Reinventing the Millennium

March 4th, Lantern Festival.

According to tradition, the Spring Festival officially ends after this day.

However, according to the Gregorian calendar, two months have passed in 2007, and one-sixth of the entire year has unknowingly disappeared.

This year's ice core industry is extremely busy. This situation is hardly affected by the Spring Festival. It is the first time for many people to spend the New Year in the factory.

However, none of the senior management, led by Qiu Ciyun and Hu Zhengming, took vacations. And because they knew the significance of this process in the factory, almost no one complained about the overtime arrangement. They all wanted to cross this threshold and eat meat and drink soup together.

On the morning of March 3, Bingxin had basically confirmed the success of the risk trial production and was only waiting for the final yield calculation.

Ice core produces wafers one by one, and after going through all the manufacturing process steps, it will enter the yield testing stage.

The wafer is the carrier of the chip. This test step is to put a complete wafer into the chip testing machine, and use the microneedle structure of the chip test card to contact fixed points on the chip to complete the input and reading of electrical signals. Take it to achieve the test effect.

Only when the chip on the wafer meets all electrical signal requirements is it considered to have passed the circuit test and is called a live chip. Otherwise, it is a dead chip.

After the test is completed on a wafer, you will get a colorful test result picture. In addition to green, other different colors represent different ways of dying of the chip. For example, red means that a certain circuit leakage current is too large, and blue means that a certain circuit is damaged. The through voltage is too small.

The live chips that pass the test will be cut in the packaging factory, and then they will still be divided into three, six or nine grades based on some of the electrical parameters they focus on.

Usually first-class goods flow to the enterprise market as server chips, second-class goods flow to high-end consumer markets such as computers and mobile phones as consumer-grade chips, and the third class goods flow to low-end consumer markets such as USB flash drives and electronic toys.

At one o'clock in the afternoon, the statistical yield of this batch of trial production wafers from Ice Core was released, reaching a satisfactory 38%.

This means that Ice Core's 65nm process technology has successfully completed risk trial production, and it also means that the next step of work can be continued on this basis to improve yield, try mass production, and increase production capacity.

From April 2006 last year, Ice Core completed 90nm risk trial production, to mid-June of the year, it suddenly changed course and decided to skip generation development and directly develop the 65nm process technology. Then it solved key problems at the end of January this year and completed risk trial production in early March. .

During this process, Bingxin tensed up his nerves, worked intensive overtime, canceled annual leave, and finally achieved preliminary results.

However, in addition to the joy and excitement from the heart, Qiu Ciyun does not plan to make a high-profile statement or hold a celebration event. He just low-key announces holidays in batches, and then distributes a wave of overtime pay, bonuses, bonuses, bonuses, and high temperature subsidies.

What? The temperature hasn’t reached yet? First, to prevent high temperatures.

In short, the low-key Ice Core plans to make further progress after taking some rest at home and then talk more about the manufacturing process.

Everything went smoothly. In the evening, some employees were happily taking a vacation, not only for the prospects of the company, but also for the thick red envelopes, and for finally being able to have a belated reunion with their families.

However, when Bingxin contacted two packaging factories in Luzhou and asked them to take the wafers for new process packaging, the news was still exposed.

The two packaging plants in Luzhou are Changdian Technology, which was restructured and listed, and Huatian Technology, which was established three years ago. On the one hand, they were invited by Luzhou and Bingxin to form a link in the industrial chain. On the other hand, they were also invited by Luzhou and Bingxin. Bingxin is the only domestic wafer factory with 130nm process technology, and may have better prospects.

However, the ice core seems to have encountered problems in the manufacturing process. There has been no new news about the 90nm that was reported last year, and it is suspected of being difficult to produce, which makes people sigh with regret.

The only 130nm process is certainly good, and the Lin'an No. 2 and Shencheng No. 3 fabs that have been announced in succession also seem to have good expansion prospects. However, the core of a wafer fab is advanced process technology.

so……

When Changdian and Huatian received a call from Bingxin informing them of the relevant information and asking them to keep it confidential for the time being, they once suspected that there was something wrong with their ears.

65nm?

Haven't you been working on 90nm yield and small-scale mass production?

Why did 65nm suddenly come out?

No, we are still sighing with regret!

This, this... this directly broke my wrist!

Your big brother SMIC hasn’t even finished the production of this process yet!

Changdian and Huatian are very close to the ice core. The heads of the two companies rushed there one after another and confirmed the news from Qiu Ciyun, who was still working, that the ice core had completed the risky trial production of 65nm.

"Your packaging yield must not be a hindrance." Qiu Ciyun requested, "We expect to start small-scale mass production in the third quarter, and foreign customers will comprehensively measure the entire process."

When he saw both families nodding, he added: "Don't tell anyone about the manufacturing process in advance. Improving the yield rate is the most important thing."

Yield is money, quotation, and competitiveness.

The heads of Changdian and Huatian left Bingxin in a daze, or they still felt like they were dreaming. Did Bingxin give up research and development after achieving certain results in 90nm and switch to 65nm?

Then, they actually suppressed it?

When they woke up separately, they felt restless as if grass had grown or a cat was scratching them.

That night, considering that a third party was present when they met with Mr. Qiu, they finally couldn't hold back and shared the news with their friends.

——Mr. Xu, let me tell you something. Don’t tell others that Ice Core has completed the risky trial production of 65nm! I personally heard what Mr. Qiu Ciyun said!

——Hey, Mr. Liu, there is a secret, I tell you, don’t spread it out, Ice Core has done trial production of 65nm! Absolute fidelity! My friend helped Bingxin do the sealing and testing!

——Mr. Zhao, are you still talking about SMIC’s manufacturing process? You are such an old man, your ice core is already one step ahead! let me tell you……

——Zhou Yue, have you heard that the research and development of 65nm ice core has achieved preliminary results? Shh, just listen to it, but don’t report it in your newspaper, I’m keeping it a secret!

On the Lantern Festival on March 4, as a reporter for "Semiconductor Technology", Zhou Yue originally planned to spend time with her family, but when she heard news from university alumni early in the morning, she immediately realized that there was a big movement in the industry.

What is the concept of 65nm process?

Mainland China's No. 1 SMIC has no control!

The leaders in the global industry are Taiji and Intel, and the latter does not do wafer foundry. The former only had 65nm mass production capacity last year, and then UMC announced that it would provide mass production to customers in the third quarter of 2006. .

It can be said that in the global wafer foundry field, Taiji and UMC are in the first echelon of owning the 65nm process and developing the next generation 45/40nm process.

Followed by Chartered Semiconductor, IBM, Samsung Electronics, Infineon, the four companies that have formed a R\u0026D alliance, and Texas Instruments of the United States are considered the second echelon.

Mainland SMIC has mastered the mass production of 90nm, but has not yet completed trial production of 65nm. It belongs to the third echelon.

As for the ice core, it is rumored that it has been mass-producing 90nm and belongs to the fourth echelon.

Now, how did this fourth tier get past third and get close to second?

It is true that Ice Core has only done risk trial production and is still some way away from mass production. However, as long as Taiwan and UMC do not announce that the 45/40nm in their hands has reached mass production capacity, Ice Core will be able to announce that it is one of the world leaders once it is mass produced. Only one generation behind the manufacturing process!

Zhou Yue and everyone who heard the news had a doubt in their hearts, how did the ice core do it?

As a reporter, she also wants to be sure, is this true?

As you can tell from the name, "Semiconductor Technology" is a media that focuses on the semiconductor industry. As soon as I heard what can be called the great news for the mainland, I really couldn't stand it.

On the one hand, Zhou Yue contacted classmates in the industry, and on the other hand, he was also trying to mobilize his contacts, trying to get more accurate information from Bingxin, Luzhou Official, Changdian and Huatian, which have factories in Luzhou.

Ice Core has always maintained a distance in its attitude towards the media, and this time is no exception. It has remained silent and has no news.

Luzhou officials were at a loss after receiving a call from the media: What? What did you say? Did the ice core get 65nm? How come we don't know? No news received.

Changdian and Huatian's attitudes after receiving the call were very innocent: Who said that? I didn't say it. Why are you asking me? I have no idea I have no idea.

However...the semiconductor industry is either small or big.

Sporadic gossip has spread, including Ice Core employees taking a break, and the Ice Core Wafer Manufacturing Service Alliance pricking up their ears. We already have many relationships with teachers, students, alumni, friends, and former colleagues. Zhou Yue still passed Continuous verification, 90% confirmed the progress of the ice core manufacturing process.

Really, really!

Ice Core has really completed the trial production of 65nm!

Zhou Yue quickly finished the manuscript, but felt that it was still a little short of the final word.

So, she tried to log on to the new social platform Weibo, and went directly to Mr. Fang’s content to advise people to buy a house and asked - Mr. Fang, has Ice Core completed the risky trial production of 65nm?

Ignored.

She posted content herself and tried Weibo’s @function.

Still no response.

Zhou Yue understood, this was President Fang's acquiescence.

At 3 o'clock in the afternoon on March 4, the official website and blog of "Semiconductor Technology" published the latest reports from reporters, enthusiastically introducing the progress of ice core manufacturing processes made by mainland companies.

"Semiconductor Technology" is a monthly magazine, but it also followed the trend and registered an account on the Sina blog, and it also attracted the attention of many people in the industry. People often discuss some industry conditions online.

When such a report officially appeared, the gossip that spread more and more widely seemed to be stamped with steel.

The mainland's semiconductor industry is all discussing this sudden explosive news.

Is it an ice core or a core?

It's an ice core!

Is it 90 or 65?

It’s 65!

real?

The media reported it!

The industry is in a state of turmoil and phone bills are rising sharply.

Many Bingxin employees began to be called by acquaintances and reporters in various ways.

"I heard that your factory has developed 65nm?"

"I'm an old classmate, is it true or not? If it's true, I'll switch jobs in the second half of the year!"

"Do you still recognize the teacher? Is it so difficult to hear an accurate statement?"

At 3:30 in the afternoon, only half an hour after the report came out, Fang Zhuo’s phone calls never stopped.

The first person to call was Zhang Rujing from SMIC.

Zhang Rujing heard the news reported by his subordinates in the office, and he thought it was a joke.

However, looking at the conclusive reports on the computer and looking at the confirmation from several phone calls from his subordinates, he still felt unbelievable.

No one understands the difficulty of catching up with manufacturing processes better than Zhang Rujing.

Although SMIC has been disturbed by Taiwan reporters for a period of time and broke the settlement agreement, it has still been working hard to catch up with advanced processes. It is currently at least 1 to 2 quarters away from 65nm trial production.

Therefore, he was extremely shocked and confused. How could the 130nm ice core that still needed SMIC's assistance the year before last advance to this point?

It's okay for SMIC to help you, but can you still ask Taiwanese reporters and UMC to send a team of experts to help you?

Impossible!

Zhang Rujing and Fang Zhuo were very familiar with each other. After the call was put through, he asked directly: "Mr. Fang, 65nm? Is it real or fake?"

"Really, 38% yield." Fang Zhuo had already digested the latest news from Qiu Ciyun yesterday. He had been thinking about the planning time and the changes that this process could bring for more than a day, and it was natural that he had nothing to do with Zhang Rujing. So hidden.

Zhang Rujing held the phone and was speechless for a long time.

At this moment, the emotions in his heart were very complicated and subtle. Mainland semiconductors had made a gratifying breakthrough, but it was not SMIC? It's actually an ice core?

It's still gratifying, but also a bit regretful.

Is SMIC's progress slowing down? Or is the ice core progressing too fast?

Zhang Rujing came back to his senses, sighed, and thought about the possibilities in the manufacturing process: "You didn't continue the research and development after the trial production of 90nm last year, but skipped it directly?"

"Well, as expected of Mr. Zhang, it is not a waste. We plan to finish 65nm and then apply 90nm to the third factory in Shanghai to make sensors. The pressure in this field will be relatively less." Fang Zhuo explained the priorities. s arrangement.

Zhang Rujing was very shocked: "Who made this decision? The risk is too great. Mr. Qiu? Professor Hu?"

"Well, their joint decision." Fang Zhuo replied, and the "they" here also included another person whose name it is inconvenient to name now.

Zhang Rujing couldn't help but ask: "The board of directors just agreed? The risk is too great."

As the head of SMIC, he is very aware of the risks involved. If the development of 65nm does not go smoothly, a lot of time will be wasted on the 90nm that originally achieved stage results. There is a huge time cost here.

It can be said that the decision to skip generation R\u0026D is to put the company on the edge of a knife and dance!

90nm can still achieve great benefits by following the steps. If something goes wrong with 65nm, who will bear the responsibility?

Fang Zhuo said lightly: "My agreement means the board of directors agrees."

He smiled and said: "It's okay. If you fail, you will fail. Anyway, there is no SMIC in the mainland."

Zhang Rujing was speechless again, and then sighed from the bottom of his heart: "That's you, Mr. Fang, that's you, a layman, that's you..."

That is to say, you, Mr. Fang, have the absolute right to speak to the Bingxin Board of Directors, that is, you, a layman, listen to what others say, and that means you dare to take a gamble like this.

It seems like a compliment, it seems like a bit of a denigration, but it’s better to praise more.

Zhang Rujing was silent for a while, without asking how Ice Core did it. He said sincerely: "I hope the semiconductors in the mainland will get better and better, and SMIC is not far away from 65nm."

"Mr. Zhang, let's make progress together." Fang Zhuo also said sincerely.

Just as the call from Zhang Rujing ended, another unfamiliar number from Shanghai called.

Fang Zhuo chose to answer.

"Mr. Fang, this is Jiang Qi from Huahong." The caller gave his name first, after all, we haven't contacted each other for a long time, "I heard that Ice Core has made progress in the 65nm process. Even though I am in Huahong, I feel very happy. "

It’s Jiang Qi, Huahong’s vice president.

Bingxin once had some troubles with the people who dug up Huahong.

Jiang Qi continued: "Mr. Fang, I am really happy to hear this news. I used to think that Bingxin was just a company run by amateurs, and I felt that it would only end up with nothing but chicken feathers. Of course, I was really angry with you for poaching people. ,but now……"

He paused: "Now, I am just happy, just happy."

Huahong was the country's experimental product in the semiconductor industry, and it undoubtedly failed due to restrictions on purchasing equipment and introducing technology.

It and companies with similar backgrounds can only struggle to move forward.

Jiang Qi was shocked when he heard the latest news about Bingxin.

Bingxin is different from SMIC in that it has a technology leader like Zhang Rujing in charge. It seems to have been unsociable and wild since birth.

Even though Ice Core obtained the 130nm process technology and began mass production, many people, including Jiang Qi, were aggrieved.

What is an ice core? But I was just lucky enough to get the license and introduce and purchase the technology.

If Huahong had this permission, it would only do better than Bingxin!

Jiang Qi has this confidence, but he can only be envious or even jealous.

But……

What is the concept of 65nm?

Jiang Qi is not an outsider and has a good understanding of technology and international standards. He is shocked that Bingxin can do this, but also feels that it is difficult for Huahong to achieve this level under the same conditions.

Just look at SMIC, SMIC also has a license.

Jiang Qi knew very clearly that he could not compare with Zhang Rujing, something that even SMIC could not do...

There was only blessing in his heart.

If you didn't have persistence and determination in your heart, why not make semiconductors?

When Jiang Qi thought about it, he immediately felt that Mr. Fang deserved more respect for investing so much money, so he made such a proactive congratulatory call.

Fang Zhuo could feel some emotions from his tone. He first thanked the other party for the congratulations, and then smiled and said: "Hey, I may not be honest when I say this, but Bingxin's success also has an assist from Hua Hong. I am very grateful to Hua Hong. I am grateful to have such a group of pioneers, otherwise, where would the soil come from in the country?"

Jiang Qi laughed and was not worried at all.

He made an appointment to visit him when he had time, and wanted to hear for himself the details and stories behind the ice core breakthrough.

Fang Zhuo put down the phone and felt a little emotional. He just took a sip of water and suddenly heard the landline ringing in the office.

He just reached out and looked at the phone on the table vibrating again.

Fang Zhuo glanced at the incoming calls on the landline and mobile phone, and simply pressed connect on both: "Hello, I'm Fang Zhuo."

——"Mr. Fang, I am Zheng Yingfeng from the Electronics Department."

——"Mr. Fang, I am Xu Miao from the Luzhou Municipal Office."

It was a call from above and from the place at the same time.

"Secretary Xu, I will report the situation to the leader of the Electronics Department first. 65nm has indeed passed the risk trial production, but there is still a lot of work ahead." Fang Zhuo said to the mobile phone.

The mobile phone immediately realized the situation and thanked him, which was considered to have accurate information.

The Electronics Department also heard Mr. Fang's voice and waited for a few seconds before saying, "Mr. Fang, the leader will call you in five minutes. Is five minutes enough?"

Fang Zhuo replied simply: "Enough."

The phone didn't hang up.

Taking advantage of this time, he drank water, moistened his throat, and organized the wording of his report.

In fact, there is indeed a lot of work after the trial delivery, and I don’t know why there was such a big response this time.

Five minutes later, the leader on the other end of the phone changed and asked kindly about the technical status of the ice core.

Fang Zhuo gave an original report, starting from the development of 90nm after breaking through 130nm the year before last, to the trial production of 90nm in April last year, to recruiting Dr. Liang and his team, and deciding to skip generations of development. Until today, there is not much difficulty in this. Rendering is just a flat presentation.

"It's not easy, it's not easy." After listening carefully, the leader sighed, "Bingxin is a good name."

He praised a few more times and asked, "What do you need for the ice core?"

The leader knew that Fang Zhuo had been in the capital for a while and had made some suggestions for the industry.

But the ice cores at that time were different from the ice cores now.

Fang Zhuo hesitated for a few seconds and said, "Bingxin wants an academician spot."

The leader was startled, he did not expect this answer.

He laughed loudly and didn't say yes or no.

Fang Zhuo also laughed and did not mention it a second time. Even if it didn't work this time, he still left an expression of appeal.

The phone call didn't last long, but there would be a face-to-face report to the capital later.

Fang Zhuo put down his phone, gathered his emotions, and called Luzhou.

This time it was not Xu Miao before, but Secretary-General Luo Minghua.

"Mr. Fang, we are having a meeting to discuss how to cooperate with the development of ice cores. You, you, really gave us a big surprise!" Luo Minghua laughed loudly.

"It's a fluke. I don't know if it's a surprise or not. It's just a pity that it didn't happen." Fang Zhuo said.

"Ice cores are very rare. I see many people are talking about it. Mr. Fang, how do you make ice cores?" Luo Minghua asked the question.

Fang Zhuo pondered for a while, knowing that there was a meeting opposite, and said slowly: "The credit goes to Mr. Qiu, Professor Hu, and all the employees of Bingxin. It is their sweat, perseverance, and belief that have made Bingxin what it is today."

“How are ice cores made?”

"Actually, I asked myself this yesterday. In addition to the internal efforts of Ice Core, it is also the support of leaders, the policies given by Luzhou, and the support given by domestic universities. Without these, Ice Core would not be Ice Core."

"The 65nm ice core is just a trial production, just a small step on the semiconductor road. This is not the 65nm ice core, but the 65nm ice core. There will be 40nm, 28nm, and more in the future."

"For the ice core on Yuhu Road, our goal is higher and further."

Applause rang out in the conference room, enough to be heard by the cell phone with the external voice turned on.

When Luzhou spoke again, it was no longer Luo Minghua, but the steady and powerful voice of another big leader.

"Mr. Fang, congratulations to Bingxin. I hope you will continue your efforts. We will always be Bingxin's strongest backing."

I recommend this friend's book "Rebirth: Reversal 1998".

Introduction: Looking back on the eventful years.

Xu Xinian was reborn in 1998.

People say that people in that era were as innocent as water.

After being reborn, Xu Xinian just wanted to say that it was a fart.

This is an era full of pitfalls.

The famous bridge at home and abroad was quietly sold by an unemployed vagrant in the form of selling scrap metal.

There are also big bosses who plan to blow up the Himalayas and introduce warm winds from South Asia into the interior, thus solving the drought problem in the northwest in one fell swoop.

In addition, qigong master, carpenter king, TOP Song.

IQ taxes are being paid crazily one after another.

Xu Xinian, who had been cheated all his life, wiped away his tears.

If you can't beat me, I'll join. This time I'll be the guest.