I can become stronger by paying salaries. I have one billion employees!

Chapter 503 Give me 15 months, and I'll get the 28nm process working! The best way to respect talent!
The Prefect of Jingzhao, Yunxiu Studio.

Chen Yansen took off his coat and hung it on the clothes rack next to him, wearing only a navy blue shirt.

He picked up the teapot and personally poured a cup of hot tea for Hu Ruihui and Liang Jingsong, then waved to the waiter outside the door.

The other party immediately understood, and while instructing the kitchen to start serving the dishes, they brought over two bottles of fine wine.

"Mr. Chen, thank you," Liang Jingsong quickly replied.

At this moment, Liang Jinsong finally understood: Chen Yansen's chip manufacturing company was still in its infancy. Apart from having the intention to prepare, even the company name had not been decided.

He wanted to refuse, unwilling to waste his time in the country.

In his view, even if he couldn't go to TSMC or TSMC in Taiwan, he could always go to GlobalFoundries or UMC.

It's not that he can't find a job, he just wants to choose a company with good benefits and a promising future.

But Chen Yansen's company hasn't even been established yet, so how can he choose?
As Liang Jinsong pondered, a sense of resistance unconsciously crept into his expression.

Chen Yansen glanced at him and said casually, "Mr. Liang, as long as you are willing to join, I can offer you an annual salary of 5 million, of which 20% is performance bonus and 30% is stock option incentive."

For the first three years, your salary will increase by at least 10% annually. After three years of service, even if the company doesn't go public, you can still cash out your stock options at their contract value at any time.

"500 million yuan?" Liang Jinsong asked subconsciously.

"US dollars." Chen Yansen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and looked at him with a smile.

How should we respect talented people?

Corporal Li Xian?

Asking for help?

Three visits to the thatched cottage?

That's all bullshit!

First, throw money at the person until they're stunned, then talk to them!

Let's shower people with money until they're completely stunned!
Liang Jinsong gasped. He wanted to refuse, but the other party was offering far too much.

As far as he knew, Kwon Oh-hyun, the president of Sansung Electronics' semiconductor business, received a total annual salary of no more than 400 million US dollars.

His total annual salary as Chief Technology Officer at Shanxing Electronics was only US$280 million, and after deducting stock incentives, his pre-tax income was less than US$200 million.

Chen Yansen actually doubled the price he gave him!
Extravagant and rich!
Liang Jinsong swallowed hard.

When Chen Yansen first mentioned investing 300 billion yuan over three years, he thought he was just bragging. But the prospect of a $500 million annual salary made him believe it a little more.

Should we stay in the country for a couple of years?

Liang Jinsong originally wanted to refuse, but at this moment he just couldn't bring himself to say it.

He is one of the world's top electrical engineers, having spent his entire life in the semiconductor industry, yet no one has ever offered him an annual salary of $500 million.

A discerning eye, a kindred spirit!
For a moment, only these two words remained in Liang Jinsong's mind.

Sitting to the side, Hu Ruihui was secretly shocked. Given his status, he wouldn't be moved by a mere $500 million annual salary. What surprised him was that Chen Yansen showed such 'respect' for outstanding technical talent.

Before Liang Jinsong could even make any demands, they offered him an annual salary contract of 500 million US dollars.

If it were Liu Xunfeng of Huaxin International, he would be lucky to get 200 million US dollars.

"Mr. Chen, the equipment, raw materials, and chemical reagents required for chip manufacturing are extremely valuable, to be frank..."

Liang Jinsong pondered for a long time before slowly speaking.

“300 billion is not enough? I can add 500 billion or 800 billion. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Mr. Liang, your position is co-CEO. Apart from me, I guarantee that no other positions will be created within three years. You will have the final decision-making power.”

Chen Yansen interrupted Liang Jinsong before he could speak.

this--!
Liang Jinsong opened his mouth, feeling a warmth in his heart, but didn't know what to say.

No matter what others say, nothing is as direct as the position of the top leader and the annual salary of 500 million US dollars.

With a 10% annual salary increase, you'll have at least $600 million after three years!
His income is even higher than that of the top executive at Shanxing Electronics.

"Mr. Chen wants to start with the 28-nanometer process technology?"

Thirty seconds later, Liang Jingsong calmed down and asked seriously.

"I guess so. I know that TSMC and Singstar have mastered the 14-nanometer manufacturing process, but the yield rate is very low, less than 10%. So for the next two to three years, the 28-nanometer chip manufacturing process will still be at the top level in the industry."

Chen Yansen shrugged and said noncommittally.

He also wanted to jump from 28 nanometers to 14 nanometers, but reality didn't allow it.

First, he can only currently purchase the NXT 1950i DUV lithography machine, and 28 nanometers is the limit for single exposure.

ASML, constrained by the ban, dares not sell more advanced DUV or EUV lithography machines.

Secondly, the supporting equipment and processes are not keeping up.

Liang Jinsong's ability to plan technical routes is derived from TSMC and Shanxing. Even these two companies are currently stuck at the 14-nanometer threshold, so Liang Jinsong naturally has no ability to achieve it overnight.

Therefore, 14 nanometers is a dream, while 28 nanometers is a reality.

“Mr. Chen, my idea is to avoid direct competition, leverage a mature ecosystem, abandon Poly SiON technology, and focus on HKMG technology. We will recruit integration engineers for the 28nm process from TSMC Taiwan and Singstar, and focus on poaching team members who have participated in the mass production of HKMG.”

Liang Jinsong answered clearly and logically.

Both HKMG and Poly SiON are crystalline silicon gate technologies in the 28-nanometer field, but HKMG uses a high dielectric constant dielectric material to replace the traditional silicon dioxide gate oxide layer, and uses a metal gate instead of a polycrystalline silicon gate.

This effectively reduces gate leakage, increases transistor capacitance, enables the chip to operate at lower power consumption, and improves transistor performance.

Tests have shown that the 28nm HKMG process can improve performance by 30% and reduce power consumption by 50%.

Chen Yansen laughed. Under his 'respect,' Liang Jinsong's role changed so quickly that Hu Ruihui, who was standing next to him, was dumbfounded.

He actually tried to poach employees from his two former employers as soon as he opened his mouth.

"continue."

Chen Yansen put down his teacup, pretending to listen attentively.

"I know Mr. Chen is worried that the hot sales of the Tiangong A100 chip may easily trigger targeting from Qualcomm and MediaTek."

After all, Qualcomm is TSMC's largest customer. If Paul Jacobs uses orders to blackmail TSMC, TSMC will most likely suspend its A100 foundry business.

Therefore, my suggestion is to sign foundry agreements with UMC and GlobalFoundries before the 28nm process matures.

Both companies already had underutilized 28nm capacity, resulting in relatively low cooperation costs. This arrangement conveniently avoided direct competition with TSMC and Qualcomm, while also leveraging the price advantage of second-tier manufacturers.

Liang Jinsong continued.

His words not only demonstrated his exceptional technical skills but also showcased his profound understanding of the global semiconductor competitive landscape and his personal advantage in resource integration. Liang Jinsong's subtext was that his strength lay not only in tackling technical challenges but also in his keen awareness of every development in the upstream and downstream of the industry chain.

"Six months ago, I approached UMC and GlobalFoundries respectively. UMC rejected me outright, while GlobalFoundries' offer was too high," Chen Yansen said.

“I can handle it,” Liang Jinsong replied confidently.

He has worked in the semiconductor industry for decades, and most of his former subordinates, superiors, colleagues, and friends hold important positions in top-tier and second-tier companies in the industry.

Whether it's academic clique or personal connections, it's all part of the equation.

This is the potential value of hiring him.

When others are confused about a collaboration, let him step in, and he can figure out the other party's true intentions in just a few words.

When others couldn't reach an agreement, he could often find key figures to break through the barriers by leveraging his accumulated connections and reputation.

Just like United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) and GlobalFoundries, when Tiangong Technology first approached them, they both encountered setbacks. But with Liang Jinsong, perhaps just one phone call would be enough to bring them back to the negotiating table.

Because in the semiconductor industry, his name itself is a golden brand, and those executives who have worked with him will give him some face.

This is the confidence of an industry veteran!
He was familiar with the factional structures of each company, knew who could make the final decision, who was watching from the sidelines, and even knew where the opponent's weaknesses lay.

Even with seemingly unsolvable supply chain problems, he can leverage his past resource network to find new pathways around dead ends.

For Chen Yansen, hiring him at a high salary was not just about buying his technical and management skills, but also about the "hidden passport" he had accumulated over decades of immersion in the industry, which would allow the new company to avoid countless detours in its early stages.

Just like Chen Yansen's status in the venture capital circle, as long as a new project bears his name, venture capital firms would dare to throw 500 million or 1 billion yuan into it without even looking.

"If I were in charge of this project, in Q4 of 2013, I would first purchase the HKMG architecture IP license from ARM, and then purchase a second-hand NXT 1950i lithography machine and its matching etching and deposition equipment from a second-tier manufacturer. There is no need to buy it from the first-hand manufacturer, as the price is too high."

Furthermore, ASML plans to release an upgraded version of the NXT 1950i, which may not be as good as the NXE 3300B, but it will definitely be able to produce 14-nanometer chips.

“2014年Q2，完成设备购置、人才储备培训和生产车间搭建流程；2014年Q3试产流片，完成首颗28纳米芯片的测试工作；2014年Q4把良品率提升到80%以上。”

Liang Jinsong spoke eloquently.

The implication is that as long as funds are allocated in a timely and sufficient manner, key equipment arrives on schedule, and the core team is successfully established, given 15 months, he can overcome the challenge of mass production of 28-nanometer process chips.

The first three months were used to build the team, streamline the process flow, and simultaneously complete the renovation of the factory's cleanroom.
The middle six months focused on equipment debugging and process verification, repeatedly optimizing parameters for key processes such as photolithography and etching;
The final six months are for trial production, during which extensive testing is conducted to improve the yield rate until it reaches stable mass production standards.

Well-reasoned and logically sound!

Next, he shared his process plan in detail.

For example, the Gate last HKMG solution should be preferred over the Gate first solution. Although the Gate first process is simpler, the Gate-last solution has a more obvious advantage in performance uniformity, with Vt fluctuations reduced by 30%.

Vt, or threshold voltage, is the minimum gate voltage required for a transistor to turn on.

The more stable the value of Vt, the better the chip's power consumption and performance.

In addition, the discussion also covered metal gate integrated structures, process window improvement strategies, yield improvement paths, and contingency plans for technical risks.

Aside from the technical aspects, Liang Jinsong also has his own insights and experience in organizational structure and talent development systems.

Chen Yansen nodded slightly.

It must be said that Liang Jinsong's talent truly deserves an annual salary of 500 million US dollars.

First, he led TSMC to become the world's largest wafer foundry. Then, he joined Singstar and helped them improve their 28nm and 14nm process technologies.

Without Chen Yansen's involvement, he should have joined Huaxin International three years later, and helped it complete the process transformation and achieve a breakthrough in the equivalent 7-nanometer process.

Thinking of this, Chen Yansen suddenly stood up, extended his right hand and said, "Welcome, President Liang, to Xingyuan Technology."

StarSource Technology?

Could this be a name you just came up with?

Liang Jinsong muttered to himself.

However, considering the $500 million annual salary, he immediately stood up and solemnly replied, "Mr. Chen, thank you for your trust in me."

The two met for less than an hour, and Liang Jinsong agreed to join the company.

There was nothing I could do; the other party valued me too much. True friends are hard to find, and mentors are even harder to come by.

Afterwards, Chen Yansen changed his wine glass and began toasting with Liang Jingsong and Hu Ruihui.

The three of them didn't drink much, just one cup each, taking a small sip.

Midway through the meeting, Hu Ruihui mentioned the academician nominations of Zeng Jiwen and the other two, saying with a helpless expression, "The opposition is too strong. The nomination itself is not a problem, but it will be too difficult for them to be elected."

The evaluation is conducted every two years, and countless universities, research institutes, and laboratories across the country are eyeing this opportunity.

Chen Yansen let out a soft sigh, not taking it to heart.

The party ended at 9 p.m. Chen Yansen and Liang Jingsong exchanged contact information.

Just before getting into the car, Liang Jingsong suddenly remembered something. He was about to greet Chen Yansen when he saw that Chen's car had already merged into the traffic.

"Old Liang, welcome back to China," Hu Ruihui said with a smile.

"It seems I need to do my part for China's semiconductor industry."

A smile appeared on Liang Jinsong's lips as he said, half-jokingly.

at the same time.

Senlian Capital is about to enter the chip manufacturing industry, and its three-year, 300 billion yuan investment plan has been widely reported.

People in Shanghai, Suzhou, Luzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, and other places immediately became interested.

Chen Yansen's business acumen is so exceptional that he can be considered a living god of wealth.

Whether it was the talent he showed in building the shopping guide platform in his early years, or the outstanding results after investing in Pinbei, Orange, and Tiangong Technology, the central government departments in various regions have seen tangible improvements in employment, tax revenue, and GDP.

Moreover, this time they are venturing into the chip manufacturing sector, which is currently facing bottlenecks. The investment of 300 billion yuan will not only boost the upstream and downstream industrial chains, but may also fill the gap in their own semiconductor manufacturing capabilities.

As a result, investment promotion teams in various regions sprang into action overnight!

An emergency meeting was held to quickly make decisions and draft favorable recruitment terms.

In addition to providing funds and land, Suzhou also promised to connect with local equipment suppliers and talent pools.

Shenzhen has presented an industrial collaboration plan on par with those of companies like Huawei and ZTE, and is willing to offer a low-interest loan of 30 billion yuan.

Shanghai has launched a prime location in the Lingang New Area, along with tax breaks, a talent recruitment program, and a 20 billion yuan low-interest loan program.

Nanjing and Luzhou also introduced similar preferential policies, attracting investment representatives from various regions to flock to the virtual city.

At this time, Chen Yansen was still in Yanjing, and it wasn't until the afternoon of October 27 that he returned to Xucheng by private plane.

(End of this chapter)