In recent years, with the rapid development of science and technology in our country, in order to maintain its status as the largest scientific and technological power, the United States has begun to suppress our country's high-tech enterprises, and its methods are constantly escalating. Among all the sanctions used by the United States, cutting off the supply of chips has become its most commonly used and most effective method to suppress Chinese companies.
Ren Zhengfei once said that our country has the world's top chip design companies, but because the EUV lithography machine is stuck, after the United States implemented the policy of cutting off chip supply, our country cannot produce business development alone. High-end chips required.
As we all know, the Dutch company ASML is the best maker of EUV lithography machines in the world, monopolizing 100% of the global EUV lithography machine market. However, because ASML's EUV lithography machines use a large number of American components and technologies, they have to abide by US commercial laws and cannot sell EUV lithography machines to Chinese companies. However, EUV lithography machines are the core equipment for manufacturing high-end chips. How can high-end "Chinese chips" break through the siege?
After the chip ban was implemented, the Chinese Academy of Sciences issued the strongest voice in China and announced the establishment of a research team on EUV lithography machines, striving to develop domestic EUV lithography machines in a short time to safeguard the development of Chinese enterprises. In addition, many domestic universities have begun to shift their research and development focus to the research and development of EUV lithography machines. Some people even shouted that we must mobilize the whole country to develop EUV lithography machines.
However, what is unexpected is that Ren Zhengfei said when receiving the presidents of nine major universities that the development of EUV lithography machines does not require the intervention of universities and research institutions. Why is this? The author believes that the reason why Ren Zhengfei said this is mainly related to the development laws of science and technology!
As we all know, there are two situations in the development of science and technology. One is scientific research, which is the research and development of basic theories, materials, and technologies; the second is commercial research, which is mainly about technology, equipment, Product research and development has a certain degree of utilitarianism.
The strength of universities and research institutions lies in basic research, but they have great shortcomings in specific product research. Because after making breakthroughs in basic theory, they don't know how to commercialize these products. Enterprises are exactly the opposite of universities and research institutions. After making breakthroughs in basic theories, enterprises invest a lot of money to make specific products, and then continuously improve their quality, stability, yield rate, etc., and finally reduce their costs. . These capabilities are not available in research institutions and universities. Therefore, if universities and research institutions work on specific things, they may lose the basis for their survival.
TSMC founder Zhang Zhongmou once said that even if China pools all its efforts, it cannot build EUV lithography machines. This makes a large number of people think that EUV lithography machines are mysterious and powerful and are the most powerful ones in the world. Top notch stuff. In fact, a photolithography machine is not as difficult to build as everyone thinks!
The reason why we feel that EUV lithography machines are difficult to manufacture is, on the one hand, the influence of Zhang Zhongmou, and on the other hand, because the market for lithography machines is very small and there is no large-scale manufacturing of EUV lithography machines in China. This is why everyone thinks that ASML is a very powerful company and can choke the neck of my country's chip manufacturing process.
With the advent of the smart era, more and more smart electronic products require the support of chips, and the consumption of chips will also increase. Furthermore, Western countries led by the United States continue to impose restrictions on us. To prevent chip stuck, the demand for lithography machines from domestic enterprises is increasing, so it is urgent for us to develop our own EUV lithography machines.
In fact, it’s not that our country doesn’t have photolithography machines, it’s just that they are not high-end. However, with the expansion of the domestic lithography machine market, the United States continues to block us. Domestic companies have begun to invest a lot of money in lithography machines to develop and update technology. In particular, domestic products that can be used for EUV lithography have been discovered. Regarding the light source of engraving machines, the author firmly believes that in two or three years, domestic lithography machines will surely achieve major breakthroughs.