took the water handed to him by the secretary and took a few sips before looking back at the chairman in front of him.

"According to the current situation, even after our domestically produced 5G chips are designed in more than a year, they will still be unable to be manufactured."

"Even the previous layout in the 5G field will stagnate and suffer losses as a result."

Ren Guofei also sat on the sofa opposite, and his expression became solemn after listening to Xu Weifeng's words.

Such a big thing happened in the semiconductor field. No one knows how many related companies in the entire industry have been affected. As the chairman of the company, how could he not be aware of the situation?

But as Xu Weifeng said, their current situation can be said to be very bad.

Unless the country can completely master the domestic extreme ultraviolet lithography machine before the document officially comes into effect, it will be the only way to smoothly overcome the current difficulties.

But just thinking about it will tell you that this is simply impossible.

Although there have been many scientific miracles created in scientific and technological research in China in recent years, no one can guarantee that a miracle will be created every time.

Seeing that the chairman was lost in thought and had not spoken for a long time, Xu Weifeng hesitated for a moment but still couldn't help but ask a question.

"Director Ren."

"Since we have no way to manufacture 5G chips, should the company's previous plans be adjusted?"

"For example, temporarily stopping the design of Kirin chips?"

We develop our own domestic high-end chips and ensure that their performance is not inferior to that of overseas chips.

The amount of research and development funds invested is undoubtedly a huge number.

Although according to the previous planning cycle, it may take another year before the domestic Kirin chip comes out, the investment in this process is also not small.

Knowing that the chip cannot be manufactured, temporarily stopping research and development is the right approach.

However, Ren Guofei's attitude seemed very firm. After hearing Xu Weifeng's proposal, he gave a clear answer without any hesitation.

“Can’t pause.”

"We have already made a lot of investments in the early stages, and we absolutely cannot give up halfway now."

"Regardless of the situation, the research and development of Kirin chips must continue."

After listening to the chairman's words, Xu Weifeng's lips moved slightly. Although he wanted to say something, he finally chose to swallow it back.

I just couldn't help but sigh.

No one expected the situation to suddenly come to this point.

After noticing Xu Weifeng's little action, Ren Guofei seemed to have made up his mind, and his eyes suddenly became very determined.

He immediately waved his hand and responded with full energy:

"What are you afraid of?"

"Even if there is no 5G chip, the company will not go bankrupt. We believe in the Academy of Sciences."

“Trust in our outstanding scientific researchers.”

"It's just an extreme ultraviolet lithography machine. Who says we can't make it?"

Xu Weifeng also hopes to see the birth of domestically produced extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, but expectations and reality are completely different things.

But there is no point in saying more now, we can only wait patiently.

……

Xu Yuan had just spent the New Year's Day holiday with his family in Yanjing and was thinking of returning to Luyang Quantum Innovation Institute to continue the design and coding of the quantum direct communication system.

But he suddenly received a call from the dean Bai Xinzhou, asking him to go to the Academy of Sciences headquarters to attend a meeting immediately.

After learning more about it, I realized that new actions have been taken overseas in the semiconductor field.

To be honest, Xu Yuan was not surprised at all. After all, what is coming will come.

Except for completely solving the country's weaknesses in the semiconductor field, no one can stop it.

However, on the way to the headquarters of the Academy of Sciences, in addition to checking the relevant information on the Internet, he was also seriously thinking about the response plan in his mind.

What is the appropriate approach to solve the problem of being unable to manufacture high-end chips?

After all, the incident just happened and the Academy of Sciences held an emergency meeting. The content to be discussed must be related to this.

……

(End of this chapter)