Go back to 1990 to start a business

Xia Chuan asked slowly: "Can the resolution of photolithography be increased by using water as the medium?"

Zhang Rujing and the others were shocked, using water as the medium?Is your subversion too risky?

None of them expected that Xia Chuan was not proposing a new technology, but subverting the existing technology, which meant success or death.This is very taboo in high-tech companies.

Lin Benjian's eyes lit up and he looked excited:

"I can tell you responsibly that the resolution can be increased by 30.00%. For Moore's Law to work, it must be made small enough per unit area. The key technical difficulty lies in shortening the wavelength of light.

The shorter the wavelength, the higher the lithography resolution, so most people will think of using X-rays with shorter wavelengths.But I think immersion lithography is the right direction.Moore's Law means that after a generation of technology comes out, R&D personnel must judge the technology direction of the next two to three generations.

In 1987, I mentioned immersion lithography technology for the first time at an IBM seminar, which uses water to replace the air in the original gap. But no one paid attention to me, and the whole world continued to adhere to the dry process.

I was like a man standing in front of an aircraft carrier calling stop.I'm surprised that you also have this idea. Did you come up with it yourself? "

Xia Chuan laughed: "I'm different from you. I just guessed out of thin air that using water as a medium can solve the problem of processor overheating and crashing, just like the water cooling system of an engine, but I have no theoretical basis."

Lin Benjian was sweating, and Xia Chuan's logic was so simple, but he guessed right. Wet lithography is likely to solve the overheating problem.

Jiang Shangyi asked: "Why do you have to solve the overheating crash problem?"

Xia Chuan spread his hands: "This is a demand. If this problem is not solved, mobile devices will not be usable, such as mobile phones, oh, mobile phones, laptops, tablets, and many, many more."

The four of them immediately understood, and no one had anything to say. If Xia Chuan wanted to say that this demand was important, it must be very profitable.

One sentence unified the understanding.

Xia Chuan looked at Lin Benjian and said with a smile: "I remember that IBM established the title of IBM Academician to reward top technical talents. In 1986, two researchers developed the 'Scanning Tunneling Microscope' and were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. But neither of them were IBM Academicians. After winning the award, IBM quickly awarded them the title of IBM Academician."

Lin Benjian smiled and said: "That's right. The local researchers are not valuable, and I am even less valuable. Up to now, X-ray lithography technology is still the mainstream. Oh, immersion lithography cannot use X-rays, it must use ultraviolet light.

There was an IBM meeting, and more than a dozen people who worked on X-ray technology were arranged to sit on one side of the conference table, and I was arranged to sit on the other side.

Almost all of IBM's R&D investment is devoted to research on X-ray lithography technology.I once proposed that IBM only needs to give me one-tenth of the funding of the X-ray technology group, and I can make something.

But IBM didn't buy it, saying that others were doing it and we wouldn't do what others were doing.But I haven't seen anyone produce results yet, and I don't have the funds, so I have wasted so many years. "

Xia Chuan sighed: "This is the importance of strategy. For a company, if it doesn't know which direction is right, how can it clench its fists, try its best, and strike a winning blow."

Jiang Shangyi and Zhang Rujing were shocked, and they felt the huge gap.

On the contrary, Liang Mengsong and Lin Benjian only felt very happy. You have the strategy and we have the technology. We are invincible. Everyone is happy.

Xia Chuan continued: "I have asked ASML to develop a wet lithography machine. Dr. Lin, please pay attention to maintaining technical communication with them."

"Of course, this is necessary." How could Lin Benjian not know that Xia Chuan acquired ASML? He admired Xia Chuan's courage to build an industrial chain. He acquired not only photolithography machines, but also optical lenses. Such strength was achieved even before he started. Throw other people far away.

"This is the first research and development project." Xia Chuan said.

Everyone cheered up, obviously there was a second one.

They now feel that direction guidance is extremely important, but they are afraid that the things they develop will be useless.

Xia Chuan turned to Liang Mengsong again: "Dr. Liang, the current chip manufacturing process is all aluminum process, right?"

When it comes to chip manufacturing, Liang Mengsong has the most say. AMD, where he works, accounts for 20.00% of the CPU market share, and Intel accounts for 80.00%.The two companies dominate the CPU market.

The CPU is not a processor, or the processor is just a part of the CPU.

"That's right, now the aluminum process is used. Do you want to change the process?" Liang Mengsong felt extremely weird. Xia Chuan wanted to do something that countless people in the industry did not dare to do.

Xia Chuan nodded and said, "Are there any insurmountable obstacles in changing to the copper manufacturing process?"

He is not sure how far the current technology will be from ten years from now. Being able to do it ten years from now does not mean that it can be done now.

Unexpectedly, Liang Mengsong smiled, "It can be done in ten days. But apart from increasing production costs, what's the use of changing this?"

Xia Chuan was stunned. He suddenly understood that the more primitive it is, the easier it is to change, and the more complicated it is, the harder it is to change.

He immediately turned to Lin Benjian: "How long does it take for you to do your wet lithography?"

Lin Benjian Juhan, can anyone compare to you like this? Is it comparable?

However, Xia Chuan admitted that he was an amateur, and Lin Benjian could only say helplessly: "This is really a big obstacle for me. I don't know how long it will take. If you want a rough range, five to eight years?"

Xia Chuan took a breath. No wonder IBM ignored him.

He quickly said: "If we invest at all costs, how long will it take?"

Lin Benjian's scalp felt a little numb, and he gritted his molar teeth and said, "Two years."

"Okay. You can go ahead and do it boldly. We will research and develop at all costs. It doesn't matter even if it takes ten years. If the company goes bankrupt, I will still be there. As long as my Yikon Group goes public and is worth at least 300 billion US dollars, I can just sell some equity. You don’t have to worry about money, and you won’t stop!”

Lin Benjian's blood suddenly boiled with excitement. This was the life he had dreamed of.

"Don't worry, I will succeed, even if I die, I will die in the laboratory!" Lin Benjian almost made an oath.

Zhang Rujing and Jiang Shangyi looked at each other, why did they look like they were gambling?A full stud, if you win, you will be kept as a young model, if you lose, you will work in the sea.

But Xia Chuan is right. If you look in the right direction, don't worry about profit. Only in this way can you succeed.

Perhaps, after just a short period of loneliness, I saw the stars and the sea.

Tsk tsk, let’s repeat Xia Chuan’s glory?

Xia Chuan turned to Liang Mengsong again: "You said there are no benefits in changing to copper manufacturing process?"

Liang Mengsong had a headache, "I'm not sure. Maybe there will be benefits after the change is completed, but now the aluminum process is smooth and the cost is low. Why must we change the copper process?"

Xia Chuan smiled and asked: "Although I don't understand chips, I know that copper is more stable than aluminum. 800 nanometers can be used in aluminum processes, and 80 nanometers can also be used? Can you tell me first when the aluminum process hits the wall? After hitting the wall, it will take ten days to make changes? "

The four of them were shocked and looked at Xia Chuan in disbelief. Does this mean they don't understand chips?

Liang Mengsong took a deep breath and said: "I understand, we should change it early. The aluminum process will definitely hit the wall first, and it will be too difficult to change it at that time. We now see that we have paid a higher cost, but in fact we have accumulated experience in the copper process. The experience is worth it.”

Shiyun secretly breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Xia Chuan with a pair of wonderful eyes. He was extremely happy. His little brother could actually guide experts in the field that he didn't understand?It's incredible that it can still convince experts.

Xia Chuan added leisurely: "Perhaps the biggest benefit is that it shortens the development time of wet lithography."

Everyone was shocked again, suddenly enlightened, looking at Xia Chuan as if they were seeing a god.

Xia Chuan calmly turned to Jiang Shangyi: "Dr. Jiang, our R&D team cannot be less than 3000 people. Can you do this?"

Jiang Shangyi trembled all over. He smiled bitterly and said, "Then I can only look back."

"Very good." Xia Chuan turned to Zhang Rujing: "By the way, where is our headquarters?"

Zhang Rujing chuckled and said, "I feel like you see further than I do. Tell me what you think."

"Oh, my idea is romantic." Xia Chuan said this and everyone burst into laughter.

Xia Chuan continued: "It is best to avoid all political interference, so Meihuatai is not ideal. At the same time, the cost of living in that place should not be too high. For example, Xiangjiang is not good. Employees cannot afford houses. Our factory construction costs are also high. . But is there such an ideal place?”

Jiang Shangyi and the four of them looked at each other, in a place like this, you are still worried?All over the world, okay.

Zhang Rujing smiled and said: "Then it's better to be next to ASML. This advantage is justifiable. It's convenient for Lin Benjian to visit and chat. Other conditions are also met. What if the official government of the United States prevents you from leaving?"

Xia Chuan chuckled: "As long as you say it's okay, my balls will hurt when I'm free. Does Old Booth dare to fight me?"

Everyone suddenly felt ashamed. People whose feelings we can't deal with have completely the opposite relationship with others.