The Red Era, the Opening University Speech

Chapter 98 If Emperor M can do it, so can we

Listening to these discussions, Li Mu couldn't help but feel a headache.

He was indeed naive at first, thinking that he could make it with the information on large-scale integrated circuits.

But in fact, even their lithography machines are homemade and cannot achieve the precision required for large-scale integration.

Wang Shoujue looked at Li Mu who seemed to be thinking about something and asked, "How about it, do you have any ideas?"

"I am more in favor of large-scale integration." Li Mu thought for a while and said.

With the information in hand, he certainly couldn't go backwards.

Wang Shoujue's eyes lit up slightly, and he said, "Oh, so sure, have you had this plan for a long time?"

"In fact, I also think that it is not a bad idea to do large-scale integration first."

"It's just that the lithography machine is indeed a problem, especially the lithography fluid..."

Having said that, Wang Shoujue suddenly stopped and looked at Li Mu with sharp eyes. He remembered that Li Mu had solved the problem of photoresist once.

Li Mu saw through his thoughts and said with a smile:

"Director Wang, I majored in mechanical engineering. I don't know much about chemistry, and I really lack experimental experience."

The photolithography fluid used in large-scale integrated circuits and industrialization is not as difficult as before, so he cannot agree easily.

Wang Shoujue smiled and said, “Don’t be modest. I heard from Professor Lu Qian and Professor Gu Ming of PBC Institute of Technology that they were inspired by your notes to make the photoresist for laboratory use.”

"It's just providing some ideas. I don't have much experience in real practice." Li Mu said and glanced at Huang Xinhua.

The latter immediately said: "I know this clearly. Li Mu is indeed not good at practical operations. He mentioned to me before that he wanted to hide in the laboratory to learn from the experts and professors."

"But then the research entered its final stage, so the matter was temporarily dropped."

"Isn't this a coincidence?" Wang Shoujue laughed and said, "There is a researcher in our institute who is good at practical operations. We can let him work with Li Mu to study industrial photoresist."

After that, he looked at Li Mu and said, "I won't ask you to do anything. You just need to research according to your own ideas and then share them at the conference."

Having said that, Li Mu had no chance to refuse and could only nod and agree.

Immediately, he found a seat at the back of the conference room and sat down quietly, continuing to listen to the discussions of the experts and professors.

Before long, the topic shifted from photoresist to mask.

The mask is later called the optical mask, which is made using the photolithography process.

But the semiconductor industry is just starting out, and the plate-making process is still quite crude. Emperor M and the big brothers all use photo-plate making technology.

This technology uses a camera to project the circuit pattern onto a photosensitive film, then removes the unwanted copper layer through chemical etching to create a mask.

But this kind of technology is not available in China now.

A group of experts, professors and researchers from the Institute of Semiconductor Research expressed their opinions one after another:

"Photographic plate making technology is no longer an advanced technology abroad. I think we can make a breakthrough here first."

"I don't think it's necessary for now. The mask only needs to be made into a graphic master, which can be used for a long time. The most urgent task is to realize the industrialization of chips as soon as possible."

"If Emperor M can do it, we can do it too. Medium-scale integrated circuits have been developed so quickly, so I think masks can be developed too."

……

Li Mu listened to these discussions, his eyes slightly thoughtful.

In fact, he discovered this when he was doing integrated circuit research with Huang Xinhua.

Throughout the entire experimental process, they still used a manual method, using knives to manually cut and stick the film.

This method not only has a high error rate, but is also extremely time-consuming.

But it was barely usable at the time, so he did not suggest any improvements.

Just when everyone was at a stalemate, Wang Shoujue suddenly spoke in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone to hear:

"Li Mu, do you have any ideas?"

As soon as the words fell, everyone's eyes looked over involuntarily.

Li Mu suddenly felt under tremendous pressure.

But when his name was called, he couldn't just say nothing, so he had to force a smile and said, "Director Wang, I am more in favor of continuing to use the manual plate making method."

Hearing what Li Mu said, many people present immediately showed disappointment.

I thought, he's a genius, but he's just so courageous? He gave up without even trying?

However, Li Mu's next words made their brows relax again: "But the photo plate making technology should also be studied simultaneously."

"As a professor just said, the mask is not the first problem to be solved in the process of chip industrialization."

"Although there are many defects in handmade products, the masks produced are not unusable."

"Since our goal is to achieve the industrialization of chips, I think we should first tackle the bigger problems."

"Which problem do you think is more serious?" Huang Xinhua asked knowingly, leading him to continue.

Li Mu said in a deep voice: "Photoresist."

"The importance of photoresist is well known, so I won't go into details here."

"What I want to talk about is its role. In the process of industrial chip production, photoresist is not only the prerequisite for all photolithography processes, but also the key guarantee for making good chips."

"Industrial production is different from laboratory research. Photoresist cannot be finely adjusted artificially, and the quality of the final product will definitely not meet industrial standards."

"So making a good photoresist is, I think, a more pressing issue at present."

His question made everyone in the conference room agree:
"Well said, photoresist is indeed a real problem."

"In fact, although the mask is difficult, with the level of domestic eighth-level workers, they can definitely make it. It just takes a little longer."

"Yes, we can still make masks, but we don't have photoresists suitable for chip industrialization."

"I think we should first develop a photoresist that is more suitable for industrial preparation, solve the main problems first, and then solve the secondary problems."

……

It wasn't long before almost everyone agreed.

Wang Shoujue, deputy director and research leader, summarized:

"I have neutralized the opinions. Just like what Li Mu said just now, we need to make both photoresist and mask."

"Our semiconductor research institute is now strong and capable, so we can easily conduct research simultaneously."

"In this way, Director Xu Changwu will take the lead in the Semiconductor Research Institute and be responsible for the research of mask technology; Professors Huang Xinhua, Lu Qian and Gu Ming of the Beijing Institute of Technology will be responsible for the research of photoresist."

This arrangement is not unreasonable.

Beijing Institute of Technology is the developer of 300 integrated circuit photoresist and has a good foundation, so the research will be faster.

However, Lu Qian, who received the task, keenly discovered the problem: "Director Wang, where is Li Mu?"

This question immediately made all the experts and professors from Beijing Institute of Technology react.

Yes, where is Li Mu?

As their recognized research core, Li Mu cannot run away.

Wang Shoujue smiled and said, "Don't worry, listen to me."

"Our Semiconductor Research Institute is planning to send a doctor and two graduate students to form a team with Li Mu to conduct independent research."

"Why go through so much trouble? Can't we just study it together?" Lu Qian asked.

Li Mu took the initiative to stand up and explain: "I feel that I don't have enough experience, and I'm afraid of holding back the experts and professors."

Hearing this, all the experts and professors looked strange.

Holding back?
You are the core of the research!
Lu Qian coughed twice and said, "Ahem, in that case, we will follow Director Wang's arrangements."

"But independent research is independent research, and communication is also important. We can't just do it in isolation."

"Of course." Wang Shoujue said with a smile.

Even if Li Mu didn't want to participate, he would drag him to participate.

...After deciding on the next experimental direction, everyone in the Semiconductor Institute quickly took action.

Wang Shoujue brought Li Mu to his office alone and then walked out.

After a while, he came back with a man about thirty years old and two young men in their twenties.

"Li Mu, I won't introduce you any further." After Wang Shoujue finished talking to the three people, he looked at Li Mu and said:
"This is Jiang Weixin, a PhD student who once studied at Buddha University in the United States and a key researcher at our institute; Lei Jianguo and Wei Huaqiang, graduate students at China Europe International Business School."

"Next, the four of you will form a photoresist task force, with Jiang Weixin as the team leader, to carry out the research and development of photoresist."

"Hello, hello." Li Mu quickly greeted and covered his hand.

Jiang Weixin was wearing a white research suit, with a handsome appearance, thick eyebrows and big eyes. He smiled and said, "I've heard of your great name for a long time. Professor Lu and Professor Gu always praise you in front of me!"

He graduated from China Europe International Business University with a master's degree, so he naturally knew Lu Qian and Gu Ming, and heard a lot about Li Mu from them.

However, he still had some doubts about how capable Li Mu was.

After thinking for a while, he said, "Li Mu, do you have any ideas about this photoresist experiment?"

We just met and they were already talking about research, which showed that Jiang Weixin was an impatient person.

But this actually makes people feel more at ease. At least they are much easier to get along with than people who like to play tricks.

Li Mu hesitated for a moment, shook his head and said, "Team Leader Jiang, I don't have a clear idea yet."

"I not only lack knowledge of chemistry, but also specific experimental experience. This time I mainly want to learn from you."

"So I think that in the subsequent experiments, you should still be the main ones, and I will only do auxiliary work."

Hearing Li Mu's words, Wang Shoujue smiled but said nothing.

Auxiliary?

Haha, he won’t let Li Mu have it so easy.

Jiang Weixin and Wang Shoujue looked at each other, and then said, "Okay, the specific experiments will be done by Lei Jianguo, Wei Huaqiang and I."

"You are going to do the same as before and provide ideas for our research."

"Of course, if you want to try it out, just let me know."

Lei Jianguo and the other man standing by nodded and gave Li Mu a friendly smile.

Before coming, Wang Shoujue told them that Li Mu might not participate in the specific experiment.

This is not surprising. In scientific research, some people are good at theory and some are good at experiments. The status of the former is even much higher than that of the latter.

Li Mu glanced at the expressions of Jiang Weixin and the other two, and felt a little relieved. He said, "Okay, then I hope that Team Leader Jiang, Senior Brother Lei, and Senior Brother Wei will give you more guidance in the future."

This result couldn't be better for him.

It's just auxiliary research, and the team has only four people, two of whom are graduate students. There is no need to worry about being surrounded and questioned by a group of experts and professors like at Beijing Institute of Technology.

Unless he did it himself, nothing could have happened.

After meeting with Jiang Weixin and the other two and getting to know each other, Li Mu quickly left the Semiconductor Research Institute.

Back in the dormitory, sitting at the table, he looked at the photoresist formula and process filled with various chemical equations and symbols in his mind and fell into deep thought.

The photoresist we have to make this time is much more complicated than last time.

Moreover, historically, the research and development of photoresists in China would not begin until the next year, and it was not until 67 that the first KPR-type negative photoresist was put into production.

"How about using KPR type photoresist?" Li Mu's heart moved slightly.

Before 70 years ago, China's photoresist was not at all behind that of foreign countries.

Making KPR photoresist can fully meet the needs of current chip industrialization and also has the industrial foundation for its realization.

However, if you want to get the detailed formula, you have to ask Ask.

Li Mu sent a message: "Asker, can you find the formula and measurement of Xiaguo's KPR photoresist? My friend wants to make one himself."

He put the word "measurement" in extra bold.

In chemistry, if the measurement is a little bit wrong, the results will vary greatly. Sometimes, countless experiments are conducted just to find that slight difference.

"Okay, wait for me to check." Ask replied quickly.

After a while, he sent the information back.

"Polyvinyl cinnamate type KPR photoresist..." Li Mu glanced at the title and replied casually: "Thanks, what are you busy with recently?"

"Apart from experiments every day, I play the games you recommended to me, or go fishing. It's been a while since I had a new form of entertainment." Ask replied rather "resentimentally".

During this period, Li Mu was busy with integrated circuits and rarely chatted with Ask.

He quickly said, "It's easy to play."

"There are so many fun games, you can play them all day long if you just look for them."

Ask replied: "There are so many fun things that I don't know how to choose."

"I recently found a game that had a high rating, but once I entered it, there were all kinds of bugs and I couldn't play it at all."

"Li, how about you give me another recommendation?"

Li Mu smiled and said, "Of course I have no problem recommending it. You can try StarCraft. It might suit your taste."

Games like "Civilization" and "Only the Strong" are actually very time-consuming.

He now has a general idea of ​​Ask's gaming habits, so he can no longer recommend games that require a lot of liver like he did before.

As a real-time strategy game, "StarCraft" was once widely loved by players.

Unfortunately, it was too difficult to get started, and due to the lack of new players joining in, it gradually declined.

But that's not a question of game quality.

"Li, I've downloaded the game, but how do I play it? Which of the three races, humans, gods, or insects, is more powerful?" Ask moved quickly and came to Li Mu to ask for strategy after downloading the game.

"First, familiarize yourself with the buttons, then try a simple game, choose the human race, and follow my instructions." Li Mu became a little excited when he saw the message.

He was also considered a famous master in "StarCraft" at the time.

The human race's urbanization is enough to make semi-professional players scream.

……

After half an hour.

"Lost...defeatedjpg." Ask sent a picture.

Li Mu couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly. There was actually no problem with the gameplay, but it was Ask's first time and he was not familiar with many of the key positions.

After playing for more than 20 minutes, the Protoss Arbiter had brought a large group of soldiers to the enemy's face, and the 3rd mine had not yet been opened.

"It's okay. This is your first time. It's good that you can last this long." Li Mu consoled him and asked, "How do you feel? If it's not fun, I'll recommend something else to you."

Ask: "No, this is fun."

"I'm going to practice. Damn the Gods, let them see how powerful our human race is!"

Ask's somewhat immature remarks made Li Mu burst out laughing.

……

The next day.

Although he could no longer learn anything in class, Li Mu still attended the class as usual.

After school at noon, after having lunch in the cafeteria, he went straight to the library, piled up a pile of chemistry books on the table and buried himself in studying.

Relying on my superb memory, I can memorize the important contents of a book in just one hour.

It sounds scary, but in fact, if you just force yourself to remember it, you will forget it soon.

Only by constantly deepening memory and understanding and learning can we truly master this knowledge.

But for Li Mu, what he remembered was enough for the time being.

(End of this chapter)