News on China's scientific and technological development.

Since the SEMI Thread is under lock I like to share with you my mentor @Oldschool post .

Filling the blank of domestic etching process application, NAURA assists Shanghai ICRD 14nm SADP independent process research and development


2019-12-05 14:55Official Account of Semiconductor Investment Alliance
focus on
On November 21, Shanghai Integrated Circuit Research and Development Center Co., Ltd. (ICRD) and NAURA jointly announced that ICRD completed the 14nm fin using domestic equipment such as NMC612D Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) etcher. The independent development of the related process of self-aligned double pattern (14nm FinFET SADP) of the transistor, all process indicators have reached the mass production requirements, and significant progress has been made in the 14nm core process technology of integrated circuits.

ICRD uses domestic integrated circuit equipment for core process research and development. North Huachuang NMC 612D ICP etching machine is used as the core etching process equipment. Its process performance will directly affect the process performance and yield of fin transistor devices. With its excellent etching The technical advantages of morphology control, uniformity control, lower etching damage, and higher etching selectivity ratio, etc., NMC612D ICP etching machine of NAURA has made a significant contribution to the successful development of related processes, and has contributed to the successful development of 5nm The independent development of SAQP technology has laid a solid foundation.
The successful application of NMC612D inductively coupled plasma etcher in ICRD's 14nm FinFET SADP process development is a major milestone achieved by the strategic cooperation between ICRD and NAURA, which fills the 14nm process of domestic high-end integrated circuit equipment in the field of advanced integrated circuit technology. The blank of FinFET SADP etching process application proves that the performance of the domestic machine has reached the advanced level in the industry. (Proofreading/Pictures)

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baijiahao.baidu.com

An overview regarding the restriction

New round of US sanctions, American executives in China begin to withdraw? (List of global equipment manufacturers)​

Source: Dahua Chip Release time: 2022-10-13 09:13:25 Author: Dahua Chip
The United States imposed a new round of sanctions on China on Friday, the toughest since 2018. After the sanctions were released, under the pressure of US policy, American technicians and managers in China began to withdraw. This article is a staff member of LAM, an American semiconductor equipment manufacturer, who shared the situation in the past few days. The content of the dialogue is very valuable for reference.

Before the content of the dialogue is presented, let's analyze the global semiconductor equipment pattern with you.
For a long time, due to the technical restrictions imposed on China by some western countries such as the United States and Europe, China can only purchase semiconductor equipment that is lagging behind the most advanced technology by one or two generations. After the Sino-US trade war, the United States has tightened its control over China's semiconductor equipment. This round of U.S. sanctions is the most insane in history, basically trying to block the way China imports semiconductor equipment.
In the global semiconductor equipment industry structure, the United States, the Netherlands, and Japan occupy a monopoly position in the industry. The world's top five semiconductor equipment manufacturers are: Applied Materials in the United States, ASML in the Netherlands, LAM RESEARCH in the United States, Tokyo Electronics in Japan, and Kelei in the United States, of which the United States accounts for three. The semiconductor equipment industry is a field with a very high threshold. The five global semiconductor equipment giants have been established for more than 30 years, and the list of the top five suppliers has not changed much. In addition, the Netherlands and Japan are bound by the United States.
China's semiconductor equipment industry is relatively a latecomer, with a relatively low market share. Currently in the stage of development from scratch. In terms of etching machines, it has been able to produce the world's most advanced etching machines and put them into TSMC's production line. Although it also has the ability to produce lithography machines, lithography machines with advanced technology cannot be produced.

Representative enterprises of the global semiconductor equipment industry chain

Conversation
Q: Are you Lam's? Are you directly responsible for the two customers, Changcun and Changxin?
A: Yes. Just turned around and was in charge of Changxin.

Q: Lam's current situation on the implementation level of this ban?
A: The ban was issued by the US government over the weekend. The specific implementation rules will be officially announced on October 12. Changxin and Changcun should be banned directly. Americans cannot directly serve logic, DRAM, and NAND, such as SMIC, Huali, Changxin, and Changcun. All personnel should be evacuated from the scene on October 12.

Q: SMIC also had this process before?
A: This time is different from that time, this time is stricter. At that time, SMIC only banned below 28nm (mainly 14nm and 7nm). At that time, people could still go to service and mainly control passes and machines. This time, even American people, equipment, and parts are banned.

Q: Will some on-site support be restored in stages after specific implementation plans such as No. 12 are implemented?
A: This time is very difficult, and I won't be able to go later. We have to wait for the details on Monday. At present, Applied Materials and Lam are doing different things. Applied Materials is currently as usual. Lam can support before the specific details on the 12th, but not after the 12th. The previous case of SMIC has no reference significance, and SMIC has not banned services before. Lam serves hundreds of people in Changxin, and there will definitely be layoffs after this ban. The resignation procedure that the American does today.

Q: Can orders placed before October 7 still be delivered?
A: It cannot be delivered, which is also different from before. The equipment that SMIC purchased before the ban could be moved in, and now it cannot be delivered even if it has paid for it. The advance payment will be returned. Changxin is only an oral order, and Changxin has not given advance payment. Changcun has some advance payment, but the ban will not move in when it starts to last.

continue......

Q: How many prepaid orders were placed before Changcun?
A: I don't know much about longevity.

Q: Changxin has no undelivered orders with advance payment at all?
A: Yes, the Changxin No. 2 factory has not been built yet. It was just a part of the discussion recently, but no payment was made.

Q: How does Lam communicate with Changxin about the follow-up?
A: Waiting for the details on the 12th, but not so optimistic. Lam's internal company believes that it is necessary to prepare for layoffs this time, and Lam has hundreds of people in the long run.

Q: Can the production line that is already running in the first phase of Changxin still be supported?
A: Americans can't come again, and Changxin can no longer get any technical support from the US headquarters. Now, the resignation procedures that Changxin and Changcun Americans in their fabs have to do today have only two options: giving up their American citizenship and resigning.

Q: Changxin has given a clear 18nm node. Can Changxin still get 19nm equipment from Lam?
A: Basically can't get it. Although the limit is 18nm, to supply Changxin with equipment, Changxin needs to sign an agreement, and Changxin, Changcun, and SMIC will not sign. The United States will basically not agree to apply for permission. For equipment that uses American technology and comes from American factories, an agreement must be signed to ensure that the products will not be used in military and other fields, and will not be used below 18nm. Once violated, the US government will compensate a large amount of money.

Q: Are these practices a clear statement of the order placed in the United States, or are the companies deduced by themselves?
A: These general directions are correct. Americans cannot support them. The technologies and equipment controlled by the United States cannot be used in Logic, DRAM, and NAND. In addition to SMIC and Huali, other logics are also affected. This time, more fabs are affected. It is estimated that the final result may be Fujian Jinhua.

Q: Lam also withdraws from SMIC South's support team? But SMIC South couldn't get Lam's equipment?
A: Yes. SMIC South does more 7nm and 14nm. Although SMIC South can't get Lam's equipment, there are still a small number of people doing services in SMIC South.

Q: Is there any clear feedback from the United States now? What support can be given to customers after the 12th?
A: Not yet. After the 12th, and before the 12th, you can follow Lam's own understanding.

Q: Are there any American people in the Lam team? What will be the consequences if the American personnel continue to be in Changxin?
A: Americans will not take this risk. If American personnel continue to develop in Changxin, they will face the risk of being arrested when they return to the United States or pass through a country that can be extradited by the United States.

Q: From the perspective of equipment companies, how big is the impact of Americans not being able to support? Lam itself installed and maintained the personnel or Chinese?
A: Although the maintenance and installation personnel are Chinese, the technology is from the United States. Lam cannot do without the support of the US headquarters during service.

Q: Will it affect the operation of Changxin's existing production capacity?
A: Only from the perspective of support services, the impact is not significant. Changxin and Changcun can absorb the personnel laid off by Lam. There is no problem in installation, but the consequences of not having spare parts should be considered.

Q: After being banned, Fujian Jinhua has still formed some production capacity, and is even expanding production?
A: When it was banned, Fujian Jinhua had already installed some machines. The existing production capacity is mainly the first batch of equipment. It took more than half a year for the first batch of equipment to be installed on the site before it was banned. Later, some second-hand equipment was bought from outside, but not much.

Q: Fujian Jinhua can still produce normally after being banned, and there is no problem with parts?
A: All parts can be obtained from Taiwan and South Korea. Lam and Applied Materials do not produce these by themselves. Fujian Jinhua can find OEM channels to obtain them.
After the ban on Fujian Jinhua came out, there was absolutely no new equipment from Lam, and none of Lam and Applied Materials stayed in Jinhua, and they all evacuated and could not be remotely. Jinhua has absolutely no connection with American companies. What Jinhua did was not as sophisticated as Changcun and Changxin. Jinhua had already bought the technology from UMC at that time.

Q: Now, as long as you are American, it is illegal to support these companies in any form anywhere in the world?
A: Yes.

Q: Will getting a U.S. green card be affected?
A: Should not be affected.

Q: For Changxin, which one is the most deadly, and there is no alternative at all?
A: In the short term, it will be difficult for Changxin's fab to build further down, and there is no way to do it without American technology. ASML's lithography machine also has American technology, Zhongwei's etching is not 100% substituted for Lam, and thin-film lithography is not 100% substituted. The second factory expanded by Changxin is based on the production line of the first factory, unless it has a domestic production line like ICRD in Jiading, but the production in Jiading has not yet reached the level of mass production.

Q: Does Lam have equipment at ICRD?
A: Yes. ICRD has a domestic line and a European and American line. When it comes to European and American lines, there is the same machine benchmarking.

Q: Are Americans who are not R&D personnel in the regulated category?
A: It doesn't have to be research and development, and management personnel are also considered.

Q: Some domestic companies are owned by American nationals. Will these companies be shut down?
A: Certainly not American. I don't know what China Microelectronics is going to do now. Yin Zhiyao will either choose to give up his American citizenship, or he will only take a green card instead of American citizenship. It is unlikely that China Microelectronics will give up the domestic market. If China Micro sells equipment to these banned companies, it will definitely be sanctioned.

Q: China is a huge market, but it actually has a great impact on American companies?
A: The market demand for logic, storage, etc. exists objectively. U.S. companies cannot export. Japan and South Korea have opportunities, which is beneficial to U.S. allies. In the short term, it will cause losses to American companies, but in the long run, it will be beneficial to the United States.

Q: Is it possible to expand the scope in the future?
A: This time, the coverage has been very wide, and the impact is very large. The United States doesn't look down on car regulations, so I can't help it.

Q: Is it possible for the American business community to offer opinions?
A: The CEO of Lam Company also knows that the loss is huge, but this is the policy of the country, and complaining is useless.
On the 12th, we will formally communicate with customers about the way of service and supply in the future.

Q: As long as there is a little bit of technology from the United States, will it be tracked? What is the attitude of Japan and Taiwan?
A: If the equipment is assembled and produced in Japan, the equipment can be sold normally. It does not matter if 10%-20% of the parts on the machine are produced in the United States.

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美国于上周五对华进行新一轮制裁，此次制裁的力度是2018年以来更为严厉的一次。制裁发布后，迫于美政策压力，在国内的美国籍技术人员和管理人员开始撤离。本文是一位美国半导体设备商LAM在国内的工作人员分享的这几天的情况，对话
icbom.com

And the last part

In-depth report on the semiconductor industry: localization of the bottom layer (3)丨28nm→14nm, what is the layout of domestic semiconductor equipment companies?​

May 24, 2022 Jiang Gaozhen of Zheshang Securities


Bottom-level domestic production: The investment logic of equipment localization is gradually deduced from domestic production line + storage line simultaneous expansion → category expansion + process upgrade under the Capex boom.
Wafer fab expansion + localization rate increase is the fundamental logic for the growth of domestic semiconductor equipment. Data from South Korea’s Knometa Research shows that the IC wafer production capacity in mainland China in 2021 will be about 3.5 million wafers per month (equivalent to 8 inches), accounting for the total global production capacity. Only 16%, excluding the production capacity of Taiwan and overseas companies, the domestic wafer fab production capacity accounts for only about 8%, and according to WSTS data, the semiconductor market in mainland China will account for about 35% of the world in 2021, and the gap between supply and demand is still large. , domestic fabs have long-term capacity for expansion; in addition, the localization rate of semiconductor equipment in my country is still low. Taking thin-film deposition equipment as an example, the localization rate in 2021 will be less than 10%. In terms of the front lithography machine, according to domestic mainstream wafers According to the tender data of the round factory, the localization rate will still be 0 in 2021.
Advanced process: The global production capacity of processes above 20nm accounts for nearly 55%, and domestic production capacity is limited in stages → the localization of 14nm process is expected to gradually be put on the agenda.
Advanced process mainly refers to process nodes above 28nm, which are mainly used in high-performance and low-power applications, such as CPU, GPU, DRAM and other products of mobile phones, PCs, IDCs and other equipment. The advanced process market has a relatively high market share. According to IC Insights' forecast, the global wafer production capacity of 20nm and above nodes will increase from 51.5% to 56.1% in 2021-2024, showing an upward trend. However, due to geopolitical factors, mainland China has advanced The proportion of process capacity is extremely low, which is quite different from the global capacity structure. If the domestic 14nm production line is connected, the demand of domestic customers for advanced process nodes will be released rapidly, and a new expansion plan will be born, which will bring about a wide range of advanced process equipment. Demand, leading domestic semiconductor equipment companies will fully benefit.
Domestic layout: 28nm→14nm, what is the current product layout and future planning of domestic semiconductor equipment companies?
The domestic advanced manufacturing process has broad potential for expansion (SMIC/Huali/ICRD, etc.). According to our review of the products of domestic equipment companies, in terms of process nodes, in addition to lithography machines, 28nm equipment is used in etching, thin film deposition, oxidation diffusion , annealing, cleaning, CMP, ion implantation and other major manufacturing links have been relatively complete, while the coverage of the 14nm node is relatively low. On the 14nm node, North Huachuang (ICP silicon etching/furnace tube equipment, etc.) Dielectric/metal etching equipment), Shengmei Shanghai (cleaning/plating equipment, etc.), Tuojing Technology (PECVD/ALD equipment), Huahai Qingke (CMP equipment) and other companies have product layouts.
Attached Table 1: Sorting out the mass-produced products of domestic semiconductor equipment companies in the 28nm-14nm process node
key company
North Huachuang, Zhongwei Company, Shengmei Shanghai, Tuojing Technology, Wanye Enterprise (Kishitong), Xinyuanwei, Huahai Qingke (unlisted), Yitang Co., Ltd. (unlisted).
risk warning
The risk of the epidemic continuing to spread; the risk of downstream demand being less than expected; the risk of supply chain instability.

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东方财富网研报中心:第一时间提供各大券商研究所报告，最大程度减少个人投资者与机构之间信息上的差异，使个人投资者更早的了解到上市公司基本面变化。
data.eastmoney.com

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​

Novel Focusing Quadrupole Ion Funnel Developed to Improve Detection Sensitivity of Mass Spectrometers​

According to a recent study published on

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, researchers from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have proposed a novel focusing quadrupole ion funnel (FQ-IF) that takes advantage of radio frequency ion focusing technology in Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) and greatly improves its sensitivity and endowed it with better "sense of smell."
PTR-MS is an important analysis technique for the real-time detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Detection sensitivity is a critical performance in PTR-MS. The successful determination of trace VOCs lies on the sensitivity of the instrument, so sensitivity enhancement is a pursued topic in PTR-MS.
"The FQ-IF drift tube we developed could improve ion transmission efficiency," said BAO Xun, first author of the study, "and it offers a suitable collision condition."
He further explained its structure. The tube consists of 20 layers of stainless steel electrodes, each with four quarter rings. The first six layers have a constant bore diameter of 22 mm. The latter 14 layers taper the inner diameter to eight mm. The ion transmission efficiency in the drift tube is improved by the radio frequency electric field, which is the key to increase the sensitivity and provides more possibilities for PTR-MS.
The sensitivity of the FQ-IF range now was 13.8 to 87.9 times higher compared to the conventional direct current drift tube, and 1.7 to 4.8 times higher compared to the ion funnel drift tube.
The improvements in the limit of detection for the FQ-IF ranged from 2.7 to 35.7 times compared to the conventional direct current drift tube.
In addition, the FQ-IF drift tube can be easily coupled to other types of mass spectrometers to increase the detection sensitivity and may offer considerable benefits.
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of CAS, the Anhui Provincial Key R&D Program, and the HFIPS Director's Fund, etc.

a good article about Chinese tech companies looking to expand cloud presence in southeast Asia.

most specifically Alicloud and Huawei cloud. Alicloud remains at 7% in southeast Asia for 2021 despite all the expansion. It seems to me this is due to Singapore being overly dominated by American cloud companies. Huawei and Alibaba does better in secondary market slike Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. And based on population sizes, their cloud service can grow by a lot more. in 2021, all of southeast asia only generated 21% of revenue as China. It seems to me there are a lot of room for growth if they can continue to expand in the larger countries that are still growing their internet population.

Huawei to create 200 jobs at new €150m Dublin cloud hub​

Click to expand...

Chinese innovations, then and now:

China’s first photonic chip production line to be ready in 2023: media report

By Global Times Published: Oct 18, 2022 08:37 PM

China's first production line for "multi-material and cross-size" photonic chips, or integrated optical circuits, will be completed in Beijing in 2023, a development that's expected to fill a gap in the nation's top-level manufacturing, the Beijing Daily reported on Tuesday.

Compared with electronic chips, photonic chips offer higher speeds and lower power consumption. The calculation speed and transmission rate are 1,000 times those of electronic chips, according to the newspaper.

If all goes as planned with the facility, it will show that the preliminary experimental research and development process is in place, with production technology that leads the world, analysts said.

According to the Beijing Daily, the production line will be built by Sintone, a Beijing-based high-tech enterprise.

The facility can meet market demand in multiple fields including communications, data centers, medical testing and other sectors, said the report, citing Sui Jun, the president of Sintone.

The domestic use of photonic chips has extended into scenarios in industry, consumer electronics, vehicles, defense and other fields, according to a report by Minsheng Securities in September.

The new facility will fill the gap in the field of photonic chip foundries in China and accelerate the process of domestic photonic chip replacement, Sui said.

Photonic chips will be the next major direction of chip development due to their stability and low power consumption, Xiang Ligang, an independent technology analyst, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Such chips aren't yet being produced on a large scale anywhere in the world, so the new facility will show that China is leading in this technology in the world, said Xiang.

China has become the world's largest optical communication market, and the size of the domestic photonic chip market has expanded remarkably. From 2015 to 2021, the domestic photonic chip market expanded from $800 million to $2.08 billion, with an average annual compound growth rate of more than 15 percent, according to Insight and Info.

Sui said that making photonic chips is not as demanding as electronic chips in terms of structural requirements, as photonic chips don't require extremely high-end lithography machines such as extreme ultraviolet lithography, and can be produced using raw materials and types of equipment that are already mature in China.

Xiang stressed that it will take time and industrial verification from the beginning of construction to mass production after the facility is completed.

Sui said that the current development of the sector in China is more advanced in terms of applications and design but relatively weak in such basic aspects as equipment and manufacturing. The company will use its scientific achievements to provide practical and reliable support for core sectors such as quantum computing.