Chinese semiconductor industry

tphuang · Aug 30, 2023

Vanchip release mid year report

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Not a great first half due to weakness in consumer electronics sector, but things are improving in Q2

分产品来看，上半年射频功率放大器模组贡献了7.97亿元的营业收入，其中5G射频功率放大器模组实现营业收入3.22亿元，占公司射频功率放大器模组产品营收的40.36%。同时公司接收端模组产品向头部手机厂商大批量出货，实现营收9298.27万元，占公司主营业务的比例10.45%。

power amplifier modules were most of its sales - 797m RMB in total, with 5G modules accounting for 322m. 5G module 40% of total

今年上半年，唯捷创芯向市场推出了新一代低压版本L-PAMiF产品。半年报显示，截至报告期末，该产品已经通过国内品牌厂商的验证并实现小批量出货。公司表示，该产品作为主推的新产品之一，2023年下半年将进一步提升其市场份额，优化公司整体毛利率。

They've come out with low voltage L-PAMiF and has been validated per domestic customer and starting low rate deliveries. Expecting higher profit here in 2nd half

同时，报告期内公司自主研发的L-PAMiD产品实现了批量出货。目前，该产品推广顺利，预计能够在今年下半年实现大规模出货

L-PAMiD module has started mass production. Looking to successfully push this product out for massive deliveries in 2nd half

PA模组是射频前端最大细分产品市场，而手机为其国内最大终端应用市场。OPPO、vivo、等国内手机厂商市场份额提升和5G手机持续渗透，拉动国产高集成度PA模组需求增长；同时5G多频段等变化提出更高要求，高性能高集成PA模组价值量更高。

PA amplifier module very important, with mobile phones the largest end user market. OPPO, vivo are all increasingly seeking for highly integrated PA modules for different band. So very high value here

在车用电子方面，唯捷创芯表示，公司车规级射频芯片已通过客户验证，正在汽车和模块厂商处推广。考虑到此类型产品的导入周期较长，预计将在2024年实现大规模出货。

They've been validated for auto grade RF chips, so should start delivery for that in 2024

Wi-Fi通信领域，射频前端芯片模组行业随着Wi-Fi 协议标准的不断升级迭代迎来机遇。半年报显示，公司已实现Wi-Fi模组产品的大规模量产销售，公司第一代Wi-Fi 7已正式开始推广。

their 1st gen wifi-7 modules have started sales. Other wifi modules have seen large scale sales

measuredingabens · Aug 30, 2023

latenlazy said:
If they have an instrument ready for verification testing by middle of 2024, fabs may not wait for testing to finish before adopting the instrument. They may join the verification process, since unlike the DUV instruments, which are substitutes for a technology they already have alternatives too, they will need to learn how to use a whole new technology and develop other processes around it. Furthermore, if initial testing goes well, prototype instruments may start getting immediate use in actual production flow, since unlike with DUV they don’t have an alternative instrument to provide the capabilities that these prototype instruments can do, especially since EUV doesn’t need to be employed for every patterning step and even at low utilization can offer immense capability jumps in a few critical steps.

Whether China’s EUV development actually plays out this way remains to be seen, *but* this is how EUV adoption first started for Samsung and TSMC. Both clients had earlier prototypes and pre production units from ASML on site that were mostly being used for fab process research. Field upgrades boosted the capability of those preproduction instruments until TSMC decided to start using them for their first 7nm line. The actual intended for mass production design only came later after TSMC had done a few production batches of 7 nm chips. In China’s case from what we can tell the first prototypes they will have won’t be low powered like ASML’s, so if adopted into production flow while still in testing their usefulness may not be limited to fab research. The irony here is that if development goes well Chinese fabs may be using a Chinese EUV instrument before they’ve finished the DUV adoption process for their fully indigenous mature lines.

If the rest of that original post is true as well, then it seems they won't have much trouble scaling up production of the machines. In that case, quite a number of companies could obtain prototypes for verification testing and production.

tonyget · Aug 30, 2023

This blogger claim that he uses X-ray scan，confirmed that Kirin9000 was fabricated using ASML 1980Di.

I don't understand，how could you tell which lithography machine being used，based on X-ray scan photo？

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OppositeDay · Aug 30, 2023

tonyget said:
This blogger claim that he uses X-ray scan，confirmed that Kirin9000 was fabricated using ASML 1980Di.

I don't understand，how could you tell which lithography machine being used，based on X-ray scan photo？

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先看评测 had a Kirin 9000s sent to a proper chip analysis lab with electron microscope. Won't be long before we have some credible info.

coolgod · Aug 30, 2023

tonyget said:
This blogger claim that he uses X-ray scan，confirmed that Kirin9000 was fabricated using ASML 1980Di.

I don't understand，how could you tell which lithography machine being used，based on X-ray scan photo？

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He probably took off the shell, acid rinsed the heat transfer and non important layers on top, then used X-ray to take a photo. Different lithography machines would have different fingerprints. Most likely he found the minimal feature size and deduced the least impressive lithography machine would be a 1980Di.

In terms of physical principle since X-ray is even higher frequency than EUV, it should be able to resolve even smaller features, so it should have no problem imaging 5nm or 7nm chips.

MixedReality · Aug 30, 2023

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This was the event 3 years ago where Huawei talked about its difficulties due to American sanctions. The song and video at the end was emotional thinking this was the end of Huawei phones. This video clip now has more meaning from what we know now. Basically saying we will emerge from darkness. Watch from 58:48

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Now fans are using the same song from 3 years ago for its 5G phone return.

tonyget · Aug 30, 2023

coolgod said:
He probably took off the shell, acid rinsed the heat transfer and non important layers on top, then used X-ray to take a photo. Different lithography machines would have different fingerprints. Most likely he found the minimal feature size and deduced the least impressive lithography machine would be a 1980Di.

No，the minimal feature size is not unique to any specific model of lithography machine. Different lithography machines can have same minimal feature size，and same machine can have different minimal feature size. For instance，TSMC and Samsung may use the same machine，but their product have different minimal feature size

Psyclonus · Aug 30, 2023

olalavn said:
this is the chip industry chain in Qingdao

View attachment 117910

wow, so exciting! qingdao is my hometown, very pleasure we have chip industry. In a long time, industry in qingdao has been abused to be outdated, cuz main part of which is home appliance like Haier and Hisense.

latenlazy · Aug 30, 2023

measuredingabens said:
If the rest of that original post is true as well, then it seems they won't have much trouble scaling up production of the machines. In that case, quite a number of companies could obtain prototypes for verification testing and production.

Did the original post say what kind of instrument it was? Trying to figure out if this the LPP instrument (or one of them at least) we’ve been seeing in the research and patents.

coolgod · Aug 30, 2023

latenlazy said:
Did the original post say what kind of instrument it was? Trying to figure out if this the LPP instrument (or one of them at least) we’ve been seeing in the research and patents.

tonyget said:
No，the minimal feature size is not unique to any specific model of lithography machine. Different lithography machines can have same minimal feature size，and same machine can have different minimal feature size. For instance，TSMC and Samsung may use the same machine，but their product have different minimal feature size

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The original source weibo. I doubt it is some sort of high-tech equipment seeing how this guy seems like an average tech blogger. Maybe an old style acid rinse and he somehow took a photo with some sort of x-ray camera? He might just be spit balling.

TBH, it would be much easier just to use an electron microscope assuming one is well trained in its operations and know what to look for.

Chinese semiconductor industry

tphuang

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measuredingabens

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tonyget

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OppositeDay

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coolgod

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MixedReality

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tonyget

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Psyclonus

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coolgod

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