Development of productivity started in 1981

Chapter 155 Semiconductor Industry Planning, Color TV, PC and Mobile Phone

Wang Jiankun proposed that Xingyao Electronics produce color TVs for compelling reasons.

Because the sales of electronic watches were not very optimistic, with the continuous increase of production lines in the first half of last year, production capacity continued to grow. By June, it reached 6 million units per month.

Of this production capacity, only 60 are high-end electronic watches, which are mainly sold abroad to earn foreign exchange, and then used to purchase some higher-quality components and some equipment specified by Wang Jiankun.

The other 440 million are low-end and mid-range electronic watches, all sold to the domestic market.

Although there is a great demand for watches in China, with more than 4 million electronic watches entering the market every month, after the hot sales in the first few months, by November, sales had stopped growing and warehouse inventory was slowly increasing.

Fortunately, the sales of electronic game consoles were slowly increasing at that time, and Chen Xingdong adjusted the factory's production in time, converting part of the electronic watch production lines to produce electronic game consoles, thus avoiding a backlog of electronic watch inventory.

Although sales increased slightly due to the increase in the number of people getting married at the end of the year, Chen Xingdong and Wang Jiankun both predicted the situation in 83. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the number of newly married people in the whole year was expected to be more than 2400 million. If all of them bought electronic watches, there would only be a demand for 4800 million electronic watches.

But this is impossible to achieve, as more than half of them are rural people getting married, and it is very likely that they will not buy electronic watches. At most, they will buy one as a betrothal gift. After all, the prices of these electronic watches are still very expensive compared to the current rural income.

Wang Jiankun also did not want to reduce profits in the electronics industry through price dumping, because he wanted to maintain future competitiveness. On the one hand, he paid workers wages far higher than the market price, and on the other hand, he also had people conduct technical research, which involved huge investment.

Therefore, the production capacity of electronic watches can only be continuously compressed. Perhaps by the end of the year, only the production of high-end electronic watches will be retained. Those low-end production lines may seek cooperation with some small state-owned enterprises or directly sell the production lines to them for them to produce.

Now Xingyao Electronics is able to stably mass-produce 10-micron chips and 3-inch wafers. The scientific researchers currently being recruited are working on the production of 6-inch wafers.

On the one hand, Wang Jiankun asked Xingyao Electronics' parent company, Xingyao Group, to collect relevant technical information overseas. On the other hand, he also used Zhizi's computing and simulation capabilities to provide assistance to researchers who were working on 6-inch wafers.

According to Wang Jiankun's previous practice, he would definitely take out the entire set of technologies directly, let Zhizi use quantum computing to simulate all the technologies, and then he would test them by himself.

Now he knows how to utilize resources and cultivate talents. He is mainly responsible for checking some scientific research projects and rejecting those obviously unsuccessful plans. He also provides some advanced equipment to assist scientific researchers in conducting experiments.

The mass production process of 6-inch wafers is carried out in this way. Judging from the current progress, it should be possible to start building a formal production line in a few months.

By using large-size 6-inch wafers, production efficiency will increase several times, and production costs can be greatly reduced.

Wang Jiankun did not use some high-tech such as graphene and superconducting materials for these conventional products, and the process routes are not much different from those abroad. Therefore, in order to compete with foreign countries, the production efficiency and cost must reach a level similar to that of foreign companies or even surpass them.

Once the color TV project is launched, personal computers can be produced naturally.

Because the main chip production technology is already ready for mass production in Hong Kong, memory production lines are also being set up to start production.

Wang Jiankun also obtained authorization for hard disk technology through overseas branches, and then he also obtained hard disk technology that was better than Western Digital's through Zhizi's optimized design.

He has also manufactured and tested the corresponding high-precision equipment at the base in Wuyuan. After a while, he will decide whether to send the equipment to Hong Kong or the Special Administrative Region.

The three major components, chips, memory and hard drives, are already ready. The display screen can be produced on the color TV production line. When the time comes, we will allocate part of the production capacity for production depending on the situation. The circuit board production line is not difficult either. If we can produce color TVs, we can also produce personal computers.

As for some small parts such as keyboards, power supplies, power cords, etc., you can look for corresponding supporting factories, which are not difficult to find around Guangzhou.

Wang Jiankun intends to design this first personal computer to compete with IBM's 5150, with an all-in-one design. However, the system will use the Chinese system written with the help of Zhizi, and will be pre-installed with the word processing software developed by Lang Junjian and the data processing software he optimized.

Of course, there will also be an English version, and we plan to try to market it in third world countries.

If possible, the box-pushing game will be pre-installed on the computer, so you can play the game for free when you buy a computer.

Some other software require the purchase of floppy disks for installation. Currently, Wang Jiankun has arranged for the members of the microcomputer training class to develop CAD software. In the future, some other functional software and software used in the industrial production field will also be developed one after another.

By then, through the coordinated development of software and hardware, we will definitely be able to compete with foreign companies, at least in the domestic market.

Wang Jiankun's decision to launch mass-produced personal computers in the second half of 1983 was also a well-considered decision.

Companies began developing and selling personal computers in the 70s.

For example, in April 1976, Apple demonstrated the Apple I at the Home Computer Club in California. It was designed and hand-built by Steve Wozniak. The motherboard was exposed and needed to be connected to a TV as a monitor. Its functions were very limited. It was okay as a high-end toy, but it could not be used for office work.

Then in 1977, Apple introduced the Apple II after some additions and improvements based on the Apple I. It had a plastic case, the ability to display color graphics, expandable memory and 8 expansion slots, integer base hard-coded CDs for easier programming, and the use of two game controllers and a demonstration box. The Apple II was produced by Apple until 1980.

Wang Jiankun learned from some business intelligence that Apple was still actively developing. According to estimates, it would launch a computer with a graphical interface this year. Various software would no longer be just codes and input and output boxes, but graphics suitable for human eyes to view and operate, and would be equipped with a mouse for clicking operations.

Another company called Xerox invented the Xerox Alto computer at the Palo Alto Research Center in 1973. It was the first to use desktop analog and mouse-driven graphical user interface technology. Although it was not a commercial product, it had a profound influence on subsequent personal computer designs, such as the Apple Macintosh and the first Sun workstation.

Then in 81, it launched the Xerox Star 8010 information system, which was the first commercial computer to use a graphical desktop. It innovatively developed folder and icon styles, making computers user-friendly for the first time.

The revolutionary Xerox Alto computer used a mouse and a bitmap display, and when Xerox Star commercially mass-produced the Alto computer, it realized that a graphical interface would make it easier for untrained office workers to use computers.

Although the computers released by these two companies have many innovations and many revolutionary designs that greatly lower the threshold for users, they have not yet reached the point of reducing costs and manufacturing difficulty for industrially produced computers.

However, it was not until the launch of IBM's 5150 that the personal computer industry began to flourish.

In order to consolidate its market leadership, IBM opened up the entire industry chain and allowed other companies to develop IBM-compatible computers.

This policy has achieved very good results last year. According to the information Wang Jiankun has seen, there are now more than 20 computer companies producing PCs in the United States and Europe, and they have launched PCs of various performances.

Due to the expansion of the production group, the PC industry has begun to involute. Some have focused on marketing and innovated sales models, while others have focused on product performance, making demands on component companies in order to reduce costs and improve performance.

Supporting software companies have also launched their own systems and various functional software. However, according to the information Wang Jiankun found, Microsoft is still the most powerful among software companies. It has become IBM's system supplier, so all IBM computers leaving the factory will be pre-installed with Microsoft's system software.

Among chip companies, Intel has taken the lead over Texas Instruments. It has formed an invisible alliance with Microsoft and IBM to develop corresponding chips based on demand.

At this time, China is also planning to develop the PC industry and has imported some IBM PCs for use in some places. However, the current technical capabilities of domestic state-owned enterprises are not up to the task, and related research institutes have not realized the importance of this industry. They still regard the semiconductor industry as a part of the military industry and have not invested more energy in civilian products.

Judging from the information collected from various parties, Wang Jiankun believed that it would be very beneficial to start developing the personal computer business this year.

Although foreign companies have taken a step ahead and obtained some patents, they are still focusing on their domestic markets and paying no attention to most third world countries, including China. This is Wang Jiankun's opportunity.

With the help of his super powers, the scientific researchers in the group can quickly implement the technology, keep up with foreign countries and even surpass them in some aspects.

In the early days, the personal computer industry mainly developed along the path opened up by European and American companies. After all, China still trusts European and American technology very much. If you want to gain market share in China, it is necessary to adopt the same technology.

However, while using European and American technologies in the business field, Wang Jiankun will also explore new technologies.

For example, chips that use superconducting technology, optical chips, carbon-based chips, and quantum chip technology will also be developed in the future.

If there is a breakthrough and industrial mass production can be carried out by then, Wang Jiankun will be able to break away from the European and American ways and embark on an independent development path.

Wang Jiankun stayed at his uncle's house for two days. He gave his uncle the color TV production line plan and the list of equipment that needed to be purchased on the market. He also explained some supporting parts outsourcing projects to his uncle and asked him to convey them to Chen Xingdong so that he could start making arrangements.

Then he left Guangzhou and came to Hong Kong on January 1.

"Boss, let me show you this 5-micron chip production line. It's now undergoing full-process testing, and we expect the first batch of 5-micron chips to be produced this afternoon."

"Okay, Huang Kun, you lead the way, I'll follow."

On January 1, Wang Jiankun came to the chip production factory in Hong Kong and toured the entire factory accompanied by Huang Kun.

Currently, this factory is still using 3-inch wafers, which are produced by the Xingyao Electronics Factory in Guangshi. There, silicon ingots are cut into pieces by diamond wire and then polished to become wafers that can be used for chip processing.

The packaging of these wafers is very particular. The polished wafers will be placed in a special wafer box, which is like a "protective castle" for the wafers.

This wafer box is made of anti-static plastic and has carefully designed slots inside, which are the "exclusive seats" for the wafers.

Because the thickness of the wafer is less than 1mm and the material is very thin and brittle, the card slot size accuracy must meet the standards to ensure the smooth progress of the packaging process and ensure the quality and safety of the wafer product during back-end processing.

"Boss, let's change into dust-proof clothing here."

"Okay, from now on, outsiders who come to purchase goods will also have to wear dust-proof clothing, right?"

"No, outsiders who come to visit will walk through the visiting passage, which is completely isolated from the workshop. I will take you to the various workstations in the factory so that you can see more clearly. These specifications were formulated by the engineers invited to the factory. They said that this can ensure the yield rate of the chips."

"Okay, I'll listen to you and change into dustproof clothes."

After changing into dust-proof clothing, Wang Jiankun came into the factory.

As you enter the workshop, the first thing that catches your eye is the clean and bright environment, as if you are in an ultra-clean world.

Every place here is spotless, because even a tiny speck of dust may cause an entire batch of chip products to be scrapped, resulting in huge losses.

There are many advanced equipments in the workshop at this moment, and almost half of them were manufactured by Wang Jiankun using his superpowers. Among them, the lithography machine, etching machine and ion implantation machine were designed by Zhizi and generated by Wang Jiankun using his superpowers.

At this moment, the production line has started. Workers in protective clothing are shuttling back and forth between the equipment, performing each task attentively and rigorously.

At the source of the production line, mirror-smooth wafers are carefully taken out from the wafer boxes where they are stored. They are like a piece of unpolished jade containing infinite possibilities.

The wafer is placed in the coating machine and first undergoes two cleaning procedures to remove possible dust. Then photoresist is dripped on it. As the wafer rotates, the photoresist is evenly coated on the wafer. Although the process is simple to describe, various parameters have been tested in detail.

After the photoresist is evenly applied and hardened, the next step is the photolithography process, which is like a precise light and shadow painting.

The lithography machine is like a magical painter. It uses deep ultraviolet (DUV) as a brush to accurately image the designed circuit pattern at nearly 40 different locations on the wafer. The exposure imaging of each imaging unit (Field) is completed in about 0.1 seconds, and the wafer platform moves at a high speed of up to 7g, and can stop suddenly and turn back to scan in the opposite direction in an instant. The process is as fast as lightning but accurate, as if performing a high-speed and precise dance on the wafer, thus "carving" the circuit diagram onto the wafer.

The photoresist undergoes a chemical reaction in the area exposed to light and will not be washed away by chemical reagents during the cleaning process. The photoresist in the area not exposed to light is removed, revealing the wafer underneath.

Then comes the etching step. Like a highly skilled sculptor, he uses an etching machine to accurately remove unnecessary materials from the surface of the wafer according to the pattern left by photolithography, just like carefully carving a piece of art, so that the circuit diagram remains permanently on the wafer. At this point, the wafer is like a miniature city map with a complex circuit diagram.

The ion implantation process is like injecting vitality and soul into this miniature city. The precisely controlled ion beam is like a magical particle, which is injected into specific areas of the wafer, changing the electrical properties of these areas, thereby achieving precise control of chip performance.

After this series of magical processes are continuously superimposed and perfectly coordinated, the originally ordinary wafers are finally transformed into finished chips that carry high technology and the crystallization of human wisdom. They are like shining pearls of technology and are about to play a vital role in the electronic world, driving the continuous progress and development of science and technology.

"Boss, this is the product produced by our production line. After being tested, laser cut and packaged, it will become a usable chip. However, those processes are not carried out in this workshop, but in another workshop with a lower dustproof level."

Wang Jiankun looked at the processed wafers on the transfer table, checked them with his super powers, and found that the yield rate was still quite high, about 92%.

This is the first time that the production line has been fully operational. It is quite good to have such a high yield rate. I believe that with the continuous debugging of the production line and continuous optimization of the process by those senior engineers, the yield rate will become higher and higher.

"Very good, Huang Kun, I won't watch the next process. The packaged chips will be sent to Xingzhou Group as planned. Their mobile phone products are waiting for these chips."

"Okay, boss. I will coordinate with you. The production capacity will be relatively low in the first two months. We will not produce at full capacity because we need to debug the production line to improve the yield rate."

"I understand this. You should communicate well with Sin Chew Group. Their mobile phone production line also needs to be debugged. The initial demand will not be very large. You two should cooperate with each other. You should pay attention to the problems they find during the production process and subsequent use, and do not release problematic products into the market."

"Don't worry, boss. That won't happen. Otherwise, you'll have to remove me."

After Wang Jiankun gave instructions to Huang Kun, he left the chip manufacturing plant.

(End of this chapter)