Reinventing the Millennium

Fang Zhuo landed in Luzhou at 11:52 in the middle of the night, and then went to the ice core factory. When he arrived, it was already close to 1 in the morning.

In such a hurry, just because we were notified of the latest news from Xinyang R\u0026D Laboratory, a team led by Chai Qingliang constructed a suitable resin system after using new polyester cyclic acrylates, and then based on the original An ArF photoresist was launched, and the result after preliminary testing was that it is available.

It's just a preliminary test, but these two simple words are particularly touching.

"Available".

Everyone knows the current situation of Yike and Bingxin. Therefore, when Fang Zhuo received the call, he knew that the information he dared to inform him in this situation must be extremely critical, and he must have been quite sure. Yu cautiously did not give a 100% guarantee.

At 1:15 in the morning, Fang Zhuo met Chai Qingliang, the leader of the R\u0026D team that made the photoresist available, and listened to his report on the relevant situation.

Chai Qingliang spoke slowly, focusing on the impact of the new ring structure on the heat resistance and optical properties of the polymer, as well as the interaction of the three formula resins.

Fang Zhuo was quite accustomed to the reporting characteristics of R\u0026D personnel. After listening patiently to the story, he asked: "When such a photoresist is used in production, what is the initial yield expected to be achieved?"

"About 30%." Chai Qingliang replied calmly.

Such a yield rate is undoubtedly unqualified for a wafer manufacturing company and it is difficult to provide competitiveness. However, this has solved the problem of starting from scratch.

Everyone here knows the significance of this breakthrough.

However, as the head of Xinyang, Wang Fuxiang still said a few more words after hearing this: "This time the photoresist continues to adjust the formula ingredients to improve its sensitivity to wavelength light, reduce line width roughness and improve imaging. Quality, I believe we can continue to improve in yield.”

He turned to look at Chai Qingliang and asked, "Right, am I right to say that?"

Chai Qingliang pondered for a moment and replied slowly: "Theoretically, this is true, but the progress in actual work is not certain. Anyway, it is just a matter of practice."

Wang Fuxiang was a little helpless, this firewood worker was like this...

In fact, Luzhou in Xinyang is developing 12 photoresist resins at the same time. Originally, another team was more promising, but I didn't expect Chai Qingliang's team to make a breakthrough first.

Chai Qingliang is a person who is wilting. He gives people the impression that "a breakthrough is good", "if there is no breakthrough, there is no breakthrough", "maybe the yield rate can be improved", "maybe the yield rate cannot be improved", whatever it is, it doesn't matter. Passion.

However, now that the results of the preliminary test have come out, he is not wilting. He clearly has the stability that can achieve great things, the composure that is unruffled in the face of danger, the determination to stick to his heart amidst turmoil, and the wisdom to calmly deal with challenges!

Wang Fuxiang couldn't refute the hero's words, so he unconsciously looked at Bingxin's senior vice president Yan Zongrui, wanting him to talk about the situation.

Before Yan Zongrui could speak, the door of the office was suddenly pushed open, and Bingxin President Qiu Ciyun also arrived in a hurry.

Fang Zhuo stood up to welcome him, and after a few simple greetings, he asked him to sit next to him and listen together.

"There is still a lot of room for optimization in this 2-8 photoresist. The 30% yield can definitely be improved, Mr. Fang, because this is not just a photoresist problem. For example, we can do optical proximity correction OPC. Optimization such as phase shift mask PSM can improve the propagation and interaction of light, and can optimize the resolution and contrast of the pattern. "Yan Zongrui has been responsible for this for more than a year, and he talked about it without thinking too much. "It's just that it's hard to guarantee to what extent the final yield rate can be improved, 50%? 60%?"

Regardless of 60% or 50%, this is completely different from the previous competitiveness of Ice Core itself.

Qiu Ciyun said at this time: "Mr. Yan, just tell me your conclusion."

Yan Zongrui hesitated for a moment and briefly gave the opinion on behalf of his team: "It's enough."

Enough!

The conclusion from the photoresist R\u0026D team is - available!

The conclusion from the ice core production line team is – enough!

Even if the yield rate eventually stops at 50% or 60%, this is enough!

When Fang Zhuo heard Yan Zongrui's decisive words, he slowly breathed a sigh of relief, looked at Qiu Ciyun again, and then looked at Chai Qingliang, who was making his first contribution: "Mr. Chai, what do you want?"

What are your requirements?

These are the words given by the leader of Yike, one of the world's richest men, and the founder of the Yike system in the early hours of today. The meaning is self-evident. No matter what the requirements are, we will do our best to satisfy them. This is within the scope of our capabilities and beyond. I'm afraid I can try my best to get within the scope of my abilities.

When Wang Fuxiang, the head of Xinyang, heard this, his heart skipped a beat and he wished he could answer on behalf of Chai Qingliang.

"Well..." Chai Qingliang made a sound of thinking through his nose, and after a while he replied, "Is it okay to mention it later? I have to think about it carefully."

Fang Zhuo laughed: "Okay, call me anytime."

When Liu Zonghong heard this, he immediately gave the boss's personal number and Yi Xin to the woodworker.

Fang Zhuo put away his smile, looked at Wang Fuxiang, the head of Xinyang, and asked, "Mr. Wang, what do you want?"

Wang Fuxiang immediately replied: "Mr. Fang, we are all working for the domestic industry. What can I ask for? I just hope that our upstream and downstream can develop more. I hope everyone will not look at other people's faces. This time, Xinyang has achieved some results by chance. I am sincerely happy for Yike and Bingxin. Both Yike and Bingxin are leaders in the industry. As long as you are good, our industry will be good, and our Xinyang will naturally be good."

Fang Zhuo nodded slightly and pondered for a while: "Okay, Mr. Wang, I will ask for credit for you this time."

Qiu Ciyun calmed down and said to Vice President Yan Zongrui: "Mr. Yan, we have to do a good job of coordinating the optimization of photoresist. Every point increase in yield is good. In addition, we have to prepare for the optimization of 10nm."

Including Chai Qingliang, everyone's heart was a chill. Indeed, the work is not over yet.

Fang Zhuo thanked Wang Fuxiang and Chai Qingliang again, shook hands with them tightly, and personally sent them out. When he returned to the office, he saw Mr. Qiu drinking tea in big gulps.

"It's usable, enough." Fang Zhuo sat down again, covered his face with his hands, and the voice came out from between his fingers, "It's usable, enough, hey!"

"It's enough for Yi Ke, but it still needs a lot of optimization for Bingxin." Qiu Ciyun supported his body with the back of the chair and smiled, "But it's enough now, right?"

Fang Zhuo leaned back in the chair and rubbed his face with both hands. It seemed that the strength of his whole body was only enough to answer with two words: "Enough."

This is the water that comes naturally, the blade that is solved easily!

As long as there is production capacity, what else is not enough!

The four people in the office suddenly fell silent, and the silence of the early morning spread in.

After a long time, Fang Zhuo propped himself up and said, "If the photoresist of 16nm can be solved, can the 10nm one be consistent?"

"Yes." Qiu Ciyun confirmed this, "We use multiple exposure technology, which can avoid drastically adjusting the photoresist formula to adapt to smaller process nodes to a certain extent."

Yan Zongrui next to him added: "Photoresist still needs some work at 10nm, because it needs to withstand additional exposure and etching, so it requires higher tolerance and stability. Moreover, in order to adapt to the more complex process of multiple exposure, photoresist needs a higher exposure dose window and development conditions to ensure repeatability and yield."

Photoresist is not only a problem of chemical formula, but also requires optimization of supporting materials such as bottom anti-reflective coating and top coating, as well as comprehensive optimization of the process.

He knew that Dr. Liang was doing 10nm research and development at SMIC. Once the process there broke through, it would face similar problems as Bingxin this time. At that time, more complex adjustments would be needed in terms of photoresist, because the process flows on both sides were different.

However, although these problems are difficult, they are another matter compared to the suspension of production caused by the shortage of photoresist.

Fang Zhuo nodded silently.

After a moment, he said with emotion: "After all, it has to come out with bumps and bruises."

Regardless of 1, these two advanced technologies can guarantee competitiveness for a considerable period of time in the future, and during this period, they will continue to feed back to the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain, allowing them to continue to improve, so that the entire system can be operated to check for deficiencies and make up for the gaps.

As long as the system can operate, big problems will become small problems, and small problems will become no problems.

"I'm almost dying..." Qiu Ciyun took a deep breath, "This damn suspension of production and work, I can't sleep all night!"

Fang Zhuo couldn't help laughing and said, "I can sleep."

Qiu Ciyun said a little bit, "Can you sleep? Yi Ke's stock has fallen by 40% to 50%, can you sleep? Damn, I have never seen Yi Ke fall by nearly 200 billion US dollars like this! This evaporated more than 1 trillion Chinese yuan, I dare not think about it... and the US market is directly gone, and employees are lost, how can you sleep?"

Bingxin has stopped production and work, but Yi Ke has directly evaporated more than a dozen Bingxin's market value!

The global market is turbulent, layoffs have been initiated, shipments have been controlled, stocks are burning, public opinion has been criticized, and short sellers have been besieged. In addition, the company has to face pressure from all directions...

Qiu Ciyun dared not think about the market value lost by Yike, nor did he let himself think about the pressure faced by Mr. Fang.

But today, these can be thought about and discussed.

"Hahahaha."

Fang Zhuo laughed out loud.

Qiu Ciyun looked at Liu Zonghong: "Check to see if your boss is crazy!"

"I can sleep." Fang Zhuo said "Hey", propped his hands on the table, stood up and walked two steps in the office, "What can you do to me? Hey, what can you do to me?"

Qiu Ciyun knew that these two sentences were probably not said to himself.

He poured another cup of tea, as if it could quench the heat in his heart, and said: "It's difficult to go from 0 to 1, but it's much easier to go from 1 to the top. Bingxin's chess game has a solution."

Liu Zonghong said at this time: "It's like 'one piece solves two conquests' in Go!"

Qiu Ciyun was surprised: "Xiao Liu also knows Go?"

"Hehe, I don't know, but AI Go was very popular a while ago, so I followed it and heard it at that time." Liu Zonghong laughed.

One piece solves two conquests means that one move of chess pieces on the chessboard can simultaneously eliminate the worry of two chess pieces being captured.

Qiu Ciyun sighed: "Yes, one piece solves two conquests, one move affects the whole body, and one move can bring the whole board alive!"

Fang Zhuo listened to the conversation between the two people, pushed open the window of the office, blew the cool breeze outside, and saw the dark night, still feeling his temples throbbing.

Qiu Ciyun saw that he hadn't said anything for a long time, so he walked to the side and asked, "What are you thinking about? The next work will be clear."

Fang Zhuo's mind had already flashed many scenes, including the beautiful night when he led the inspection team to Luzhou, the waves when he and Qiu Ciyun left after watching the machines loaded on the ship at the American dock, the passing of the torch when visiting Hu Zhengming, the wine poured for Liang Mengsong when inviting him, the sadness when bidding farewell to Zhang Rujing, and the shameless hero when meeting Jiang Shangzhou for the last time...

"What am I thinking about?" Fang Zhuo repeated with his mind empty, and suddenly his mind condensed and grinned, "Hey, I'm thinking, killing millions of soldiers in Jiangnan, the bloody sword on my waist is still bloody!"

...

Fang Zhuo only slept well that night, but Qiu Ciyun couldn't sleep all night.

In the morning, Qiu Ciyun fell asleep instead.

The work cannot be completed in a short time. The formula and preparation process of photoresist need to be adjusted and optimized according to the preliminary test results. Iterative testing is required in the future to improve its performance and ensure that it meets the requirements of the 16nm process.

Bingxin has never been able to get the optimal solution in theory, but can only get the optimal solution at this stage.

But it is enough.

Fang Zhuo patiently waited for the follow-up situation and did not immediately report such news to his superiors, but carefully considered the changes in work brought about by this breakthrough.

The resumption of work on 16nm will bring about the recovery of Yike mobile phones in the market, and this product is expected to ensure competitiveness before the middle of next year.

SMIC's 10nm has not made any progress, but according to previous expectations, it will soon be put into risk trial production. If it can try its best to avoid the treatment of Bingxin in photoresist, it will be the best. Even if it encounters it, it will not be as bad as Bingxin.

However, the problem of photoresist has been initially solved, and the election of Amei is in full swing. The entire industry will inevitably be under greater pressure next year.

Therefore, the merger of Bingxin and SMIC can be put on the official schedule.

Two days later, after the news of Bingxin's reprint appeared, Fang Zhuo finally called the gasoline man and told him that this could provide a bargaining chip for counterattack.

After hearing such news, a burst of obscure laughter came from the other end of the phone.

Kong Yu: "Hehe, roo, haha, hey."

Fang Zhuo: "..."

"Mr. Fang, suppress, suppress, suppress!" Kong Yu quickly calmed down, but became more and more excited, "Mr. Fang, wait for the news from SMIC, 10nm will also be a heavy hammer!"

"We must destroy the hopes of the shorts in one fell swoop!"

"The news of Bingxin's acquisition of SMIC can be released at the last moment!"

"DuPont will also contact us at the last moment!"

"The batch of chips hidden before will be released the day before contacting DuPont!"

Kong Yu wants to use multiple positive news to boost the stock price, 1 process, two-core integration, DuPont license, and Yike product resupply... In this way, coupled with his own trading, he will urge shareholders...

Strangle the shorts! (End of this chapter)