Technology: Breaking the monopoly global hegemony

Chapter 156 Light Source and Waves

In the short term of ten or twenty years, for the rapidly developing Daxia, the demand for computing power is terrible.

Projects such as artificial intelligence, unmanned driving, telemedicine, and AR/VR games all require enormous computing power.

And quantum computing, carbon-based chips, these "curve overtaking" projects are basically laboratory projects, or papers...

Of course, the good news is that in these projects, Daxia is not too late, and they are basically in the forefront of the world.

And Gu's plan at this time is to train tool people.

On the one hand, it will lead the upgrading of Daxia’s semiconductor industry and catch up to the three-to-four nanometer track. On the other hand, it will use high-performance chips to manufacture intelligent robots in the future to complete the implementation of quantum computers.

Although the loyalty of employees in the semiconductor department and even the entire Kyushu Science and Technology Company is very high, there are some things that machines can keep secret and are more loyal than humans.

Moreover, it is impossible to always rely on friendly forces to manufacture chips.

For the future of Kyushu Science and Technology, for the future of Daxia, Li You and others in the semiconductor department started a new round of hair loss journey.

In fact, Daxia has always had patriotic scientific researchers, but limited by the market environment and professional specialties, some industries could not receive official care at the beginning of the century.

Due to a certain chip incident at the beginning of the century, semiconductor talents can only be employed in foreign-funded companies.

In the current global semiconductor industry, Daxia has the largest proportion of scientific research talents. It can even be said that the advancement of the world's semiconductors is promoted by Daxia's top talents.

The vice president of the semiconductor giant Applied Materials Corporation, the main promoter of the world's semiconductor etching technology is Daxia people.

The person who pioneered and promoted the immersion lithography system and brought chip lithography into the immersion era is also from Daxia. You must know that all high-end lithography machines are manufactured based on immersion optical technology.

In Gu Qing's eyes, Li You and others are the kind of people who will be teaching semiconductor textbooks in the future.

At the moment, people in the semiconductor department are working on a problem, the light source.

Lithography machine Lithography machine can also be understood as a machine that uses light to engrave chips.

Extreme ultraviolet light source, that is, the light source used in EUV lithography machine.

The manufacturing process of chips below 7nm can be produced, but this light source has been monopolized by ASML in the Netherlands.

Recently, Gu Qing has been teaching the semiconductor department to develop a light source called steady-state micro-beaming, SS1MB light source.

The wavelength of this light source can cover from terahertz to extreme ultraviolet band, and it can become a new light source technology for EUV lithography machines.

At present, there are concepts for this project at home and abroad, and some people are starting to work on it, but if you follow the process, no matter how lucky you are, it will take three or four years to have laboratory products.

That is the next ten years, compared with the current 18 years, it is a bit far away.

Of course, Xia Xin, a friend at this time, has done a big thing this year.

In May 18, Xiaxin Technology ordered a set of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) equipment from ASML, a Dutch chip equipment manufacturer, worth US$5 million.

And there is another manufacturer, Dajiang Storage, whose first lithography machine also comes from ASML, which is a 193nm immersion lithography machine, priced at US$7200 million, and used for the 14 nm-20 nm process.

Look, in fact, there are still partners who have been working hard on this road, and they are going up before they are suppressed.

Because the matter is so important, the personnel in the semiconductor department not only signed a bunch of confidential documents, but some of their relatives also accepted the arrangement to return home.

However, when Gu Qing came to the R&D area of ​​the department's office, he didn't see anyone slack, or downcast.

It is their wish to add a monument to their industry and work hard for Daxia Semiconductor.

Especially under Gu Qing's "vigorous" cultivation, his future and fortune are guaranteed.

"We are all young and strong in this industry, and we all know how far-sighted the technology you have given, Mr. Gu, and the light source is the key technology that limits the development of our Daxia Semiconductor.

So we are working overtime on experiments and deduction. We are all happy for our colleagues and the company for the success of the bionic mechanical prosthesis project, but we want to produce results as soon as possible so that the entire Daxia Semiconductor does not rely on foreign light sources. "

Li You was explaining from the side.

Although he knew that Gu Qing understood them, but this kind of thing needs to be explained.

If someone wears small shoes, wouldn't it be a blood loss?
Gu Qing naturally understood.

After all, in the semiconductor industry, every project is protected by a patent wall, and the light source is the lifeblood, so this group of semiconductor people will be so obsessed.

"How's it going?" he asked.

Li You frowned, "It's not very smooth. At the beginning, we learned the third-generation lithography machine using the 248nm KrF excimer laser as the light source and the fourth-generation lithography machine using the 193nm ArF excimer laser. .

So the theory of the light source is still a bit unfamiliar, and the instruments in Germany are not the most advanced ones, and the storage rings are not very good in our country.... "

Gu Qing expressed his understanding, sighed and said: "This is normal, it is not easy to reach the international advanced level, but we still have a research department that is undergoing renovation, whether it is the instrument or the storage ring, it will be given to you by the end of this month.

ASML1 uses a high-energy pulsed laser to bombard a liquid tin target to form a plasma and then generate an EUV light source with a wavelength of 13.5 nanometers and a power of about 250 watts.

As the chip process node continues to shrink, the requirements for EUV light source power will also continue to increase, and it is estimated that it will reach the kilowatt level.

The EUV light source based on SS1MB is expected to achieve greater average power and has the potential to expand to shorter wavelengths, so the prospect of our SS1MB light source is certain.

Don't panic, the theoretical homework in the early stage is done, and the landing experiment next month will be stable. "

Li You nodded and smiled, "I know, our R&D personnel work overtime and study every day after the production work is completed. We work on our own and don't need to look at the expressions of outsiders, so everyone is very motivated."

Gu Qing originally wanted to chat for a while, but Dong Qi called suddenly.

Well, to be precise, Gu Qing was found by calling the office management of the semiconductor department.

Gu Qing took the phone call.

"What's up?"

"Mr. Gu, Brother Gu, our phone is about to explode!

In addition to our partners, international organizations have expressed interest in our bionic prosthetic technology and want to compete for some of the places that will be awarded tomorrow. "

"According to the rules, do you still need me to teach you?"

"I know we have to follow the rules, but there are also senior officials in the United States who are speaking out."

"What do they care about us?

You and Lao Huang should not go abroad recently, pay attention to safety, tomorrow's quota will be handled by our company's system. "

(End of this chapter)