Reborn in 2011, 985 missing from two copies

TSMC Chairman Zhang looked around at the crowd and said word by word: "We have nearly 100,000 people at TSMC."

“One hundred thousand young people, one hundred livers each, one liver to save TSMC!”

"We must show our full fighting spirit and tackle the 10nm process in an all-out way. We must not fall behind Samsung again!"

Hearing this, everyone was shocked.

It turns out this is the Nighthawk Project, working in three shifts 24 hours a day, conducting research and development day and night!

Previously, we worked in three shifts for production, but now we work in three shifts for research and development!

Especially the sentence "One hundred thousand young people donate one liver each to save TSMC!" moved many senior executives.

The total number of TSMC’s employees currently adds up to nearly 100,000!

The chairman has made such a statement, and we still have to carry out research and development 24 hours a day. It is really a matter of life and death.

Seeing that the expressions on everyone's faces were not serious enough, Lao Zhang continued:

"I can tell you that Samsung's 10nm process will likely be put into mass production in the first half of 2017, or even in the fourth quarter of 2016."

"TSMC is already six months behind in 16nm. If we fall behind again in 10nm, we're done for!"

“So you have to live!”

“We must get ahead of Samsung and come up with the 10-nanometer process in advance!”

"Do you have confidence?"

"Have!"

Everyone responded in unison.

"Very good. Of the five directors in the R&D department, one will lead the 20nm process team to continue to be responsible for the optimized mass production of 20nm. One will lead the 16nm team to continue the research and development of the 16nm process. The other three will lead three teams respectively, working in three shifts day and night to tackle the 10nm process!"

"Yes!" Everyone responded in unison.

"No matter which team lags behind, the top management will be fired and the year-end bonuses of other R&D staff will be deducted!"

"The meeting is dismissed!"

Having said that, Lao Zhang turned and left, leaving a group of senior executives trembling in fear.

Everyone knew that Lao Zhang was not joking.

The lag behind in 16nm technology forced Mr. Zhang, who was over years old, to go to the capital to apologize to Wang Yi in a humble manner. However, he was ignored for three days and still did not meet Wang Yi in the end.

Although the result was not bad, Lao Zhang lost face and everyone in the industry was laughing at him.

Even the chairman of TSMC has been disgraced like this. If others don't work hard, Zhang will really be angry.

The top management has been dismissed, and the core R&D personnel are all TSMC’s talents. They cannot be laid off, and their year-end bonuses will also be deducted!

This is by no means just talk.

Everyone knows the meaning behind this.

So after Lao Zhang left, several vice presidents and directors immediately presided over a meeting and divided the follow-up matters clearly.

Three teams, three R&D directors, and three shift schedules are all in place.

The next day, the entire TSMC began a major adjustment.

Except for the 16nm process R&D team, all others have been adjusted and divided into three 10nm process breakthrough teams.

As for the research and development of 20 nanometers, it has been completed long ago. Only a few people are left to debug the equipment and continuously improve the yield rate. Other backbones have also invested in the 10 nanometer breakthrough!

The entire TSMC has entered a special period.

[One hundred thousand young people donate one hundred thousand livers, one liver per person to save TSMC! ]

Such slogans are openly hung in TSMC's R&D department, headquarters building, conference rooms, etc.

It can be said that it can be seen everywhere, from TSMC’s senior management to ordinary employees.

Soon, the incident spread around the world, and Samsung Semiconductor Headquarters immediately held a high-level meeting:

“One hundred thousand young people, one hundred livers each, one liver to save TSMC!”

"Haha, TSMC is really anxious. They are working in three shifts 24 hours a day to develop 10nm process day and night!"

"That's amazing! This is going to completely reverse our disadvantage and completely catch up with us Samsung!"

Other senior executives nodded:

"That's right. Judging from the situation, Lao Zhang is really angry. I heard that he went to Xingyi Technology to apologize and was left out in the cold for three days!"

"Really? No wonder Mr. Zhang has started to make TSMC work day and night."

"Oh, this is a big problem. Samsung has finally achieved the advantage of 20 nanometer technology, but I'm afraid it will be easily caught up by TSMC."

"This is a big problem. We are well aware of TSMC's R&D capabilities. Although we don't want to admit it, we have to admit that it is much higher than Samsung's."

"More importantly, after losing the first trial, Mr. Liang was restricted. I'm afraid he won't be able to lead us in 10-nanometer technology research and development before the end of next year."

"Alas, this is the biggest problem. Without Lao Liang, our 10-nanometer process is much more difficult."

"It's okay. Even if Lao Liang is gone, there are still other people. Besides, the Lao Liang issue can be eased. At worst, we can pay a sum of compensation to TSMC as a settlement and keep Lao Liang."

"That's a good idea. As long as Lao Liang stays, our 10 nanometers won't be a problem. At worst, we can just let other senior executives take charge."

"But this is not enough. TSMC has started Project Nighthawk, working in three shifts around the clock to conduct research and development. We cannot fall behind."

"That's right, we at Samsung have to start the same operation, and our R&D staff will have to work in three shifts 24 hours a day to develop the 10-nanometer process at full speed!"

"support!"

"Seconded!"

“It has to be this way!”

"If we don't do this, we will be overtaken by TSMC."

"Okay, then we at Samsung will also work in three shifts 24 hours a day, working non-stop on the 10-nanometer process."

"TSMC calls it Project Nighthawk, and Samsung calls it Project Blazing Sun!"

"it is good!"

The next day, Samsung also took quick action, with R&D personnel working in three shifts, developing the 24-nanometer process 10 hours a day.

In the first quarter of 20, before the 2014nm process entered mass production, the competition for 14/16nm had already been decided, and the research and development competition for the next-generation 10nm process was in full swing.

As for TSMC's 12nm, it is not actually 12nm.

On the contrary, it is just an upgraded version of TSMC’s 16nm process. It was originally named “16nm+”, but became a 12nm process just to make it sound better.

It is essentially still a 16nm process, and can be said to be the second-generation 16nm process.

In fact, the upgrade compared to TSMC's initial 16nm is limited, only about 10%-15%.

Likewise, Samsung's 11nm process is not a true 11nm process.

On the contrary, it is just an optimized version of Samsung's 14nm process, internally codenamed "14nm++", and also for the sake of sound, called '11nm process.'

But in essence it is still a 14nm process, so to speak, the second-generation 14nm process.

There was no other way. In order to meet deadlines and be the first to market, Samsung’s first-generation 14nm process failed and was inferior to TSMC’s 16nm process. It had to be fully optimized to produce the second-generation 14nm++.

There are no secrets in the circle, Wang Yi also received the news:

"TSMC's Nighthawk Project has indeed started to follow the same rhythm as in its previous life."

Wang Yi was not surprised. In its previous life, TSMC started the Nighthawk Project after Samsung was one generation ahead of it, working in three shifts day and night to develop 10-nanometer technology.

Even the slogans are the same, one hundred thousand young people, one hundred thousand livers...

Not surprisingly, Samsung responded in kind and also started a round-the-clock research and development program.

However, it seems that there was no such thing as the "Scorching Sun Project" in the previous life, at least it was not reported in the news.

But now that the two leading players, Samsung and TSMC, have taken action, how can Xingyi Semiconductor, as a follower, remain indifferent?

That certainly won't work.

Thinking of this, Wang Yi directly called Mr. Hu:

"Mr. Hu, you know about the recent actions of Samsung and TSMC, right?"

Mr. Hu sighed, "I see. I didn't expect that these two companies would start a research and development competition. Working in three shifts 24 hours a day is really too much. This is not a good thing for us."

"Yes, the impact is too great." Wang Yi said helplessly:

"We were originally followers, but now we have skipped 20 nanometers and are working directly on 14 nanometers. We finally have a chance to overtake them, but now they are relying on their large numbers to simultaneously start the 10 nanometer R&D race, and we are falling behind again."

Mr. Hu agreed: "This is the biggest problem. TSMC and Samsung already have more R&D engineers than us, and their background is richer than ours. Now they are working in three shifts around the clock. They will definitely be much faster than us at the 10nm stage. Chairman, we will also be forced to join the three-shift R&D and develop the 10nm process ahead of time."

Wang Yi nodded: "It seems that this is the only way. Let's continue to recruit people. The most important thing right now is the research and development of the 14 nanometer process, but the research and development of the 10 nanometer process must also be carried out simultaneously!"

"Don't worry, Chairman. I'm prepared. In addition to the ongoing research and development of 14-nanometer technology to improve the yield rate, we have also started the research and development of 10-nanometer technology. However, we don't have enough manpower. After all, we are not TSMC or Samsung. We have too few people and can't even do two shifts, let alone three shifts."

Mr. Hu was somewhat helpless: "It's not even enough to have a full 10-nanometer R&D team."

"This matter is indeed difficult to resolve." Wang Yi had no good strategy for the moment.

TSMC's excellence is the result of many years of accumulation.

Samsung Semiconductor's elite talents are also the results accumulated in recent years, as well as people poached from TSMC.

However, Xingyi Semiconductor started too recently and has far fewer employees than TSMC and Samsung.

TSMC can have five teams working together, with one team continuing with 20-nanometer mass production, one team continuing with 16-nanometer research and development, and three teams working in three shifts to develop 10-nanometer research and development.

Samsung also has a large number of personnel and generals, and can ensure that four teams can advance simultaneously, with one team continuing to develop 14 nanometers, and three teams working in three shifts to develop 10 nanometers.

But Xingyi Semiconductor doesn’t have that many people, let alone four or five teams, it can’t even put together two teams right now.

The explosion of a few years cannot catch up with the accumulation of more than ten years or even decades.

There is nothing we can do about this.

"Alas." Wang Yi sighed, "I can only increase my efforts to recruit talents. Whether it is TSMC or Samsung, I will recruit all the talents I can. No need to hold back."

"What about SMIC? Recently, many R&D engineers from SMIC want to switch to our company." Mr. Hu couldn't help asking.

Samsung and TSMC have high salaries and good development, so it’s not so bad.

The treatment at SMIC is average, and the development is also average.

Coupled with the complicated internal relationships and slow progress in the process, many people had ideas.

There is no way. SMIC has just mastered the 40nm process, Xingyi Technology has already mass-produced 28nm, and Samsung and TSMC have even started a 10nm R&D competition. This has directly led to the mental breakdown of SMIC's core engineers.

We are still planning 28 nanometers, and you have already planned 10 nanometers. How can you tolerate this?

Therefore, all the elites with some ability and ambition started to think about changing jobs.

Some people want to go to Samsung and TSMC, while others still want to contribute to the rise of mainland semiconductors and choose to switch to Xingyi Technology.

In the past, Wang Yi was actually somewhat resistant to these employees, as he did not want to be accused of poaching key personnel from sister companies.

But now we are really short of people, and we have to start a dual-line competition of 14nm process and 10nm process simultaneously with Samsung and TSMC. We are really short of manpower.

"Chairman, the situation has changed now. These people want to change jobs, and they will definitely leave SMIC. Even if we don't accept them, they will go to Samsung or TSMC, and the loss will be even greater. It's not just a loss for Xingyi Semiconductor, but also a loss for the entire mainland semiconductor industry!"