Wealth

Pinyuan is the basic raw material of manufacturing, and its significance in chip manufacturing technology is flying back.

Wafer refers to the silicon wafer used in the production of silicon semiconductor integrated circuits. Because its shape is circular, it is called wafer; it can be processed into various circuit component structures on silicon wafers, and become a type with specific electrical functions. Four products.

The original material of the wafer is silicon, and there is inexhaustible silicon dioxide on the surface of the earth's crust. The silicon is refined from the sand rich in silicon dioxide. The silica-rich sand is refined by an electric arc furnace, chlorinated with hydrochloric acid, and distilled by radium to produce high-purity polysilicon with a purity of up to 119.

The wafer manufacturing plant melts this polysilicon, and then mixes a small silicon crystal seed crystal into the molten liquid, and then slowly pulls it out to form a cylindrical monocrystalline silicon ingot. Because the silicon ingot is made of A small crystal grain is gradually formed in the molten silicon raw material. This process is called crystal growth.

The wafer is purified by silicon element, and then the pure silicon is made into a long silicon ingot, which becomes the material of the quartz semiconductor for the manufacture of integrated circuits. After photolithography, grinding, polishing, slicing and other procedures, the polysilicon is melted and pulled out. The crystalline silicon ingot is then cut into thin wafers.

Most people often hear a few inches of fabs. This is because if the diameter of the silicon wafer is larger, it means that the fab has better technology. In addition, there are some technologies that can combine the size of transistors and wires. Both shrinking methods can produce more silicon grains on a wafer, improving quality and reducing costs.

Therefore, among the six-inch, eight-inch, and twelve-inch wafers, the twelve-inch wafer has a higher production capacity.

Of course, in the process of producing wafers, the yield is a very important condition.

Fan Wuyao ignored the news that TSMC plans to enter the Big 6 and build an eight-inch wafer fab.

In fact, after Fan Investment Group built an eight-inch wafer fab, he expected this day to come sooner or later.

In a sense, this is also the inevitable result of the US and Taiwan authorities’ blockade of the Big 6 technology. A long time ago, the US or some Western countries’ investment projects for the Big 6 were based on the frontier power of the Big 6 technology. .

For example, there was no fab in Big 6 before. That’s good, I will firmly not allow investors to build a four-inch wafer fab in Big 6. Later, Big 6 built a four-inch wafer fab and mastered the key technology. Okay, I will allow investors to go to Big 6 to build a four-inch wafer fab. Fabs, in order to form competition, as a result of competition, it is natural that foreign-invested fabs with mature technology will squeeze the largest fabs, so that they will continue to form technological advantages.

After the Big 6 has mastered the technology of the 6-inch wafer fab, they will still invest in the construction of the 6-inch wafer fab. The reason is the same as before. It is nothing more than worrying that the Big 6's own wafer technology will be developed and threaten itself. Survival, after all, the manufacturing cost of the Big 6 is low, which everyone knows.

This has also resulted in a fait accompli, that is, as long as the Big 6 does not master the technology, then foreign capital will not invest in this technology in the Big 6.

Just like the current TSMC, the wafer factories they build on the island of Taiwan are already dominated by 12-inch wafers.

Sure enough, after a month. That is, at the end of March, there was news that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., the leading manufacturer of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., was the first to formally apply for the large 6-inch wafer fab investment case that has attracted the attention of all parties on the island of Taiwan.

TSMC said on March 29 that it had submitted an application to the Investment Review Committee of the Ministry of Economic Affairs to set up a fab 6 in Da-6. It is expected that after obtaining permission, it will establish a wholly-owned subsidiary in Da-6. Established an 8-inch wafer fab with a monthly capacity of 35,000 wafers in Songjiang Science and Technology Park, Shanghai. TSMC estimates that the total investment of the four Inner Big 6 will reach US$ 898 million.

Taiwan’s Minister of Economy Lin Yifu immediately made a statement, explaining that the investment review committee has received the TSMC wafer registration 6 application, and the information will be distributed to the relevant ministries for written review. Once the ministries reach a consensus, they will follow the main points of operation. , To convene a meeting of inter-ministerial presidents to conduct a formal review of the case.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan has announced the key points for the review and supervision of investment in wafer fabs in the 6 regions. TSMC will send relevant information to the investment review committee in accordance with the regulations. Next, the investment review committee will distribute these data to the Taiwan 6 committee, The Central Bank of Taiwan, the Ministry of Finance, the Taiwan Labor Committee, and the Taiwan Economic Development Council conducted a written review.

As for how long this review will take? Will the review be completed? Lin Yifu did not want to reply positively, only saying that everything will be handled in accordance with the main points of the operation. It depends on the completeness of the information sent by TSMC and the consensus of the various ministries and committees.

However, while applying for a large 6 investment plant, TSMC also emphasized that Taiwan is still the core of the company’s operations and research and will continue to invest in a 12-inch wafer fab in the future. It is estimated that the total number of employees in Taiwan will grow compared with the current four years later. Five thousand people, reaching 20,000 people. This time TSMC went to the Big 6 to set up a factory, and some of the equipment will be moved from Taiwan’s eight-inch wafer fab to the Big 6 for construction. All regulations are based on compliance with the Taiwanese government's Big 6 investment law.

TSMC’s move to settle in Songjiang, Shanghai, became the focus of attention immediately after media exposure. Considering that the mass production of TSMC’s 12-inch wafers has reached the standard set by the Taiwan authorities, TSMC formally filed an application for investment in the Big 6 factory yesterday.

Zhang Zhongmou, chairman of TSMC, said. There are two main reasons for deciding to set up a factory in the Big Six. One is to focus on the gradual rise of the Big Six region and the potential for business opportunities in the semiconductor market.

The second is that due to the particularity of the Big 6 semiconductor market, it will be difficult to gain a foothold in it without providing direct manufacturing services locally.

Therefore, after the mass production time and quantity of TSMC's 12-inch wafers have reached the standards set by the Taiwan authorities, TSMC formally applied for it in accordance with the regulations.

Zhang Zhongmou also said that once the motion is approved, TSMC Shanghai Co., Ltd. will employ about 1,000 employees. Initially, about 100 permanent employees will be sent from Taiwan, and the rest will be mainly recruited in the 6th place.

After Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. proposed a proposal to build a large 6-factory, the board of directors of Taiwan's Promote Technology also applied to the Investment Review Committee of the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Taiwan to invest in a large 6-inch wafer fab with an investment cap of more than NT$8 billion.

According to Taiwanese media reports, according to the current Taiwan authorities’ decision, a semiconductor factory must set up a 12-inch wafer fab in Taiwan to invest in Big 6 and meet two basic conditions. One is to pass the customer’s product and process certification, and the other is It has been mass-produced continuously for six months.

According to the second principle of Promotech’s rumor, Promoter currently meets the two qualifications, because the 12-inch wafer Dingjiasi was certified on September 20 last year, and the current number of wafers has reached 9,000, and the output is 4 More than a thousand films accounted for more than 20% of the overall operation. By March of this year, they had just completed six of them. moon.

In terms of investment amount. According to the current regulations of the Taiwan Investment Management Committee, the upper limit of investment in a semiconductor factory must not exceed 20% of the net assets. Based on the current net assets of Promoter, the company’s investment limit is more than NT$8 billion.

It is reported that the Taiwan authorities only allowed three eight-inch wafer fabs to invest in Big 6 before 2005. Except for TSMC and UMC, which are expected to each have a seat, ProMOS Technology, a subsidiary of Motech Group, intends to fight for this with Powerchip. The third place.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Wenyang, the son of Wang Yongqing, chairman of Taiwan's wealthy businessman Formosa Plastics Group, also said that he was considering China Big 6 to invest 650 million US dollars to build an 8-inch wafer factory.

Four of Formosa Plastics Group’s Shaodong Wang Wenyang left Formosa Plastics Group due to scandals, and founded the Hongren Group, invested in Da6, and cooperated with mainland electronics companies. Two years ago, they planned to build three buildings in Zhangjiang Industrial Zone, Pudong, Shanghai. Inches and three 12-inch wafer fabs, the total investment will be as high as 6.4 billion U.S. dollars. This will be the largest semiconductor investment in China in recent years.

However, waiting for the Taiwan authorities to lift the ban on investing in such high-tech projects in China, the project has not been launched. Now that TSMC has broken the ice, Taiwan’s electronics companies have followed suit. Obviously the time has come.

Taiwan’s electronics companies have put pressure on the authorities to lift the above-mentioned ban, mainly because Taiwan’s competitors, Japan and the United States’ major multinational manufacturers have begun to build factories in China. If Taiwan does not enter as soon as possible, it may lose competitiveness.

Under the pressure of merchants, the Taiwan authorities are gradually adjusting the policy of no haste, be patient, and relaxing investment restrictions. In recent years, they have agreed to set up computer assembly plants in the Big Six, but they still oppose the establishment of wafer factories in the Big Six, and advocate that Taiwan should retain some. High-tech, lest the big six semiconductor industry grow up and threaten Taiwan’s economy.

Wang Wenyang said that once the Taiwan authorities approve itself to build a wafer fab, the funds needed to build the fab will be raised from the group’s overseas companies. At the same time, it will form a strategy with his sister’s Volkswagen Group and his sister’s VIA Electronics. partner.

It is understood that Wang Wenyang began active contact with senior executives of several semiconductor factories in Taiwan as early as last year. Many celebrities in the semiconductor industry have been on the list of invitations. Recently, several senior executives of Taiwan's top three semiconductor groups have been finalized. It will take about one and a half years to resign from the current position and transfer to the Shanghai Exhibition.

This series of news shocked the domestic electronics industry. For a while, the domestic news media, especially the media, were all discussing the topic of fabs. What is the future of the domestic chip industry expanded from this? The official media has also carried out more positive reports on this, which is considered to be a gratifying progress in cross-strait economic and trade relations.

Although Fan Wubing was able to deal with the news indifferently, Wang Rongchang couldn't sit still. After all, the main projects he cooperated with Fan Investment Group had something to do with this, and the profit was also huge. Once this happened. There is a problem with the direction, so he is the one who suffers the most.

He didn't want Fan Wuying's wealth and wealth and many directions. Even if he suffered a loss in this area, it would not hurt. Therefore, Wang Rongchang came to Fan Wuying to discuss countermeasures and see how to deal with this situation.

At this time, Fan Wuyao had already learned some government ideas through high-level officials, and said to Wang Rongchang, “Some local governments in China still very much hope to attract Taiwanese manufacturers to build high-tech projects such as wafer fabs in the mainland, and are willing to provide more Some preferential policies, some of them intend to provide tax-free concessions for ten years. It is said that the official has promised Hongren Group that it will give the best concessions in financing channels."

"In other words, once the Taiwan authorities release control, the co-existence of the group will become the reality of the Big 6 fab?" Wang Rongchang asked with a headache.

"You don't need to be too anxious, the prince, after all, money can't be made nbsp;nbsp;" Fan Wubing saw Wang Rongchang's frustration, so he smiled and comforted, "The profit of this project is small, what else The project can be done. In the past few years, you have made no less than one billion U.S. dollars in this area, right?"

Wang Rongchang touched his head and said, "It is because it is easy to make money that I am more anxious. Once I lose this. The advantage of the project, in which direction should I develop in the future?"

"There are many projects that can be exhibited, such as shipping and shipping, mining construction, high-tech research, and munitions production. Sweat, munitions production, I guess you can't participate in this." Fan Wubing cited a few examples. Afterwards, he said to Wang Rongchang, “Let’s put it this way, you can pick any of my overseas industries. As long as the funds allow, you can occupy less than 5% of the shares. Domestic industries, as long as they are not key industries prohibited by the government, can also You can participate in shares according to this example."

After listening to Wang Rongchang, his eyes suddenly brightened ~www.wuxiamtl.com~ Fan Wubing's suggestion made him a little moved.

Compared with the chip industry whose future is uncertain, it is obviously more attractive to enter the highly profitable industry that Fan Wuyao actively opened to him.

"If you do this, won't you just touch your light in vain?" Wang Rongchang smiled and walked around.

"If you have money, everyone makes money. This is the consensus in the market. I am not a person who eats alone. It is just that under certain historical conditions, it is inappropriate for some industries to introduce too many strategic partners in the initial exhibition. Wait until After the exhibition is up, it is necessary to establish a united front." Fan Wuyao replied pertinently.

In fact, Fan Wubing had already thought about this a long time ago.

My own assets have now expanded to a considerable extent. It is not false to say that it is a rich and enemy country, but it is also ancient to say that it is a big wind. Nowadays, when the company enters a period of steady development, it is necessary to select some strategic partners appropriately. Join to form a solid and unshakable industrial alliance.

The establishment of a huge interest group has become the top priority that Fan Investment Group needs to solve now.