4.0 Multi-dimensional comparison of the technological competitiveness of domestic semiconductor equipment manufacturers
Over the past 20 years, many excellent domestic semiconductor equipment manufacturers have been accumulated in China. Domestic leading semiconductor equipment manufacturers are the first to enter the market. After more than ten years of accumulation, they currently have abundant orders and have entered the production lines of domestic first-class manufacturers. The customer demand is relatively stable and the short-term development momentum is sufficient. In addition, domestic leading equipment manufacturers insist on high R&D investment, actively introduce and cultivate technical talents, have professional technical teams, have the ability to consolidate long-term competitiveness, and have huge future development potential.The technical level of semiconductor equipment manufacturers is difficult to measure by a single dimension index. We select the following dimensions to compare the technologies of semiconductor equipment manufacturers:
Dimension 1: Product process coverage compared to equipment manufacturers in mainland China can basically achieve
28nm and beyond downstream applications. Zhongwei's plasma etching equipment has been used in international first-line customers from 65nm to 14nm, 7nm and 5nm and other advanced integrated circuit processing and manufacturing production lines and advanced packaging production lines. The ion implantation platform of Keshitong, a subsidiary of Wanye Enterprise, can cover applications up to 3nm. Beijing Yitang dry degumming equipment below 10nm has entered the production line. Tuojing Technology PECVD can reach the 14nm technology node. According to IC Insights, for <10nm IC production capacity, Taiwan accounts for 63%, South Korea holds the remaining 37%, while mainland China currently concentrates on chip manufacturing above 10nm process, which has the technical conditions to realize the localization of equipment.
Dimension 2: Participation in major national science and technology projects
Major national science and technology projects are major strategic products, key common technologies and major projects completed within a certain time limit through core technological breakthroughs and resource integration in order to achieve national goals. In the field of etching and deposition equipment, NAURA, China Micro and Tuojing Technology have all undertaken the research and development of a number of major national projects, and have accumulated a number of core technologies with independent intellectual property rights. Manufacturers such as Xinyuan Micro, Huahai Qingke, Zhongke Flying Test, Shengmei Shanghai and other manufacturers have respectively undertaken major projects for equipment such as glue coating and development, CMP, testing and copper plating.
Dimension 3: Patent accumulation comparison
Domestic semiconductor equipment manufacturers actively carry out innovation work. After decades of accumulation, they have applied for and obtained a large number of patents. Among them, the number of North Huachuang patents has reached 3,300+. The number of patents also exceeds 1,000. Other domestic leading manufacturers of semiconductor equipment also have accumulated about 200-300 patents.
Dimension 4: Customer Expansion Outside Mainland China
Affected by the Sino-US trade friction, fabs in mainland China actively import domestic equipment to ensure the security of the supply chain, while manufacturers outside the mainland import new suppliers based on commercial factors such as technology and cost, so domestic equipment manufacturers import outside the mainland. The situation of regional customers can be used as an important indicator to measure their technical capabilities. At present, China Micro, Xinyuan Micro, and Tuojing Technology have entered the supply chain system of international leading fabs. Shengmei Shanghai also has the technical ability to supply Hynix and American customers. Beijing Yitang acquired American Semiconductor in 2016. The equipment company Mattson has also entered into the supply chain system of many leading international customers.
Dimension 5: Comparison of R&D Investment Intensity
Domestic semiconductor equipment manufacturers insist on high R&D investment. From the perspective of the absolute value of R&D investment, NAURA is in an absolute leading position, with an R&D investment of 2.9 billion yuan in 2021, followed by Zhongwei, with a R&D investment of 730 million yuan in 2021. From the perspective of the proportion of R&D investment to revenue, Tuojing Technology has the highest R&D investment, reaching 38% in 2021.
Dimension 6: Core technical team and R&D personnel allocation
Domestic leading manufacturers actively introduce and cultivate high-level talents. Semiconductor equipment is a technology-intensive industry, and high-level technical talents will drive the development of semiconductor equipment manufacturers. As of the end of 2021, NAURA has 2,044 R&D personnel, of which more than 65% have masters and doctorates; 415 R&D personnel in Zhongwei Company have masters and doctorates, and the proportion of masters and doctors is close to 50%; 217 R&D personnel at Xinyuan Microelectronics, and the proportion of masters and doctors is also close to 50%. Each company attaches great importance to the introduction of talents. The core technical team of Zhongwei Company has the experience of working in Applied Materials and Fanlin Semiconductor; The core technicians of the flight test have working experience in Tsinghua University, KLA and the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Dimension 7: Industry-University-Research Cooperation
Domestic semiconductor equipment companies actively cooperate with well-known universities and research institutes in research and development. NAURA has carried out research and development cooperation with Peking University, Tsinghua University, and the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on technologies such as third-generation semiconductors and integrated circuit core equipment control software. Tuojing Technology cooperates with Fudan University on ACHM process development and 3D structure integration. At the same time, it cooperates with upstream suppliers to study the key technology and industrialization of ceramic heating plates for PECVD equipment. Special topic, research related to ALD and PECVD. Huahai Qingke and Zhongke Flying Test cooperated with Tsinghua University and the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to carry out related research and development work respectively.
5. Various manufacturers are actively deploying, and the localization of upstream components is expected to accelerate
Domestic semiconductor equipment manufacturers are actively deploying components to improve the stability of the supply chain. The supply stability of core components may be affected under the current international situation. In recent years, domestic semiconductor manufacturers have been actively implementing supply chain localization strategies and gradually increasing the proportion of local procurement. According to the disclosure, the current micro-etching equipment has been realized. 60% of components are localized, MOCVD achieves 80% localization of components; Huahai Qingke's local raw material procurement ratio reaches about 50%.Endogenous and epitaxy go hand in hand, and domestic equipment manufacturers accelerate the layout of components. In terms of endogenous products, manufacturers such as Core Source Micro and Huahai Qingke actively carry out upstream component research and development to ensure delivery and supply chain security. In terms of epitaxy, Wanye Enterprise acquired Compart Systems in December 2020 and made it its largest shareholder through indirect shareholding. Compart is a leading supplier of flow control components in the field of gas delivery systems required for equipment; North Huachuang will acquire North China in 2020. GuangTech RF application technology related assets.