Rebirth 07: Start adding points from elementary school students

Chapter 490 Then I’ll be relieved
For half a month, the theme was waiting for the lithography machine.

Since Shi Lei said it was "basically confirmed", it is actually foolproof.

To be honest, simply "purchasing a lithography machine" is actually not difficult.

Asma is not doing charity by making lithography machines; its ultimate goal is to make money.

China is a big market anyway. Chip makers like Huaxin International - strictly speaking, they should be foundries - were originally one of ASMA's customers.

The problem is that the lithography machine Li Yan wants to buy is purely for research.

The basic logic of business operation is profit.

The fate of a lithography machine used in research is equivalent to being scrapped.

After buying this thing, instead of using it to produce and make money, it was thrown into a bottomless abyss with no hope in sight.

It’s not like China hasn’t made lithography machines before, and it was even one of the first to do so.

However, the investment in this thing is too huge, and the benefits are somewhat far away. In that era when having enough food is more important and the foundation of development is the core, there is no soil for survival at all.

This delay delayed Asma's chance to become king.

It is best to look into technological barriers when everyone is immature. Once the industrial system matures, the barriers become unattainable.

Putting aside other things, doesn’t Shi Lei, who leads the research and development of the lithography machine, know the specific difficulties of the lithography machine?
Li Yan had only read some information and already understood most of it.

The hidden technological accumulation is like traveling back to ancient times and flying a helicopter for them to see.

The thing is right there. Even if I dismantle it for you, can you make it again?

The principle is the same as that of a bamboo dragonfly. You can understand it by listening, but then what?

Just one advanced immersion DUV deep ultraviolet lithography machine has tens of thousands of parts. Even if you find a group of senior experts to record while disassembling it, there is a high probability that they will not be able to put it back together.

In the global industrial chain, there are some parts that we don't even know how to produce. It is a fantasy to think that you can learn how to study them just by buying a machine and disassembling it.

What's more, what Li Yan wants is the most advanced DUV model among ASMA's current mass-produced models.

When you buy such an expensive gadget, the greatest value of it is to take it apart and see what's going on with it. No one's money comes from the wind.

Moreover, Asma has American blood in her veins, and they will not allow something like "buy it back and demolish it" to happen easily.

Therefore, buying a lithography machine alone is really a very difficult task.

Li Yan is something you can’t buy even if you have money.

He had to find some way to make his purchase go unnoticed, while at the same time having absolute rights to use the lithography machine.

The final solution was very simple. The official lobbied Huaxin International to purchase the product, and Li Yan paid the full amount directly after the purchase.

"I'll tear it down later, so don't complain." Li Yan said to Shi Lei.

Shi Lei broke out in a cold sweat after hearing this. "If that's what you need, there's no need to go through so much trouble. I have disassembled machines, too, and I have more than one."

“There is no point in studying the old models with a process of 65nm and above.”

"We haven't even developed the old 65nm model you mentioned. Do you mean to do the immersion type in one step?"

"...Want to hear the truth?"

"You blow it."

This old man Shi is also interesting.

"I want to get straight to extreme ultraviolet and EUV."

Unexpectedly, Shi Lei didn't react at all. He just smiled and said, "Okay, okay, it's a good thing to be ambitious."

Perfunctory, nakedly perfunctory.

After all, the wavelength of extreme ultraviolet light is only 13.5nm, which is much shorter than the 193nm wavelength of deep ultraviolet light used in the "previous generation product" DUV lithography machine that China has not yet developed.

If deep ultraviolet technology still has "existing" technical barriers, then extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines can be said to be barriers.

Their expectation for Li Yan is that he can make some breakthrough progress in the manufacturing of lithography machines.

Expecting Li Yan to use future technology to produce a DUV is completely crazy.

So, “it’s good to be ambitious”.

On October 2011, 10, Li Yan received his immersion DUV lithography machine.

Shi Lei's team and Huaxin International's scientific research team gathered in the conference room of Future Technology and provided a large amount of relevant information on the use of lithography machines according to Li Yan's requirements.

It can be said to be an extra-large instruction manual that covers every detail.

"Shiyuan, I have a question." Li Yan said, "If we know the size and position of each part of the lithography machine, and understand the functions and relationships of all the parts, can we replicate the lithography machine one-to-one?"

"This is what we have been doing, but let's not talk about whether it can be done or not. Even if it is done, it will only be a breakthrough in the integration of photolithography technology. Light source and alignment are also technical barriers. Just relying on 'data consistency' is a solution... Oh, if you mean that even these things can get accurate data, then that's true..."

After saying this, Shi Lei fell into confusion under the puzzled gaze of Wei Benjian, chief engineer of Huaxin International.

How could he have such a strange idea?

Of course, if we know the materials, sizes, positions and related relationships of all parts and components, and can produce them at the corresponding industrial level, then we can indeed replicate all industrial products.

But that’s not the case… Even if all the parts are reproduced one-to-one, and we know where they should be, “how to install” is still a huge problem.

The order and timing of assembly may ultimately affect the final operation effect...

However, if, as Li Yan said, we can understand the "functions" of all parts, we can reverse the order of parts installation.

Even if you know all this, you won't have trouble finding a way to install it.

Shi Lei was stunned again.

Why does he still have such outrageous ideas?
He was actually considering what would happen if Li Yan did all this.

They were arguing like children, wondering "what will happen if I do all of them".

When did you gain this level of confidence in Li Yan?

But he couldn't help but continue to think, if what Li Yan said was true, what would be the biggest problem -

"The corresponding industrial level." Shi Lei said, "Even if all this is true, the most critical point is still missing, a sufficiently matching industrial level."

"I can rest assured that."

Wei Benjian is a thin middle-aged man who likes to wear a beret, like an artist.

But he believes that Li Yan is now an artist, doing performance art called pretentiousness.

Shi Lei was also stunned. He was speechless for a moment when he saw the youngest man and woman in his team unable to hide their excitement.

"I am only worried about unexpected things or force majeure that is beyond our control," Li Yan said. "Industrial level matching is an expected difficulty. I understood this as early as when I came into contact with the concept of lithography machines. I think everyone here also understands this."

Wei Benjian spoke up, "Then why are you relieved? A problem will not become insignificant just because it is recognized earlier."

"If it's a theoretical difficulty, then I'll really have a headache for a while. But I don't believe you that China can't create something when given enough data."

Before Shi Lei could speak, Li Yan immediately interrupted him:

"For example, if we have all the data of the alignment system and understand the function of each lens in it, do you really think we can't do it?"

No one dared to express a negative opinion at this time.

"It's nothing more than using more materials and more trial and error in the process." Li Yan said, "Our current goal is not to achieve mass production, but to make it. As long as we have one, there are ways to make two, three, four, or five." "Where is the light source?"

"The principle is there. The wavelength of 193nm is not an insurmountable difficulty. As for extreme ultraviolet...what I want to do now is to wait until I can master extreme ultraviolet, so that I can directly upgrade from DUV to EUV."

"I'm a little interested..." Wei Benjian looked at Li Yan with a smile, "Why are you obsessed with lithography machines? We at Huaxin International have some different ideas. Chips don't necessarily have to rely on lithography technology, and extreme ultraviolet isn't necessarily the only way forward."

"There are also carbon-based chips, photonic chips, and quantum chips. We can even improve chip performance in disguised form by improving software," said Li Yan.

"It seems you did a lot of homework."

"Carbon-based chips are obviously a more distant achievement. Photonic chips and quantum chips are not substitutes for current chips. One is for upgrading the electronics industry, and the other is for specific scenarios," said Li Yan. "If it were me, I would also advance these studies simultaneously and strive to be at the forefront of the world. But the more I do so, the less likely I will allow mature advanced technologies to be presented before us while we are stuck."

Wei Benjian's eyes became clear.

"What others don't have, I can have; what others have, I must have." Li Yan stood up as he spoke.

"Good!" The two young men in Shi Lei's team couldn't help but applaud.

However, Shi Lei still wanted to pour cold water on him, "Li Yan, I have to remind you that even if all of the above is true, the procedure is still a hassle. How to use it is also..."

He stopped again.

Li Yan looked at him with a half-smile.

Shi Lei laughed in silence and shook his head.

If he didn't doubt Li Yan's ability to understand the functions, data and related relationships of all the parts, why would he question his computer skills?

The domestically developed operating system...was almost developed by him alone.

Shi Lei suddenly understood where his confidence in Li Yan came from.

An outrageous mission requires trusting outrageous people.

For the next two months, Li Yan was immersed in the research room with the photolithography machine - in fact, it was a renovated underground workshop...

Because Li Yan herself said that "we are still in the preparation stage" and "I will ask you if I have any questions", Shi Lei and the research team of SMIC are a little isolated.

I don’t know how to help, and I don’t know how to participate.

They just continued their own research.

The greatest help they gave Li Yan during this period was that Huaxin International took Li Yan to visit the chip production workshop countless times.

But because the operation of the lithography machine is not visible to the naked eye, they think the help is very limited.

What surprised the two team members the most was that Li Yan always stayed alone in the laboratory and even locked the door.

It’s just like his mother going to practice cultivation.

Shi Lei once had a very outrageous idea: Li Yan is really a metaphysical person, and the lithography machine is about to be conquered by metaphysics.

Later he went to burn incense and repent for his unscientific thoughts.

To sum up, no one knows what Li Yan is doing.

Including those of you who work in future technology.

The fact that Future Technology has never stopped recruiting shows how saturated their workload is now.

In addition, the government has stepped in to provide channels to the international market, which has added a lot of work - a whole small department has to be set up specifically for the exhibitions.

Wang Zi once worried that the company would become redundant due to uncontrolled expansion.

But a quick look at the company's monthly work report will show that the gap is still very large.

The expansion of the super living circle has brought about impacts beyond imagination.

Take-out food delivery, online ride-hailing, Alipay, Youkan... these are all major projects related to people's livelihood, and a virtuous circle will emerge as more people use them.

The only way to "maintain quality" as Li Yan said is to increase the number of staff.

Moreover, Wen Xin has also analyzed that the recruitment tasks currently assigned to her by Li Yan have a very obvious tendency. The proportion of employees in subsidiaries responsible for managing the Super Life Circle platform is getting higher and higher, and he is still very restrained in recruiting employees from the headquarters.

With so many people and so much work, the pressure is really great.

This is especially true during a company’s business expansion period, and even more so during the critical juncture of going global.

Sun Miao has been consuming two cups of coffee every day to survive. He seems to be in a bad mental state and has been running to Li Yan's office six times a day to ask if the boss is there.

Cao Haibin is also like this, but he and Sun Miao have completely opposite symptoms.

Whenever he heard that Li Yan was looking for him, his face turned pale. Li Yan had not given any instructions on other work in the past two months, and he only focused on the assembly line intelligent manufacturing assigned to Cao Haibin.

Cao Haibin’s head is almost bald.

Li Chun is also under tremendous pressure.

His intensity this time was inexplicable. He had been happily living his life in a luxury house by the river. The novelty had not yet worn off. He and Chen Fengling had started growing vegetables in Tianhong Garden, but suddenly he received a phone call and met with a senior official.

The highest-ranking official I've ever met was the deputy director of the county industrial and commercial bureau, who was a minor relative of his. He would usually ignore me when I gave him gifts.

This time he jumped to a high position.

Across from me was a row of leaders in suits and ties. The last one in line, who I didn’t even greet, was the director of the New Taipei City Science and Technology Bureau.

There was no way Li Chun could handle it.

But we can't really blame Li Yan. The fact that the official provided him with VIP access does not mean that he can choose not to sign the relevant documents, nor does it mean that he can skip the publicity process.

Li Chun is still the nominal legal representative of Future Technology.

But you can also blame Li Yan - "You should at least show up, right? I feel like the leaders are all forcing themselves to smile today. If you don't come, they'll be disappointed."

On the evening of December 2011, 12, Li Chun called Li Yan.

"Senior official Zhang called me and I explained. I was working on the lithography machine and he was worried about disturbing me, so he didn't let me come over."

"Oh, that's it..." Li Chun suddenly lost his position and could only complain from the bottom of his heart, "Alas, I can't handle this kind of situation. Some leaders seem to be a little upset when they see you not coming..."

“Who has emotions?”

Li Yan's words even carried a bit of... pressure. Even Li Chun felt the pressure. "No, son, they are not angry. That's not what I meant. Oh, it's okay. It's mainly because I can't let go."

"Thank you for your hard work, Dad. I'd like you to go and do the signing. There's no point for me to go and watch. If there's any other large ceremony and you need me to accompany you, just tell me."

As he spoke, Li Yan yawned.

This made Li Chun a little alert. "You sound a little tired. Are you tired from working on the optical machine recently?"

"Photolithography machine." Li Yan was silent for a while after saying this. "It's okay. Happy New Year in advance, Dad."

"Happy New Year, and get more rest."

"Will do."

After hanging up the phone, Li Yan sent another message to Wei Yunzhi: "As usual."

Then he looked at the lithography machine in front of him that had been mostly disassembled and took a deep breath.

"This year's New Year's Eve is quite interesting."

Overclock!

(End of this chapter)