I started with a ship full of max-level veterans, and I'm just a complete noob.

That afternoon, Wang Shouwu arrived at Research Room 502 as agreed on the cover, carrying a leather briefcase in his left hand and a glass ampoule secured with a cotton sleeve in his right.

This was his second visit. After entering, he went straight to the recording table that Fang Xudong had cleared out in advance and placed the ampoule on the cork mat.

A slender germanium seed crystal was fixed inside the bottle, gleaming with a dark metallic luster under the work light.

Wang Shouwu then took out a typed report from his briefcase, the cover of which read "No-load test of temperature control system of semiconductor research group", and then looked up at Jiang Ming.

"The seed crystal orientation is [111], with a diameter of three millimeters, a length of twenty millimeters, and a purity of over 99.99%. Based on your current usage, it's enough for five pulls."

Jiang Ming took the ampoule and held it up to the work light, slowly rotating it.

The seed crystal has a flat surface and is intact. There are zero inclusions and obvious cracks in the field of view. The bottle opening is tightly vacuum sealed, and the production batch, orientation inspection and resistivity data on the label are all complete.

This is already the highest quality seed crystal that can be produced domestically at this stage.

"Cut off a section to make a clamp fit, and keep the rest sealed. Record the length each time it is used."

Jiang Ming handed the ampoule back to Fang Xudong, instructing him to put it into the safe along with the sealing data, and then picked up the no-load test report.

Wang Shouwu's laboratory built a simplified version of the double platinum resistance temperature measurement system based on the control structure provided by 502. The amplifier and actuator are both off-the-shelf equipment, and the initial no-load temperature fluctuation has been reduced to ±0.3 degrees.

This result is still less than ±0.08 degrees Celsius for Furnace No. 3, but it is enough to prove that the closed-loop temperature control scheme can be reproduced on another set of equipment.

"The hysteresis of the sensor sleeve is still too large. The rising edge is slower than the falling edge in the report. The ceramic tube wall you are using is too thick."

Jiang Ming flipped to the step curve and marked the bifurcation point of the two response lines.

"First replace the thin-walled sleeve, then remeasure the time constant. The integration time also needs to be changed accordingly. Directly copying the position of the 502 knob will cause overshoot."

Wang Shouwu pulled out a chair, sat down, and spread another system structure diagram on the table.

"This is the second thing I came here for today. You have already succeeded in the route of temperature control and crystal pulling. If the semiconductor research group continues to explore on its own, it will waste time on repetitive equipment."

Wu Hanzhang was leaning against the window smoking when he heard this, so he stubbed out his cigarette in the enamel ashtray.

"How do you want to divide it?"

"502 provides the temperature control system drawings, PID tuning methods and single crystal growth process, while the semiconductor research group is responsible for zone purification, germanium material supply and high-purity seed crystal preparation. Both parties share the test results."

Wang Shouwu placed the technical report for the fourth furnace next to the cooperation sketch, pointing his finger over the eleven percent curve.

"We have more germanium materials, four-probe equipment, and crystal orientation testing conditions. Purification is more efficient in the research group. Your advantage lies in the control system and the fractionation process."

Wu Hanzhang took a cigarette from the newly opened Daqianmen cigarette box, held it in his hand but did not light it.

"To what extent will we share resources? You provide the seed crystals and purified germanium materials, and we provide the temperature control technology and single crystal growth process?"

"You guys were the ones who developed the temperature control and the crystal pulling separation control. Our lab struggled with boundary layer thickness for two years, but you connected the process parameters using a rotating disk model."

Wang Shouwu pushed his empty-load report in front of Wu Hanzhang, with a copy of the paper tape measuring ±0.3 degrees tucked inside the last page.

"Each party retains its original records, exchanges necessary drawings and process information, and subsequent papers and internal reports are authored according to actual contributions."

Wu Hanzhang flipped through two pages of the report, then looked at Jiang Ming, tapping the cigarette box lightly against his hand.

Jiang Ming did not make a decision for him, but simply opened the newly added chapter of the 24 gigahertz pre-research plan, revealing the requirements table for device-grade germanium materials for the mixer diode.

Wu Hanzhang looked at the table before slamming the cigarette pack onto the table.

"Sure, but 502 needs priority supply of device-grade germanium. We are working on 24 gigahertz pre-research devices, and our timeline is tighter than yours."

Wang Shouwu picked up the requirements list and looked through each item, including resistivity uniformity, crystal orientation, and cuttable length.

"After the first batch of components is completed, the first three will be supplied to 502, and the quality will be accepted according to the process card jointly confirmed by both parties."

What about subsequent batches?

"Allocation will be based on actual production output. The new process verification materials undertaken by 502 will be given priority to you, and conventional materials will be allocated according to research tasks."

Wu Hanzhang put the unlit cigarette back in the cigarette case and held out his hand.

"Let's go with these terms."

Wang Shouwu shook hands with him, and Fang Xudong had already opened his notebook and written down the date, cooperation content, drawing scope, material allocation, and the priority supply conditions for the first three items.

This record is not yet a formal agreement, but it has become an internal file for 502. If it is to enter into a coordination process between ministries, both parties will draft documents based on this page.

Before leaving, Wang Shouwu passed by the single crystal furnace and stopped beside the quartz crucible. He bent down to examine the light-colored traces of melt left on the inner wall and then used his finger to compare the wall thickness along the edge of the crucible.

"The fourth batch is already at 11% completion. What's the next step to further reduce the difference between the start and end of the batch?"

Jiang Ming took out a blank sheet of paper, first drew two layers of crucibles, inner and outer, and then marked the continuous feeding inlet above the outer crucible.

"The double crucible method involves filling the outer crucible with raw materials and continuously replenishing it, while the inner crucible maintains a constant volume of melt. Seed crystals are pulled out from the inner crucible."

He directed the feed flow to the bottom of the inner crucible and marked the two control conditions: concentration and liquid level.

"As long as the feeding rate is equal to the crystallization consumption, the melt volume and average impurity concentration of the inner crucible can be maintained within a narrow range, and the tail-end enrichment caused by the limited length will be suppressed."

Wang Shouwu took a pencil and drew a coaxial line between the inner and outer crucibles.

"Neither the inner nor outer crucibles need to be rotated?"

"At least coaxial rotation is required. The rotation speed can be the same or controlled separately. The inner crucible is responsible for the interface boundary layer, and the outer crucible is responsible for feeding and mixing. The temperature control should also be divided into two working zones."

Jiang Ming added a heating area to the outside, but only drew up to the functional block diagram, leaving the mechanical support, sealing and independent transmission structure blank.

"It is equivalent to turning a finite-length germanium rod into a continuous feeding process. The head-to-tail difference can continue to approach the theoretical limit. The difficulties lie in coaxial transmission, liquid level stability and dual-zone temperature control."

Wang Shouwu stared at the two crucibles on the paper for a while, then put the pencil back on the table.

"I'll think about this when I get back."

He left the vacuum sealing data of the ampoules to Fang Xudong, put away his copy of the no-load test report, and left the research room with his assistant.

The footsteps on the factory path gradually faded away. Wu Hanzhang stood by the window, watching Wang Shouwu's back as he turned past Workshop No. 1.

He took out the cigarette again, lit it with a match, took a puff, and then turned to Jiang Ming.

"You only mentioned the orientation of the double crucibles; the complete mechanical structure is still in the notebook."

"He asked about the next steps, and I explained the principles and the main difficulties."

"Are you planning to wait until he calculates the transmission conflict himself before taking out the rest of the diagrams?"

Jiang Ming placed the high-purity seed crystal ampoules into the lower layer of the safe, and locked them side by side with the sealing data and the fourth furnace process card.

"He will first design his own solution, and when he discovers that the rotation speed, material replenishment and temperature control of the inner and outer crucibles are mutually restrictive, he will naturally come back again."

Wu Hanzhang exhaled a pale blue smoke and pushed the heavy steel outer door shut for him, without offering any rebuttal to the statement.

At the end of the cooperation record, Fang Xudong started a new line, writing down Wang Shouwu's second visit and exchange with the double crucible direction. After marking this page, he casually tapped the calendar on the table:

"Team leader, the semiconductor side has been preliminarily finalized, but we only have two weeks to prepare for the second feasibility study meeting in the west of the city."

Jiang Ming's gaze followed the calendar and slowly moved to the locked cabinet on the upper shelf: "All three revised models have been sealed, the timing is just right."