As a mage, I just want to pursue the truth

Chapter 96 Domestic Semiconductors

The news that Kechuang Biotechnology is making a big push into semiconductors is no secret in the industry.

They frequently spend large sums of money to poach talent from leading AI-related companies such as Huawei, Cambrian, and SenseTime.

The salary offered for poaching is at least 1.5 times the starting salary, and for high-end talents it starts at twice the starting salary.

Kechuang Bio's actions in the semiconductor field have made the industry cry out that the wolf is coming.

Since Sinovation Biotech has already been listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board, some retail investors asked the secretary of the board on the platform:
"Does the company plan to enter the semiconductor industry? And what specific direction does it plan to go into in the semiconductor industry?"

“Dear investors, hello! Regarding the company's performance, please refer to the announcement disclosed by the company at that time. Thank you for your attention and understanding of the company, thank you!”

Generally, the secretary of the board of directors will only give mechanical and official answers, and it is almost impossible to obtain valuable information.

As a shareholder in the B round of investment in CStone Biopharmaceuticals, IDG has been increasing its holdings in CStone Biopharmaceuticals since its listing.

Young, the person in charge of this project of Kechuang Bio, went to Suzhou to talk to Cheng Gang:
"Mr. Cheng, according to my latest news, if Sinovation Biotech insists on entering the semiconductor industry, we will be included in the unverified list."

“It is very likely that it will be included in the Entity List in the future.”

Cheng Gang was a little surprised, but not particularly strange.

Because in his opinion, it is only a matter of time before Ke Chuang Bio is on that list.

In 2019, Hikvision, HKUST, Megvii, and SenseTime were all included in the Entity List, which means they are unable to import parts from America.

Although Goldman Sachs has a stake in CS Bio, Goldman Sachs is only a small shareholder with a 5% stake, which will not affect the fact that CS Bio is essentially a Chinese company.

Cheng Gang said calmly: "It's just an unverified list, so the impact won't be significant."

Cheng Gang is not worried about the accuracy of IDG's information.

Young asked: "It's mainly because Kechuang Bio is too eager to develop semiconductors, so American wants to restrict you."

“If Sinovation Biotech was not so eager to start the semiconductor and AI industries, American would not have included you in the unverified list.”

American is worried that CStone will use its advantages in the field of brain-computer connection to collect users' brain wave data, and then use this data to develop artificial intelligence technology combined with brain-computer connection.

Americain speculates that the massive amount of brain nerve signals is the data that only Blue Star Biological Technology can currently obtain, and it is likely to have unique value.

Although Kechuang Biotechnology and major mobile phone manufacturers have claimed that they will not store users' brain nerve signals, American does not believe it. If they were in their place, they would definitely store users' brain nerve signals.

Just because it doesn’t happen now doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future.

The unverified list is just a test. We hope that Kechuang Bio will give up when faced with difficulties.

Cheng Gang explained: "We have explained very clearly at the board meeting that Kechuang Biotechnology's entry into the semiconductor field is to serve the development of brain-computer connectivity."

"We need specialized brain-computer connection chips to iterate brain-computer connection technology and bring better experience to users."

Young comforted him, "I understand what you said. As a shareholder of Sinovation Biotech, IDG naturally hopes that Sinovation Biotech can have better development."

"I came to tell Mr. Cheng about this not because I want you to give up semiconductors, but because I hope you can make a plan."

"What will you do if America bans TSMC from manufacturing for you?"

Cheng Gang replied: "In fact, we have already considered the blockade of America. This is a high-probability event for Kechuang Bio."

"At present, China's SMIC can already manufacture 14nm chips, and 14nm is more than enough for brain-computer connection chips." "Brain-computer connection chips do not need 5nm, even 28nm is enough."

"What's more, Shenhai Microelectronics has already developed a 28nm lithography machine. Even if the brain-computer interface chip requires a 7nm chip in the future, 7nm should be able to be mass-produced by then."

Cheng Gang is mainly engaged in investments in the biomedicine field, while Young, as a partner of IDG, not only focuses on the biomedicine field.

When domestic semiconductors were booming in the past few years, Young conducted in-depth research on the domestic semiconductor industry.

He is not as optimistic as Cheng Gang:
"The domestic lithography machines are far from being as optimistic as the outside world has publicized. At present, the domestic lithography machines have achieved a 28nm process, but the yield rate is far lower than that of ASML."

"More importantly, 28nm is easy to research, but if we want to go further, 14nm and 7nm lithography will be extremely difficult."

“Currently, the indicators of lithography machines include node CD and half-pitch CD.”

"Half-pitch CD is a technical indicator used in the lithography field to describe lithography resolution. For example, the previous generation 193i lithography machine had a HP CD limit of 38 nm. The current EUV NXE 3400B can achieve a limit of 13 nm."

"Node CD is not the same as HP CD."

"Node CD is a concept of semiconductor devices. The technology node currently mentioned by the mainstream media is this node CD."

"Generally speaking, node CD is approximately equal to 1/2 *HP CD."

CD stands for critical dimension
"In 11, Intel first introduced Finfet technology into the 22 nm node."

“22nm requires 44nm lithography HP CD. This requirement is difficult to achieve in actual process because it is too close to the 38nm limit.”

"So Intel was the first to use double patterning technology. This technology decomposes very close lithography patterns on the same layer into two masks. It is achieved by two exposures."

“Similarly, self-aligned technology has also been introduced, making triple and quadruple exposures possible.”

Cheng Gang was full of questions when he heard this, and was shocked by Young's profound attainments in the semiconductor field.

A fifty-year-old man is proficient in cutting-edge technology. Those who can become partners of IDG are indeed ruthless people.

He didn't interrupt Young because he was also interested in this aspect.

"So for photolithography, resolution is not a big problem. Especially in self-aligned technology. Deposition can achieve very good precision control, especially ALD, which can achieve precise control of atom on atom."

"Since the photolithography pattern needs to be decomposed into multiple masks, the chip pattern cannot be drawn arbitrarily by the chip IC designer. It must follow the rules of photolithography."

"Some of Huawei HiSilicon's departments are in Shenhai, some are in Pengcheng. None of them are in Wanwan."

"And the rules of this photolithography layout are undoubtedly the top secret of the chip foundry. TSMC will never disclose it to its customers. HiSilicon can only hand over the logic design to TSMC, and TSMC will then optimize the manufacturing."

"HiSilicon's original design could not take these lithography rules into account. This is why the industry has always believed that Intel and Samsung have an advantage in the long-term competition."

"Samsung introduced triple and even quadruple exposure (self-aligned) technology into NAND flash production very early on."

“So when TSMC was still at 22nm, Samsung started to advertise that we already had 14 or even 10nm technology. That was around 13.”

"Samsung and TSMC are competitors in chip foundry. TSMC certainly cannot lose in words. It quietly relaxed the definition of node CD and also boasted that its technology has been raised from 22nm to 14nm."

"This exaggeration has continued to this day. In fact, Samsung and TSMC's 7nm are only slightly better than Intel's 14nm."

(End of this chapter)