Implement the strategy of manufacturing powerhouse in China the first decade of the programme of action, "made in China 2025" for semiconductor equipment put forward clear requirements: before 2020, 90 ~ 32 nm process equipment localization rate of 50%, realize the localization of 90 nm lithography, closed beta key equipment localization rate of 50%. Before 2025, 20 ~ 14 nm process equipment localization rate of 30%, achieve immersion lithography localization. By 2030, 18 inches process equipment, machine tools, testing equipment localization.
From the point of the difficulty of the localization of industrial chain each link, equipment > > package > designs are indisputable facts. However, the recent country has big in a semiconductor wafer manufacturing production line of dongfeng. Equipment industry in our country can seize this rare opportunity, racking stated goal of "2025" made in China?
Domestic equipment is really bad?
China's semiconductor industry to achieve from the track to lead across, equipment industry is the important link. Domestic semiconductor equipment leading enterprises in microelectronics, vice President of north JiAnKuan thinks, strategically important developing domestic semiconductor equipment, semiconductor equipment will greatly reduce the cost of investment of China chip maker, enhance the competitiveness of Chinese chip manufacturing.
But as a result of semiconductor equipment for local enterprises there are high barriers to entry, the localization rate is low. "Semiconductor equipment research and development cycle is long, large investment and high risk, and the more advanced process technology, equipment cost is higher, such as a ASML lithography is at $40 million to $50 million." JiAnKuan said, "even if the research and development is also more difficult to break into the international companies supply chain success."
From the point of view of industrial chain, regardless of technical difficulties, the theory of single each link adaptation in China, is a design < package < < equipment and materials. Industry experts great thought, development of equipment industry is the most difficult problems such as capital, talent, the key is the use of too little.
Great, once the world's largest semiconductor equipment enterprises, the use of materials and he summarizes the semiconductor equipment from five aspects of difficulty:
It is a semiconductor equipment market has been increasing specialization and globalization. At present, the global industry through mergers, elimination, in each market segment only 1 ~ 2, up to 3 ~ 4 companies, is very competitive, such as lithography ASML dominance, and facing the global market. In contrast, domestic enterprises, weak foundation, rarely have the ability to cut into the overseas market.
Second, the unique status of semiconductor devices. In the late 1980 s, semiconductor equipment companies started the process in the ability to integrate into the device, allows users to buy equipment can guarantee the use, and to meet the process requirements. So one generation devices, equipment. This is semiconductor devices so expensive, is also a great challenge to domestic companies.
Three is due to the shipment quantity is little, equipment companies are difficult to bear the cost of technological test facilities. Therefore, domestic subsidies can only take on downstream manufacturing enterprises, the use of manufacturing enterprise production line help testing equipment companies, this way is obviously more grip. A device from r&d, prototype, must go through a large number of silicon process test, such as to found the problem, and modification. This process is repeated many times, many times, for module can be finalized. And before delivery to after the marathon experiments, calculate the average time between failures, etc.
Four is in South Korea and Taiwan has also dedicated to the equipment, but the effect is not big, the current global market mainly by the United States and Japan still control of the enterprise, it also reflected from the side is difficult.
5 it is equipment industry need industry environment to cooperate. From the point of cost, on the surface were similar equipment companies and foreign enterprises in China, such as the key parts are purchasing, personnel and management fees are similar, but in fact, the industry environment is quite different. In the west, for example, equity incentive system more flexible, staff enthusiasm high; With purchased parts, because of our enterprises is imported, so the tax, export license and some parts need to order; Because of relatively small quantity many, purchase price is high; Different industrial supporting conditions, such as some design verification domestic companies spend higher cost; The lack of talent, etc.
"In fact, the design of the domestic equipment level and international level difference is not big." Great, stressed that "strictly speaking, the real gap lies in the fact that domestic semiconductor equipment is still in the prototype stage to customer, this will lead to often goes down, so is unlikely to be started with the volume of the births, otherwise will influence the production line running."
Achieve the difficulty?
"" made in China 2025" purpose, to complete the degree of difficulty is very big also." Industry analysts said Lin.
Equipment was part of the maximum amount of investment required for fabs, and lithography is often viewed as fabs largest capacity bottlenecks, also is the core equipment of miniature process. Lin believes that for new equipment, into the existing market barriers are relatively low, which is "made in China 2025 to 2025 ~ 40 nm as its primary goal. Substitute products, of course, in addition to the basic performance requirements, including the space shape, capacity, etc, all need 100% replacement with existing products. In the event of any accident, will result in factory production.
In this way, through to replace the old production line equipment, again into the new production plant, relatively greater opportunity. But according to the analysis of Lin, although at present our country has announced investment and has 12 inches of the launch of a factory for more than 10 seats, but the factory in 2018 are expected to realize the mass production, from the time point of view, our country independent lithography on the schedule to break into these factories, exist a high degree of difficulty.
Maybe there will be new capacity in 2020, but because of the wafer manufacturing is chasing the status in the world, so in theory, the expansion will also will use the copy previously equipment (that is, 2018 years ago and has been adopted in production equipment), to ensure that can in the shortest time, variables, at least, the most saving increases production under the condition of complete r&d investment.
"Lithography, in other words, the manufacturer should have results in 2020, the slowest in 2017 must have production capacity, and be used by fabs import performance." Lin emphasized.
Specific view, achieve localization of the difficulty in where? Lin further, any equipment manufacturer to break into the wafer manufacturing, in addition to the patent, human resources, also faces at least three difficulties: verify the performance of the machine, production performance, and the client's familiarity. The first point force can be finished in the equipments of factory. The second point is the most difficult part, how under the no production performance, to find the first customer to choose? The third point actually says is the use of customer cost. Assume that the customer has 20 ASML device, that means the customer's process engineer is very familiar with the status of the equipment, performance and usage; Equipment engineer simply know how to repair and deal with unexpected circumstances; Can keep the spare parts cost is low; Equipment dealer in GeChang experience, can quickly accumulate, become the best solve the problem of customer support.
"To put it bluntly, the problem such as support for production performance, ecosystems, and not through the way of financial support, talent poaching to make a breakthrough." Lin said.
(how to break through?
From these two years of global semiconductor acquisitions, the most simple way to realize the localization of target seems to be the merger and acquisition. "The fastest way to from already on the market company purchase patents, technology transfer." Lin said, "but the industry needs to take root, local relevant talent cultivation, and related materials, control, precision machinery, optical design and so on all need to form a complete set of planning."
And design, packaging, manufacturing, domestic semiconductor equipment industry on the basis of the weak. JiAnKuan believes that, unlike other link international leader, scattered market pattern, semiconductor equipment manufacturing industry in the high-end market is almost entirely by foreign monopoly, so the difficulty of industry consolidation.
Since acquisition is difficult to achieve, so can only efforts to close the gap. The real gap mentioned above, the domestic equipment lies in insufficient verification of the production line. Lin said that the new product and equipment need to have a large number of trials. Equipment manufacturing knowledge, patents, and talent can buy, but the productivity of equipment need time certification. Especially lithography is the core competitive edge of the wafer manufacturing, once the wrong equipment, for wafer maker, said the failure of the whole plant investment. Is not only the high cost of capital, it is more important to buy equipment to 6 ~ 9 months of time cost, loss so lose customers and market position, there is no manufacturers can afford.
To say the least, even through the capital operation to buy the right company, or on its own research and development has achieved good results, and still need the guide into the equipment by the scientific research institutes and other related institutions, although is the study of nature, but can manufacture large quantities of production, for related equipment manufacturers to promote the first step. For wafer manufacturers, countries should also cooperate with a good incentive measures. On the one hand to cover manufacturers import related equipment costs of previous studies, on the other hand, after a mass production performance, also should be related to reward.
At the same time, also need to assist the lithography vendor test equipment production, the lithography vendors have data to prove its production capacity. And both lithography wafer manufacturers in the importance of production and reduce the risk of wafer makers to adopt. As a result, the equipment of the relevant policies in order to more smoothly.
Perfect domestic equipment validation environment, is also a great deal of kang repeatedly: "first of all to build process test facilities, funds and bear to think of some way to the other. Second to realize localization of key parts, support and promote production in a planned way. In fact, many key parts are not only used for semiconductor devices, also can be widely used in other industrial fields. In the end, semiconductor companies in China must have confidence and courage to strive for world-class level, should have the determination to reach the global market."
Faced with rare opportunities of development to realize the semiconductor equipment requires every link of the industrial chain and the environment. According to JiAnKuan, northern microelectronics as high-end semiconductor equipment and technology solutions provider, has certain technological breakthroughs in some areas, and achieved a higher market share, but there is still a gap compared with international manufacturers. JiAnKuan Suggestions, on the one hand, should strengthen the cultivation of domestic equipment parts supply chain, on the other hand need to cooperate to create a suitable for newcomers to survive in the industry of the development environment. Use to encourage equipment (including foreign manufacturers in China mainland) of purchasing home-made equipment for effective measures to fall to the ground.
