Sail across the sea

Chapter 454 Unleash Your Special Abilities

Atlanta, Georgia International Convention Center, USA.

The 85-86 International Electronics Technology Exhibition was held as scheduled. Hundreds of electronics manufacturers from dozens of countries and regions around the world gathered here to showcase their latest technological achievements and discuss various cooperation matters with customers from all over the world.

Stepping into the spacious exhibition hall, one is immediately greeted by huge advertising posters from various manufacturers. The posters feature handsome men and beautiful women, some touching the latest computer models, others holding exquisite chips. The advertisements are filled with dazzling words such as "disruption," "surpassing," "century," and "dawn."

Below the billboards were the manufacturers' booths, equally luxurious and magnificent, showcasing the immense wealth of these international giants.

No one noticed that scattered throughout the exhibition hall were some inconspicuous small booths, belonging to small businesses with limited funds, presumably planning to make their presence known and try their luck at such an exhibition.

The booth of China Semiconductor Materials Export Corporation was tucked among the booths of these small companies. It was only six square meters in size and contained two tables. On the back panel of the booth, in addition to the company name, the two products on display were also listed: "i-line and KrF photoresist" and "5N grade high-purity rare earth oxides". Below them were technical specifications of the two products in Chinese, English and Japanese.

It was the first day of the exhibition, and the attention of the visiting business representatives was focused on the large manufacturers in the center of the hall. The exhibition area of ​​the small manufacturers was practically deserted. Gao Fan, Bi Liansheng, and Pei Hengxue sat in their own booth, watching the bustling scene not far away with boredom and envy.

Bi Liansheng and Pei Hengxue respectively represent Shuangye Fine Chemical Plant, which produces photoresist, and Zeshan Rare Earth Refinery, which produces high-purity rare earth oxides. The former is a subsidiary of Fenglin Research Institute, while the latter is a joint venture between Canghai Chemical and Zeshan Research Institute. Canghai Chemical holds 70% of the shares because it undertook the main investment.

Gao Fan's identity is that of a business manager at a semiconductor materials export company. Pei Hengxue was already used to Gao Fan carrying more than a dozen work IDs with him. In recent days, Pei Hengxue and Bi Liansheng had been chatting privately and had discovered that Gao Fan had a Soviet name: "Uncomfortable Without Making a Scene."

This semiconductor materials export company was hastily established just a month ago, affiliated with the Ministry of Chemical Industry, and its legal representative is listed as a deputy director-level cadre from a subsidiary of the Ministry. The entire registration process took only two days, enough to make countless entrepreneurs busy "running around to various ministries" for official stamps green with envy.

China is a country that strives for 100% technological control. Although China's semiconductor industry is only in the third tier in terms of technological level at this time, in terms of the completeness of the industry, China has even surpassed semiconductor powerhouses such as the United States and Japan.

The United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy are all currently leading countries in the semiconductor industry, but each country has its own focus in this area.

For example, in the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, different countries have different specializations. Some manufacture lithography machines, some manufacture etching machines, some manufacture ion implanters, and there are also dicing, cutting, cleaning, testing, and so on. No single country can handle all of these tasks.

The same applies to semiconductor materials. Wafers, photoresists, gases, wet chemicals, metal materials, polishing materials, and so on are all produced by companies in different countries.

After opening its doors to the world, China also sourced semiconductor equipment and materials from countries around the globe. However, at the same time, China possesses a complete, independent system of equipment and materials. Although most of its technologies lag behind those of foreign counterparts by several generations, its advantage lies in its comprehensiveness, ensuring it can survive in the event of being held hostage by others.

Yes, it was merely a matter of clinging to life. Throughout its five-thousand-year history, China has repeatedly relied on this last breath to stage a comeback and emerge victorious. Behind China, countless lives have passed…

China can produce almost all semiconductor materials, but when it comes to exporting them, it falls short. Therefore, while there is a dedicated system for semiconductor material production within the domestic science and technology sector, there is no department specifically responsible for exporting semiconductor materials.

Gao Fan approached Zheng Linong, explaining that he planned to take two products to the Atlanta Electronics Show and needed a proper name. After some discussion, Zheng Linong reluctantly agreed to help him register a special organization called China Semiconductor Materials Export Corporation, under the Ministry of Chemical Industry.

Gao Fan has the right to use the company name, or more precisely, the right to use the company name, but the ownership is held by the Ministry of Chemical Industry.

During this period, the state strictly controlled the power of foreign trade import and export, and it was impossible to arbitrarily hand over an export right to a private company.

Gao Fan didn't care about that. He knew that such restrictions would be lifted in a few years, and the powers that people thought were unattainable today would become commonplace in the future.

Gao Fan's plan for this exhibition was to set up a booth under the name of a semiconductor export company. The specific negotiations would be handled separately by "Shuanghua" and "Zelian," while the contract would be signed by the semiconductor export company, since neither factory had independent export rights.

This operation, of course, is only at the procedural level. In reality, both Bi Liansheng and Pei Hengxue are counting on Gao Fan to help them expand the market, as they really can't think of a way to market their products to foreign manufacturers.

"Xiao Gao, I just went to check it out. Moriya Company also launched i-line photoresist at this exhibition. It uses our proprietary technology developed based on our patents, and there is no essential difference between it and our products."

"Many companies have been in talks with Moriya. It seems that our initial assessment was correct. Major international integrated circuit manufacturers still have more faith in Japanese and German technology and lack confidence in our technology."

Bi Liansheng said to Gao Fan with a resentful look on his face.

“We’re in the same situation here,” Pei Hengxue sighed. “Yttrium Corporation, Sande Alloy, and Nobunaga Chemicals in Japan have all exhibited 5N and even 6N grade rare earth oxides. Their prices are indeed 20-30% higher than ours, but I estimate that most customers will still prefer their products. It’s a matter of reputation.”

Bi Liansheng said, "Let alone Western manufacturers, even Chinese companies would probably trust foreign products more if they were to purchase high-end chemicals, right?"

"Xiao Gao, you've really screwed us over this time. If you can't use your special abilities to help us sell 150 tons of photoresist, our entire Fenglin Institute will be dragged into this mess."

(End of this chapter)