Video Game Empire

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"In my opinion, chip design and chip manufacturing can be split into two separate companies! Chip design companies focus on the R&D and design of new chips, while fabs focus on reducing the cost of chip manufacturing!" Li Xuan smiled. said. (starter)

In later generations, as the cost of fabs continued to rise, more and more companies began to try to abandon their own fabs and adopt the so-called "fab-" model (the fab-light model, that is, no longer investing in fabs). , the insufficient capacity is handed over to the foundry).

AMD is the best example. In order to reduce losses, it directly split out its own wafer factory and only focused on chip research and development. And even Intel, the firmest supporter of the factory model, has begun to outsource some of its chip production. Another idm (integrated component manufacturing) giant, Samsung, has begun to enter the chip foundry industry, taking orders from other companies to compete with TSMC.

Zhang Zhongmou frowned, thinking about Li Xuan's proposal.

"With the continuous advancement of process technology, the investment in wafer production technology is getting higher and higher. Now the mainstream lithography machine is priced at hundreds of thousands of dollars, while the next-generation lithography machine costs at least one million dollars!

The investment required to build a fab is getting higher and higher, which is bound to require that the factory must have enough operating rates to achieve breakeven! And now most fabs only undertake their own production tasks, resulting in a huge waste of production capacity! "Li Xuan explained.

"If the fab can be independent, in addition to meeting the production tasks of its own chips. It can also undertake external orders, which will undoubtedly make better use of production capacity! The replacement of the wafer process is very fast. This means that equipment depreciation costs are high. , if the operating rate can be increased. The depreciation cost evenly spread on each chip will be reduced!"

"As you said, every chip company has its own fab, and it can't even fill the capacity of its own factory, so how can they outsource chip production!" Zhang Zhongmou asked suddenly with a smile, as if he was testing Li Xuan.

"Mr. Zhang, what do you think is the real threshold for restricting entry into the semiconductor chip industry?" Li Xuan asked himself without waiting for the other party to answer, "In my opinion, the biggest threshold is that the investment in fabs is too high. Even if Building a fab with the smallest, outdated process also requires at least a few million dollars in investment.

This is unbearable for most companies that are interested in joining the chip research and development industry. But if only to set up a pure chip design company. Just a few people and tens of thousands of dollars! When a specialized company appears, willing to help them complete such a huge investment and set up a chip foundry to undertake production orders, countless small chip design companies will immediately follow! "

According to the information collected by Li Xuan before, Zhang Zhongmou hopes that Deyi can continue to increase its investment in the semiconductor business, and the technology will focus on the technical field. After taking office, Mr. Xia Bai, the new president of Texas Instruments, began to shift the company's focus to the development of consumer electronic products.

The difference between the two on the company's development philosophy was the most important reason for Zhang Zhongmou's resignation from Deyi. This is also Li Xuan's decision. The confidence of personally coming to Dallas to invite Zhang Zhongmou to join Dongfang Electronics.

As early as six or seven years ago, the 41-year-old Zhang Zhongmou was promoted to the senior vice president of Texas Instruments, the third person in the company after the chairman and president. At the time, the semiconductor business accounted for 50% of Texas Instruments' total revenue, and the company employed 60,000 people worldwide. Half of them were led by Zhang Zhongmou.

At that time, Intel Corporation was in full swing in the memory field, but Zhang Zhongmou took the initiative to provoke a market battle for DRAM memory chips, which finally made Texas Instruments abruptly grab a piece of fat from Intel. Named "The One Who Makes Competitors Shake" by American Magazine.

Such a great man with a promising American dream, let him give up his high position in Texas Instruments. To the small company of Dongfang Electronics, what kind of position does Li Xuan need to give? To attract each other?

More importantly, although Dongfang Electronics is small in scale, its business is very complicated, involving games, computers, software, and semiconductors. To a certain extent, the development model of Dongfang Electronics does not conform to Zhang Zhongmou's concept of focusing on one field for deep cultivation. In later generations, TSMC has always only focused on the field of chip foundry, and has almost never set foot in downstream consumer electronics.

"I wonder if Mr. Zhang is interested in setting up a special chip production company for Dongfang Electronics. Make a great exploration of the new model of the semiconductor industry. If the foundry model can be successful, it is likely to profoundly change the entire semiconductor industry. The future pattern!" Li Xuantu finally figured out the purpose of this trip.

For Zhang Zhongmou in his current position, the attraction of money is no longer so great. Creating a new career that is enough to go down in history may be more impressive to him. This is probably the biggest reason why he will return to Taiwan to start a second business after four or five years, at the age of fifty-four.

The two talked in the study room for about an hour, and Li Xuan politely got up and left, and returned to the hotel that had been booked in advance. Zhang Zhongmou did not give a direct answer, only said that he needed to think about it. Li Xuan also knew that such a major decision could not be agreed lightly.

The next day, Li Xuan met with Mr. Xia Bai again at the headquarters of Deyi Company. Li Xuan's visit to Dallas this time, in addition to discussing the transfer of the fab, also involved a series of cooperation agreements between the two companies in other aspects, such as mutual authorization of some of the patents they own.

Dongfang Electronics is a new electronic army, and its own patent pool is almost empty. In order to develop more smoothly in the next step, it is necessary to obtain the authorization of some basic patents. In this regard, Texas Instruments is undoubtedly a good partner. The technology accumulation of this semiconductor giant is no less than that of ibm and other companies.

And Dongfang Electronics also happens to have some patents that Texas Instruments can take a fancy to, such as the key-102 keyboard patent applied to computers, and Texas Instruments intends to use it on its new personal computer.

A huge success for Apple. Not only attracted the dark blue crocodile ibm, but also attracted large companies such as Texas Instruments and Hewlett-Packard. Salivation for the PC market. The nascent PC market is still somewhat foreign to Deyi, if it can be compared to another company like Apple. In this field, Dongfang Electronics Co., Ltd., which is in the limelight, is undoubtedly a good choice for moderate exchanges.

Li Xuan is not very repulsive and worried about these predators pouring into the personal computer market. Anyway, he will soon be ready to grab the ibm to overturn the table. In a transparent and competitive market, the efficiency of these bloated large companies is really worrying, and they are not as much a threat to Li Xuan as those small cottage companies.

All morning, Li Xuan, accompanied by a Texas Instruments executive, toured their new factory on the outskirts of the city, which will be used to make Texas Instruments' upcoming personal computer products. After a great steak work meal. Li Xuan arrived at the newly renovated conference room, and signed his name on several cooperation agreements with Mr. Xia Bai.

To this end, Dongfang Electronics needs to pay a total of 12.5 million US dollars to Texas Instruments to obtain the other party's fab near Silicon Valley, California, and more than 100 patents related to the computer and semiconductor fields.

"Mr. Xia Bai, do you know what restrictions your company has on the resignation of senior management?" Li Xuan asked tentatively to the tall white old man in front of him with a champagne glass.

Xia Bai quickly understood the meaning of Li Xuan's words. He shook his head: "Mr. Li, as long as it does not harm the interests of Dezhou Company. We will not impose any restrictions on the professional freedom of all employees!"

Li Xuan nodded and seemed to divert to another topic: "Your company is going to enter the computer market, it seems that Mr. Zhang Zhongmou does not agree?"

This is not a secret at all within Texas Instruments. Zhang Zhongmou has spoken out about his views on many occasions inside and outside the company, regardless of the presence or absence of Xia Bai, the president, and whether other people are listening or not. to a large extent. Zhang Zhongmou's unwillingness to compromise with others is too strong. It is also an important reason that prevents him from continuing to advance within Deyi.

"Everyone has the right to express their own opinions and opinions, which is not surprising! But the business direction set by the board of directors will not change because of this!" Gentleman's smile.

"My Dongfang Electronics intends to invite Mr. Zhang Zhongmou to be the head of the newly established wafer fab business unit! I wonder if this abrupt move will cause trouble for the cooperation between the two companies?" Li Xuan asked bluntly.

Even if Zhang Zhongmou is willing to resign from Deyi to join Dongfang Electronics, he must be approved by the board of directors of Deyi. Li Xuan simply pointed out this matter himself.

Xia Bai shook his head and chuckled: "This first requires Zhang's consent, if he really thinks that joining your company is more beneficial to future development~www.wuxiaspot.com~ Although we express regret, we will not set special obstacles!"

Li Xuan has no lack of malicious conjectures. The new head of Deyi probably wants Zhang Zhongmou to get out as soon as possible. Because of the latter's series of remarks, it poses no small challenge to his authority. If it was an ordinary executive, Xia Bai could naturally kick him away. However, Zhang Zhongmou has 20 years of experience in Deyi Company, and his current status is completely achieved by himself step by step, and there are many supporters on the board of directors.

This is also the reason why Li Xuan values ​​Zhang Zhongmou, because whether it is his performance in Deyi or the later creation of TSMC, it proves that his ability is absolutely beyond doubt.

Now that Xia Bai's understanding has been obtained, Li Xuan's poaching action no longer needs to be so sneaky. Of course, Li Xuan will not deliberately make a high profile. After all, the contract between Zhang Zhongmou and Deyi will expire in two or three years. (My novel "Rebirth of the Electronic Empire" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and there will also be a 100% lucky draw gift for everyone! Open WeChat now, click the "+" sign on the upper right to "Add a friend", Search the public account "qdread" and follow, hurry up!) (To be continued..)

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