MOSFETs are arguably the most common transistor and require little input current to control load current.
There are many kinds of MOSFETs, but they can basically be divided into two categories, enhancement mode and depletion mode.
These two types can then be used as n-channel or p-channel.
MOSFET is a planar transistor, while the FinFET architecture invented by Hu Zhengming is a 3D transistor. 3D transistors can overcome the short channel effect that the transistor itself may encounter.
Simply put, FinFET can achieve higher performance indicators at lower cost. The design of finFET is mainly to break through the 25nm process and solve the tunneling effect of mosFET due to process shrinkage.
Of course, the FinFET architecture was proposed by Hu Zhengming in 2000, and Hu Zhengming joined TSMC as the chief expert in 2001. TSMC only came up with the first real FinFET transistor in December 2002.
It was not until 2012 that commercial 22nm FinFET architecture transistors became available.
This is a very long process.
What Zhou Xin wants to talk about is a certain optimization of MOSFET architecture.
There are some FinFET architecture ideas in it.
But thinking along this path will lead to detours.
"...We can find that when there is no voltage at one end, the channel will show maximum conductance. When the voltages at both ends are either positive or negative, the conductivity of the channel will decrease.
We try to turn off the non-conducting area and let the MOSFET use the ohmic area as an amplifier when operating in this area.
In the saturation region the I of the MOSFET is constant despite the increase in V and occurs once V exceeds the value of the pinch-off voltage VP.
In this case, the device will behave like a closed switch through which the saturated I DS value flows.
Therefore, whenever a MOSFET is required to perform a switching operation, this operating region is selected...
This allows us to run MOSFETs at lower voltages with higher efficiency. "
After Zhou Xin finished speaking his paper, there was polite applause from the audience.
Because Zhou Xin's content is a pure model, which is to describe a better MOSFET architecture from a theoretical level, but lacks experimental data.
Just because the models of many things are designed perfectly does not mean that they will be so perfect when reproduced in the laboratory.
The real world cannot be as perfect as theoretical deductions.
But purely in terms of content, Zhou Xin’s MOSFET architecture gave the researchers present a lot to think about.
Zhou Xin also answered some subsequent questions about the content of the paper without finding any faults.
After the question and answer session, the applause was much more sincere.
The paper itself can prove part of it, and the question-and-answer session can further verify Zhou Xin’s own strength.
We are all researchers, and wealth and assets are just add-ons. Your own strength in scientific research will make the researchers present feel close to you.
This guy is from the same group as us.
"Very good, if you were not my student, I would think you are a veteran who has been here many times.
You behave very maturely, and everyone will be familiar with you after a few more visits. If you want to do something in the future, it will be very beneficial for you to get to know this group of people.
Maybe they won't come back to China with you, but you can set up your R&D center in Silicon Valley or Europa.
It couldn't be easier for you. "Hu Zhengming said in Chinese while applauding while waiting for Zhou Xin to come down from the stage.
"I will take you to get to know some researchers one by one who I think have promising research interests in the field of integrated circuits.
Do you still want to return to China to start a business in the field of integrated circuits? "Hu Zhengming then asked.
People's concepts are constantly changing.
Zhou Xin had achieved financial freedom in Amerikan. Hu Zhengming was worried that the other party's mind had changed, so he asked one more question.
Zhou Xin nodded and said: "Yes, China is too backward in the field of integrated circuits.
I still want to go back and cultivate a group of talents.
According to my observation, foreign giants in the semiconductor field have few branches in China.
Even if there are branches, the branches established only do some relatively low-end and non-technical work in assembly, packaging and testing. "
"Take Intel as an example. Intel established an R&D center in Yanjing last year, but the R&D center mainly conducts research and development at the software level and does not involve the hardware level."
“A large part of the reason for this is because China has not yet joined the WTO.
OEM in China has advantages in labor costs, but tariffs will offset this advantage.
At the same time, China lacks engineers in the semiconductor field, and many things need to be cultivated from scratch.
I predict that after China joins the WTO, major companies in the integrated circuit field will gradually set up factories in China.
It's the same as these companies going to Neon, Gaoli, and Wanwan to set up foundries.
This is an opportunity for China to use these integrated circuit companies to set up factories to train Chinese engineers.
These engineers will contribute to the independent research and development and independent innovation of China's semiconductor industry.
We don't need to be too alarmist. " said a young man with yellow race appearance sitting behind Zhou Xin.
Hu Zhengming looked back and saw that they were already chatting in Chinese to avoid suspicion, but there were too many acquaintances at ISSCC, and there were also a lot of Chinese people attending.
"Laoguan, you should say hello before you interrupt!" Hu Zhengming said displeased.
Zhou Xin looked back and recognized the other person, Guan Jianying, Wanwan.
Basically, Hu Zhengming knows everyone who is involved in the field of integrated circuits.
Being able to remain active until 2020, knowing Hu Zhengming is equivalent to knowing Zhou Xin. Various academic conferences take him everywhere to meet friends.
This is why Zhou Xin wanted to study under Hu Zhengming as a graduate student back in 1998, because of his connections.
Zhou Xin heard Hu Zhengming privately tease that the other party was the key hawk, because Hu Zhengming believed that the other party had an extremely sensitive sense of smell and could see opportunities that others could not see, as well as crises that others could not see.
Guan Jianying later went back and forth to start a business and established a company called Shixin Semiconductor. At the beginning, it mainly designed special chips for Sony's game consoles.
From PS2 to PS5, a large number of chip designs and foundries come from Sechip.
With this start, Shixin focuses on the design and foundry of various large chips such as CPU/GPU/NETWORKING/AI. In 2021, it will be the second largest integrated circuit design service company in global market share.
Later, Shixin provided a large number of chips and even chip design services to Tianjin Feiteng, a company in China that was rumored to be related to the military industry.
Feiteng has been Shixin's most important partner for a long time. Starting in 2018, Shixin has gradually reduced its dependence on Feiteng.
Sure enough, in 2021, Americen blacklisted Feiteng and banned semiconductor companies from selling chips to Feiteng. Even if Shixin intends to reduce its dependence on Feiteng, Feiteng still accounts for 39% of Shixin's revenue at this point in time.
Due to the relationship between Guan Jianying and Hu Zhengming, Guan Jianying regarded Zhou Xin as his senior and privately advised Zhou Xin several times not to go to ZTE.
