The news that Kechuang Biotech is making a big move into semiconductors is not a secret in the industry.
Frequently and generously poaching people from leading AI-related companies such as Huawei, Cambricon, and SenseTime.
The starting salary for poaching talents is at least 1.5 times the salary, and the starting salary for high-end talents is double the salary.
Kechuang Biotech’s actions in the semiconductor field have made the industry cry wolf.
Since Kechuang Biotechnology has been listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board, some retail investors asked the secretary-general on the platform:
"Is the company planning to enter the semiconductor industry? And what specific direction does it plan to take in the semiconductor industry?"
"Dear investors, hello! Regarding the company's performance, please refer to the company's announcement at that time. Thank you for your attention and understanding of the company, thank you!"
Generally, the answers given by the secretary-general will only be mechanical and official answers, and it is almost impossible to get valuable information.
As a shareholder of Kechuang Biotech's B-round investment, idg has been gradually adding positions in Kechuang Biotech after its listing.
Young, the person in charge of the Kechuang Biotech project, specially went to Suzhou to talk to Cheng Gang:
"Mr. Cheng, according to my latest news, if Kechuang Biotech insists on entering the semiconductor industry, we will be included in the unverified list."
"It is very likely that it will be included in the entity list in the future."
Cheng Gang was a little surprised, but not particularly surprised.
Because in his opinion, it was only a matter of time before Kechuang Biotech got on the list.
In 2019, Hikvision, HKUST, Megvii, and SenseTime were all on the entity list, which meant that they were unable to import parts from Amerikan.
Although Goldman Sachs is a shareholder of Kechuang Biotech, Goldman Sachs is only a small shareholder holding 5% of the position, which will not affect the fact that Kechuang Biotech is essentially a Chinese company.
Cheng Gang said calmly: "It's just an unverified list, so it won't have much impact."
Cheng Gang is not worried about the accuracy of idg's news.
Young asked: "The main reason is that Kechuang Biotechnology is too eager to develop semiconductors, so Amerikan wants to restrict you."
"If Kechuang Biotech were not so eager to start the semiconductor and AI industries, Americen would not have included you in the unverified list."
American is worried that Kechuang Biotech will use its advantages in the field of brain-computer connection to collect user brain wave data, and then use these data to develop artificial intelligence technology combined with brain-computer connection.
Amerikan speculates that the massive brain nerve signals are data currently only available to Blue Star Science and Technology Biotechnology, and are likely to have unique value.
Although Kechuang Biotechnology and major mobile phone manufacturers have claimed that they will not store users' brain nerve signals, American does not believe that they would definitely store users' brain nerve signals.
Just because it doesn't happen now doesn't mean it won't happen in the future.
The unverified list is just a test, and we hope that Science and Technology Biotech will retreat when faced with difficulties.
Cheng Gang explained: "We have explained very clearly on the board of directors that Kechuang Biotech's entry into the semiconductor field is to serve the development of brain-computer connection."
"We need specialized brain-computer connection chips to iterate brain-computer connection technology and bring better experiences to users."
Young reassured: "I understand what you said. As a shareholder of Kechuang Biotech, idg naturally hopes that Kechuang Biotech can develop better."
"I came to tell Mr. Cheng this not to make you give up on making semiconductors, but to make you make plans."
"What will you do if Americen prohibits TSMC from manufacturing for you?"
Cheng Gang replied: "Actually, we have already considered the blockade of Amerikan. This is a high probability event for Kechuang Biotechnology."
"Currently, SMIC in China can already manufacture 14nm chips, and 14nm brain-computer connection chips are more than enough."
"Brain-computer connection chips don't need 5nm yet, even 28nm is enough."
"What's more, Shenhai Microelectronics has developed a 28nm lithography machine. In the future, even if the brain-computer connection chip requires a 7nm chip, 7nm should be in production by then."
Cheng Gang is mainly engaged in investment in the field of biomedicine. As a partner of idg, young is not only focused on the field of biomedicine.
When domestic semiconductors were booming in the past few years, young had in-depth research on the domestic semiconductor industry.
He is not as optimistic as Cheng Gang at all:
"Domestic lithography machines are far less optimistic than external publicity. Currently, domestic lithography machines have achieved a 28nm process, but the yield rate is far from as high as that of ASML."
"What's more important is that 28nm is easy to research, but going forward, 14nm and 7nm photolithography opportunities are extremely difficult."
"Currently, the indicators of lithography machines include node cd and half-pitch cd."
"Half-pitch CD is a technical indicator specifically used in the field of lithography to describe lithography resolution. For example, the previous generation 193i lithography machine, the HP CD limit value is equal to 38 nm. The current EUV NXE 3400b can achieve the limit of 13nm."
"Node cd and hp cd are not the same concept."
"Node CD is a concept of semiconductor devices. The technology node currently referred to by the mainstream media is this node CD."
"Generally speaking node cd is approximately equal to 1/2 *hp cd."
The full name of cd is critical dimension
"Intel first introduced finfet technology to the 22nm node in 11 years."
"22nm requires 44nm photolithography HP CD. This requirement is difficult to achieve in the actual process and is too close to the 38nm limit."
"So Intel took the lead in using double patterning technology. This technology decomposes very close photolithography patterns on the same layer into two masks. It is implemented in two exposures."
"Similarly, self-aligned technology has also been introduced, making three and four exposures possible."
Cheng Gang's face was full of questions, and he was shocked by Young's profound knowledge in the semiconductor field.
A fifty-year-old man is familiar with cutting-edge technology at his fingertips, and the partners who can become idg are indeed ruthless people.
He didn't interrupt young because he was also interested in this aspect.
"So as far as photolithography technology is concerned, resolution is not a big issue. Especially in self-aligned technology. Deposition deposition can achieve very good precision control, especially ALD, which can achieve precise control of atom on atom."
"Since the photolithography pattern needs to be decomposed into multiple masks, the chip pattern cannot be drawn at will by the chip IC designer. It must follow the rules of photolithography."
"Some of the Huawei HiSilicon departments are in Shenhai and some are in Pengcheng. None of them are in Wanwan."
"The rules of this photolithography layout are undoubtedly the top secret of the chip foundry. It is impossible for TSMC to disclose it to customers. HiSilicon can only hand over the logic design to TSMC, and TSMC will then optimize the manufacturing."
"Hisilicon's original design was unable to consider these photolithography rules. This is why the industry has always believed that Intel and Samsung have the advantage in long-term competition."
"Samsung has introduced triple or even quadruple exposure (self-aligned) technology into NAND flash production very early."
"So when TSMC was still at 22nm, Samsung started to promote that we already had 14nm or even 10nm technology. It was about 2013."
"Samsung and TSMC are competitors in chip foundry. Of course TSMC cannot lose in words. It quietly relaxed the definition of node CD and also expanded its technology from 22nm to 14nm."
"This exaggeration has continued to the present. In fact, the 7nm of Samsung and TSMC is only slightly better than Intel's 14nm, and its strength is limited."
