Riding the wind of rebirth

“Yes, last year, to meet its own condiment production needs, Zhou Zhi’s Group acquired the Lotus MSG Factory, the largest in China but struggling with financial difficulties. They implemented technological innovation and reforms, and through investment and product absorption, turned a profit that same year.” Zhou Zhi smiled and continued, “When we were looking for raw material manufacturers and technology transfer companies for ABF deposition films in China, we discovered that the Lotus MSG Factory itself could provide a large amount of deposition fiber by-product raw materials. If we introduce purification processes, we can obtain ABF materials that meet standards. Combined with our breakthrough in traditional WireBond packaging technology, we can solve the electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic interference problems in chip manufacturing.”

"What Bond?" Mom must have watched a lot of 007s.

“WireBond is a type of chip packaging technology. In the past, chips transmitted signals through metal wires of a certain length. This method would produce an impedance effect at high frequencies, creating an obstacle in the signal path,” Mai Xiaomiao explained. “When Uncle Li was developing our non-linear video chip, he invented a new method called BGA, which is ball-and-socket packaging technology.”

"This packaging uses 479 tiny balls, each with a diameter of 0.78 mm, to connect the processor, replacing the original pins and providing the shortest possible external connection distance for the chip." Mai Xiaomiao tried to explain the technical aspects in a way that her mother could understand: "Using this packaging technology not only provides the chip with excellent electrical performance, but also reduces losses and inductance between components, reduces electromagnetic interference, and can withstand higher frequencies, which makes it possible to break through the overclocking limit."

Zhou Zhi smiled and said, "Furthermore, when designers embed increasingly dense circuits in the same silicon area, the number of input/output terminals and pins increases rapidly. I/O leads using WireBond technology are arranged around the perimeter of the chip, eventually becoming so dense that there's no room to place them. However, with the BGA technology developed by Academician Li, I/O leads can be arrayed and led out from the back and underside of the chip, which greatly improves the density of the lead layout and produces optimal efficiency."

"Compared to traditional pin-based packaging, BGA layout density can be increased by 30% to 60%," Mai Xiaomiao added.

“However, we didn’t dare to use this technology extensively before. The technology itself did not play its due role at all, and we were even embarrassed to announce that we had mastered this technology,” Zhou Zhi said. “Because the increase in layout density will bring a huge problem, which is a serious challenge to heat dissipation performance.”

"Theoretically speaking, based on the unique flip-chip packaging of FC-BGA, the back of the chip can be exposed to air, allowing for direct heat dissipation. Alternatively, adding a metal heat sink to the back of the chip can further enhance its heat dissipation capabilities and significantly improve its stability during high-speed operation."

"However, to achieve these properties, a prerequisite must be met: there needs to be a reliable medium between these materials to perfectly bond the bare die, substrate, leads, and metal layers together, while also minimizing electromagnetic impedance and electromagnetic interference," Zhou Zhi continued.

"We hadn't been able to find this material before. Until we discovered Ajinomoto's ABF."

"In our experiments, we used ABF as the deposition film, combined with BGA, and the results were remarkable. We have currently tried fabricating 10-layer samples and found that it can support fine lines of 24/24m. The next step is to continue increasing the number of layers, which theoretically could even support 12/12m."

"To date, the world's most advanced chip manufacturing process is 248 nanometers, and the packaging precision is controlled at 0.78mm. The fine lines of 24/24m are thirty times more precise than the most advanced existing technology. Even if we calculate based on Moore's Law, which reduces the precision by half every two years, it is enough to support us to lead the world for ten years."

"We were also lucky. The year before last, Ajinomoto didn't pay much attention to their ABF. In addition, the first-generation technology was about to expire, so they thought they might as well take the opportunity to make a profit. Therefore, they transferred it to us as a supporting intellectual property for the deposition film production technology."

“If it had been a year later, this technology transfer would definitely not have been possible,” Mai Xiaomiao laughed. “Because last year, Intel also approached them to start collaborating on ABF development, offering much better terms than we did.” “Now we have the intellectual property rights and have become a technology-sharing party,” Zhou Zhi said. “Once we have this technology, it immediately makes Nan Gong’s BGA packaging technology a hundred times more valuable. Theoretically, we have now completed the technical preparations to fully utilize the performance of ball-and-pin flip chip technology. As long as the hardware is in place, we can produce the world’s most advanced chips, and we have reserved considerable redundancy for future iterations.”

“Such an important matter, your little Juan’er…” Mom was still worried: “If it doesn’t succeed in the end, then wouldn’t she be… wouldn’t she be a traitor to the nation?”

"Xiuqin, don't talk nonsense." Dad immediately stopped her. "Since Zhouzi and the others have done such in-depth research and preparation, and the country is paying so much attention to it now, they must be very confident."

"Yes, the amino acid-derived insulating material deposition film manufacturing that Sister Xiaojuan is about to get involved in is just the easiest part of the entire national chip strategy—the technology is basically mature, the production line can be directly imported, and the raw materials are plentiful. In Old Hu's words, it's a battle I've never fought with such abundance. As for the remaining management issues, with Sister Xiaojuan's current abilities, that's not a problem at all."

"This also fulfills Sister Xiaojuan's wish. She is full of passion for this industry she is about to enter. Have you forgotten her background?"

"Oh, right!" Dad suddenly realized, "Xiao Juan majored in chemistry and was assigned to the waterworks laboratory as a lab technician. She's always been dealing with chemistry. Later, when the group started up, they immediately established an organic chemistry and bio-enzyme laboratory. Based on that laboratory, they established a complete set of testing systems and quality assurance standards. In recent years, the 315 Gala has highlighted food products as a major area of ​​failure, but the group's product quality has always withstood the test and developed steadily. The laboratory she set up has played a crucial role in that."

“The organic chemistry and bioenzyme laboratory of Zhou Liuniang Group also holds a very high position, personally led by the chairman.” Zhou Zhi laughed: “I guess Sister Xiaojuan often abuses her power for personal gain, doing her own research projects there.”

"With the support of national policies, it's easier to get support from all sides when needed. So Mom, you don't need to worry."

"Worrying is unnecessary." Mom put a piece of meat on Xiao Miao's and Feng Xueshan's plates. "You can hardly understand what they're saying, let alone help them. But don't overwork yourselves. I feel like Xueshan and Xiao Miao have both lost weight."

Feng Xueshan clasped her hands together and said, "Thank God, I couldn't control my weight during my postpartum period after giving birth, and I still haven't gotten back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I can't fit into many of my nice summer clothes anymore. It would be better if I lost weight."

“If we can’t fit into them, we’ll just buy another one,” Yang He said. “But I think Xue Shan looks good whether she’s a little chubby or a little thin.”

"Yang used to be so dull," Mom chuckled. "Now he's got a sweet tongue when he's trying to win his wife over! Not bad, not bad!" (End of Chapter)