In order to develop chip technology, domestic fabs have always offered high prices to senior engineers from TSMC.
Due to well-known reasons, domestic fabs are in urgent need of top chip talents. In fact, promoting chip manufacturing is not as simple as imagined. We all know that Huawei has the ability to develop and design chips, but it does not have the ability to mass produce. If we want to manufacture chips, we used to outsource them, but now no factory is willing to do it for us, so we have to be self-reliant.
Although TSMC has poached so many high-end engineers, it cannot be immediately transformed into immediate production of chips. It still requires learning and continuous financial support. High-end lithography machines, the core of chip manufacturing, have become blind spots and pain points.
Currently, the only manufacturer producing high-end lithography machines is the one in the Netherlands. In fact, for the Netherlands, it is just an assembly factory. The patented technologies all come from the United States. The United States provides patents to the Netherlands and charges patent fees. He did not allow the Netherlands to sell machines to China, otherwise he would withdraw the patent rights.
Manufacturing a high-end lithography machine requires hundreds of suppliers to provide various parts. In fact, most of these suppliers are American-owned companies, so China’s purchase of lithography machines from abroad is The road is blocked. After realizing the crisis of being choked, the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced its entry into the field of lithography machines, and BYD and Huawei reached a strategic chip cooperation.
The reason why so many senior engineers are poached from TSMC is to set up its own production line. When doing this, many people will come to blow the cold air, saying that many sources are stuck, and no matter how hard they try, the result will be the same. I recall that key technologies were missing when purchasing high-speed rail. Doing or not doing some things is a matter of attitude. Even if the result is the same, at least you have tried hard and you will never stand and get beaten unless you are beaten down. Don't laugh at us. This is integrity.
BYD’s two rounds of financing have exceeded more than 10 billion, and SMIC has also joined. This also means that we have made a firm determination to manufacture our own chips entirely on our own.
It is actually normal to poach chip talents from TSMC with high salaries. In fact, TSMC also knows very well that their real core talents will not leave.