1991 Starting from the core

Now that he had guessed that Qu Hui had most likely made a breakthrough in dual workpiece table technology, Su Yuanshan really couldn't sit still.

But he knew Qu Hui too well.

This sister, not only capable and bold, but also quirky... Since she has made up her mind to trick herself, no matter how she asks, there will be no results.

Fortunately, one hour was not long. When he opened a latest paper in the field of graphene, time passed quickly.

Well, the main reason is that it is rare for him to encounter a graphene paper that is not waterlogged.

…

An hour later, Qu Hui and Zheng Zhenchuan arrived as scheduled.

"Uncle Zheng, Sister Hui, long time no see." Su Yuanshan was already waiting beside the guest sofa, and even tea was ready.

"Well, it's been quite a while." Qu Hui unexpectedly grew her hair, combed it into a ponytail, and wore a silk scarf around her neck. She smiled and sat across from Su Yuanshan.

"Now you can tell me what the surprise is - don't let me guess."

"Actually, the workpiece table is ready." Qu Hui had a calm expression, picked up the tea cup and blew on it before smiling and saying: "You guessed it, right?"

"You came here with Uncle Zheng, what else could it be if it wasn't about the lithography machine?" Su Yuanshan spread his hands and said with a smile: "You made me wait for an hour, and no matter how surprised I was, I lost all my joy."

"Harm! I should have secretly called Zhou Xiaohui and asked - By the way, where is Zhou Xiaohui?"

"I don't know, it's probably at Tianju's side. Someone happened to be here from Deyi today, and she went to receive it." Su Yuanshan paused and looked at Zheng Zhenchuan: "Uncle Zheng, don't tell me that you have already put the workpiece on the table. Used in photolithography machines.”

"Haha, of course not."

Zheng Zhenchuan put down his tea cup and said happily to Su Yuanshan: "You listen to the little song first, I will talk about it later."

"Well..." Su Yuanshan suddenly became more "wary" when he heard Zheng Zhenchuan's tone.

This old man’s tone doesn’t sound right!

This time the relationship is not just a "good news", there seems to be a trap waiting for me.

However, he remained calm and relaxed: "Sister Qu Hui, tell me, what's going on with the workpiece table."

"It's done, but it's a bit troublesome." Qu Hui knew that Su Yuanshan put as much effort into the lithography machine as the wafer factory, so she stopped joking at this moment and became serious: "You know, the biggest enemy that restricts the accuracy of domestic lithography machines is Accuracy.”

Su Yuanshan nodded: "Well, you don't need to tell me, I know it even if I don't understand mechanics."

"The biggest problem of accuracy will ultimately fall on motor control, materials, and processing accuracy." Qu Hui pursed her lips and said slowly.

"The idea of ​​the double workpiece stage is based on Mr. Hua Luogeng's overall thinking. The principle is to take the waiting process one step during the exposure process. To achieve one workpiece stage exposure, measurement and alignment and other work are performed at the same time. Wait until After the exposure is completed, there is no need to measure and align, so the platform can be moved directly and then exposed.”

"According to our estimates, under the current technological level, in addition to improving efficiency by more than 30%, using a double workpiece table can also slightly improve accuracy - if nothing else, at least 10%."

Su Yuanshan nodded again: "What then?"

"The breakthrough we made this time is in the motion positioning module and process control system."

Su Yuanshan raised his eyebrows when he heard this!

Even if he doesn't understand the design and principles of the dual workpiece table, he still knows that the most difficult part of realizing the dual workpiece table is the motion positioning system, which is truly "a single step moves the whole body" and "a slight difference can lead to a huge difference." ".

Moreover, Su Yuanshan also knew that the efficiency of ASML's first-generation dual workpiece table was not very high, and could only be said to be slightly improved - because the control system was immature. Otherwise, Nikon and Canon would not have been officially sentenced to death until the immersion lithography machine came out.

For the dual workpiece table technology to truly mature, we must wait until the birth of magnetic levitation technology. Only in that way can the error be shortened to the limit.

But the premise of everything is the control system.

So...now that a breakthrough has been achieved, what's the trouble?

"Then what's the trouble?"

"The trouble is that we can only achieve an accuracy of 0.5 microns at present." Qu Hui frowned and stared at Su Yuanshan: "Moreover, the higher the accuracy, the stronger the friction coefficient and damping effect. I am a little worried that it will be used in the future. Can we catch up with the pace of photolithography machines?"

"Let me be honest with you, everyone in Shojing is generally very excited at the moment - although I am also happy, I also know that I cannot pour cold water on it. But if the workpiece table cannot be used on the most advanced lithography machine, then it will have much less meaning. "

"Another point is that our current industrial base can only allow us to achieve this limit."

Su Yuanshan listened to Qu Hui's introduction in silence, and finally understood what her worries were.

A few seconds later, Su Yuanshan smiled and shook his head: "Sister Qu Hui, you are actually very powerful."

What he said was not to comfort people, but he really thought so.

Although he rarely goes directly to Capital Jingke, all kinds of support are always spared no effort. He would get whatever help he needed. Even if he needed a machine tool, he went through great trouble to get one the year before last.

Therefore, the dual workpiece table is nominally a technology developed by a company called Capital Jingke, but in fact, it is a joint technical research project by the four giants of the former Capital Precision Instrument Research Institute, Yuanxin, Zhiyuan, and Tsinghua University.

In terms of lineup, this team can already be called luxurious.

You know, engaging in machinery, especially precision machinery, is no better than engaging in programming.

Programming can claim that "nothing is impossible except what you can't imagine", but mechanical design is really true: you can think of it, but basically you can't do it.

To put it bluntly, the idea of ​​the double workpiece table, as Qu Hui said, originated from Mr. Hua Luogeng's overall planning method - while waiting for the water to boil, wash the tea cup, take out the tea leaves and throw them into the cup. By the way, I was waiting with a kettle on the side. As long as the water boils, I can make tea and fill it with water in one go. It saves a lot of time than waiting for the water to boil and then looking for tea leaves to wash the tea cups.

But it is not easy to implement. After all, this is the coordination of two workpiece stages, and it is necessary to maintain a motion accuracy of 0.5 microns under high-speed movement - the difficulty is equivalent to that of two airplanes flying side by side, one of which A pole was stretched out from the aircraft and 0.5 micron characters were engraved on the opposite side of the fuselage.

As for why Qu Hui remained calm and even worried after achieving such results... Su Yuanshan can completely understand.

Because Qu Hui joined Yuanxin right after leaving school, personally participated in the birth of EDA, and witnessed the rise of Yuanxin in various fields.

To put it bluntly, even with Qu Hui’s participation, what he saw were the world’s top technological achievements.

Although the dual workpiece stage has come out, it cannot bring an essential technological leap to domestic lithography machines.

She was unwilling to give in.

"Well, sister Qu Hui, I will point you in a direction." Su Yuanshan didn't know which direction the dual workpiece stage technology would go next, but Su Yuanshan knew where the future of the dual workpiece stage was.

"Huh? What direction did you say?"

“At present, the biggest difficulty of the workpiece table is still a series of troubles caused by high-speed movement, so...if we want to aim at nano-level precision ten or twenty years later, I think there is only one way, It’s magnetic levitation.”

"Magnetic levitation?" Qu Hui was startled when she heard this and looked at Su Yuanshan blankly.

Zheng Zhenchuan was also surprised: "Xiaoshan, can magnetic levitation be used on the workpiece table?"

"It's not that magnetic levitation can be used on the workpiece table, but that the workpiece table needs to get rid of the shackles of friction and damping and achieve ultra-precision motion control. Within the framework of the existing natural science and mechanical empty city, the only way is magnetic levitation."

After being silent for a few seconds, Qu Hui nodded slowly and murmured: "Yes, magnetic levitation technology can maximize the advantages of our motion control module and avoid its shortcomings."

"But, is that a bit difficult? Are there any ultra-precise magnetic levitation motion control cases and solutions now?" Zheng Zhenchuan thought for a while and asked hesitantly.

"I don't know, but never mind!" Qu Hui took a breath, and instantly became excited. She looked at Su Yuanshan and said, "Xiaoshan, do you really think that is the direction?"

"The only direction I can think of." Su Yuanshan nodded solemnly.

*

*

With her new direction, Qu Hui no longer wanted to talk, so she went to Su Yuanshan's bookshelf to read a physics book.

Seeing Qu Hui's appearance, Su Yuanshan also secretly laughed in his heart - Qu Hui is already thirty years old, but she has been in the forefront of scientific research for a long time, and her status and wealth are unparalleled, so she still has the mentality of a little girl.

"Uncle Zheng, what do you say?" Su Yuanshan stood up, poured a cup of tea for Zheng Zhenchuan, and asked with a smile: "Don't tell me, you are here to sell lithography machines."

"Well, it's true." Zheng Zhenchuan came back to his senses from the idea of ​​the magnetic levitation workpiece table in Su Yuanshan Pass, and said with a smile: "We got the Zeiss lens and Cymer's KrF light source, and then we will have the lowest energy production A lithography machine for the 0.18 micron process node.”

"Holy shit!"

Su Yuanshan's eyes widened and he almost jumped up from the sofa: "How did you get it?"

"Haha, don't get excited." Zheng Zhenchuan took a sip of tea leisurely: "How about it, do you want two?"

"Wait!" Su Yuanshan woke up immediately: "Don't fool me with a bad check. Let's make it clear first when it can leave the factory."

"At most half a year."

After hearing this for half a year, Su Yuanshan silently counted the time of his own light source, and then slowly calmed down, and cursed with a smile: "NND, the imperialists are determined to destroy me."

"Yes... but this can at least reduce the distance between our photolithography machines and Nikon and Canon to only one generation, right?"

"Well, that's true."

Su Yuanshan looked at Zheng Zhenchuan with a smile, and suddenly the more he looked at him, the more he felt that the old man looked a bit like a "comprador".

Obviously, at this time, Zeiss and Cymer suddenly released domestic lithography machines. In addition to competition from their Chinese counterparts, they also had the idea of ​​"killing" domestic light source and lens technology in the cradle.

You know, the light source and lens they provided are not the most advanced...

Cymer has already developed 193 ArF, and is thinking about developing EUV or F2.

"But Uncle Zheng, we have already booked Nikon's most advanced DUV lithography machine. Their node can reach 65 nanometers." Su Yuanshan shrugged and chuckled: "Almost half a year."

"..." Zheng Zhenchuan looked at Su Yuanshan with a sad look on his face: "What did you say you would support at the beginning?"

"Of course I have always been supportive, but I can't make the decision on this matter, Uncle Zheng. You should not go to me, but to Dr. Zhang from Deyuan."

As he said this, Su Yuanshan became confused: "No, Uncle Zheng... There are so many wafer fabs in Wuxi, why don't you go find them?"

The strategic direction of Yuanxin's lithography machine and wafer fab has always been clear, which is to maintain the leadership in manufacturing processes and technology - in other words, it cannot lag behind in terms of equipment.

Lithography machines naturally need to be supported, and even strongly supported. But you can spend money, but you can't buy a bunch of backward products when you have a choice.

The country also recognizes the development of Yuanxin, so it has always pinned its hopes on Yuanxin, and then let new and old state-controlled wafer fabs such as Huajing, Huaxin, and Shouxing to vigorously purchase domestic lithography machines to provide support.

So when Zheng Zhenchuan looked for Su Yuanshan, he didn't find the right one.

"Because every company has pursuits." At this time, Qu Hui raised her head and said leisurely.

Su Yuanshan looked at Zheng Zhenchuan and saw that the latter's expression had become bitter.

After Zheng Zhenchuan was silent for a few seconds, he let out a sigh: "Foreign counterparts have made a lot of openings this year. Domestic wafer factories, as long as they have money, can basically buy KrF lithography machines..."

"Now the country is talking about marketization from top to bottom. Even if the top supports us, it is impossible to force an administrative order to force companies to buy only our lithography machines, right?"

"And... our lithography machine... indeed, I admit, the stability is a bit worse than that of our foreign counterparts. But we started late, which is normal. We must be given some time to improve and improve, right? "

"It's good now. With the lifting of foreign bans, domestic companies are starting to make money again... In addition, the country has been promoting industrial upgrading in Wuxi and established a semiconductor alliance headed by Huajing. It aims to improve the quality of the entire domestic semiconductor industry. The self-production rate of components and process upgrades...so it is indeed a bit difficult for us to be two generations behind."

"Now in Wuxi, some people are already slandering our lithography machines by saying that this or that is not good... It is better to spend more money to buy ASML and Nikon Canon."

"In the eyes of those people, the wafer factory is a money printing factory, and the lithography machine is a money printing machine. No matter how expensive it is, as long as it is advanced enough and can run stably, the money printed at the end will be the money printed."

After listening to Zheng Zhenchuan quietly, Su Yuanshan realized that the direction of history had completely changed.

But one thing remains the same.

The idea that it is better to buy than to make has not changed.

——In fact, it is not just a thought that it is better to buy than to make, but a phenomenon that continues throughout the industrialization process.

The reason is very simple. In the field of mechanical equipment, it is indeed inferior to others.

If a worker wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his tools.

No matter how expensive it is, stability and efficiency still trump everything.