Tech startup: I really do make mobile phones!

Chapter 197 The Undercurrents Surge Towards CK

Holland, Eindhoven, ASM Research Lab.

An almost frozen excitement filled the air, a mixture of the distinctive coolant smell of precision instruments and the rich aroma of coffee.

Inside the enormous cleanroom, a massive and complex machine, the prototype of the first extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine in human history, stands quietly in the center, like a lurking metal behemoth.

Although its wafer yield is pitifully low at the moment, at only 30%, and the output power of the light source fluctuates and its stability is worrying, far from meeting commercial standards, this does not prevent the R&D personnel around it from beaming with a great sense of accomplishment and ecstasy.

Breakthrough!
They truly broke through the limits of physics, paving a new dawn for the continuation of Moore's Law!
Compared to the already mature but physically limited deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machine, this EUV machine represents a completely new path to 7nm and even more advanced processes.

The laboratory door slid open, and Asmac President Pete Winnick walked in with a smile, immediately surrounded by enthusiastic applause and cheers.

He warmly shook hands with each of the core engineers, his voice loud and infectious.

"ladies and gentlemen!

Today, you have made history!

This machine is not just a lithography machine; it is another great victory for human wisdom in defying the laws of physics!
It proves that we at ASMI are on the right track, and it demonstrates the power of global collaboration!

The era of EUV will begin together with us!

The festive atmosphere reached its climax.

The champagne cork popped open with a "pop," and foam splashed everywhere.

Amidst the jubilation, Winnick called Yan Taonan, the EUV project leader and a technical expert from TECHNOLOGY, to a relatively quiet corner.

Winnick's smile faded slightly; he needed to understand the more realistic situation.

"Yan, well done!"
But now, I need to know the most accurate data.

If, and I mean if, our critical subsystems were forced to switch to an alternative supplier, what would be the specific impact on yield?

Yan Taonan adjusted his glasses; his meticulousness as a technician allowed him to quickly get into the zone, his tone clear and precise.

"Mr. Winnick, the situation is as follows:"
Light source system:

Currently, we use the LPP (laser plasma) light source from Cymer in North America, with an energy conversion efficiency of 5.5%.

If the alternative supplier TRUMPF's 30kW CO2 laser is used, its conversion efficiency is 3.42%, and its stability is slightly inferior.

Simulation results show that this will lead to an overall yield rate decrease of approximately 5%.

Optical system:

The core component is an EUV mirror from the German company ZEISS, whose surface roughness is controlled to an astonishing 0.1 nm.

If the alternative solution, a combination of Nikan and Conon, is used, their coating processes are currently difficult to achieve at the same level and may introduce a higher defect density.

It is estimated that if the defect rate of the reflector increases from 0.001 defects/cm² to 0.03 defects/cm², the yield rate will decrease by 10%.

Alignment system: We are currently using an alignment subsystem from the Orange family (CK) of the plant family.

Its static accuracy reaches 0.000018°/h, and the dynamic group correction algorithm can effectively compensate for vibration, with positioning error controlled in the sub-nanometer level.

If we switch back to the Zeiss solution we used before, its dynamic error control is slightly inferior, which may lead to increased overlay errors and an expected decrease in yield of 5%.

When Yan Taonan mentioned "CK, the company that grows flowers," he paused slightly, and a very complex emotion flashed in his eyes.

It was a subtle sense of pride in the rise of our compatriots' technology, mixed with a lingering unease about the unknown competitive landscape across the Taiwan Strait.

Winnick listened intently, his fingers tapping lightly on the table unconsciously.

“I understand! The reason why ASML can become the world’s leader in lithography machines is because we have gathered and integrated the world’s most advanced technologies.”

Our Japanese and North American competitors, who built their own complete industry chains, have been left behind.

Winnick smiled again and patted Yan Taonan's shoulder hard.

"Yan, your work is outstanding. The board of directors has approved your formal appointment as Global Vice President of Asmark, responsible for the subsequent iterations and commercial mass production of EUV! You deserve it!"

“Thank you so much for your trust, Mr. Winnick!” Yan Taonan shook hands with the president excitedly.

Leaving the hustle and bustle of the EUV laboratory, Winnick arrived at the adjacent DUV lithography machine research and development center.

The atmosphere here is relatively calm, and the technology is more advanced.

He approached Martin, the vice president and chief technology officer in charge of DUV.

"Martin, how is the performance of our new generation NXE:3300B DUV lithography machine (used for 7nm and above processes) after the new subsystem was installed?"

Martin's face beamed with a confident smile.

"Very good, Winnick!"

Originally, the yield rate benchmark for our new generation of DUV lithography machines was 50%.

After switching to the new Cymer light source from North America, the performance improved by 10%.

It adopts the latest optical system from Zeiss, which has improved it by another 10%.

Most importantly, we introduced the alignment subsystem from CK Micro Motor, the flower-growing company you specially approved last time, which improved it by another 10%!

The NXE:3300B now boasts an impressive stable yield rate of 80%!

It is more than twice as much as the latest Japanese model NSR-S635D.

Our advantage in the DUV lithography machine field is still expanding!

Winnick nodded in satisfaction.

This is a testament to the success of his global supply chain strategy: using the world's best technology to build the world's best machines.

"Excellent! The EUV project continues to move forward. We urge all suppliers, especially Cymer, Zeiss, and CK, to optimize their technology as soon as possible and solve more technical problems, with the goal of achieving commercial mass production of EUV as soon as possible!"

"As for the next generation of DUV lithography machines, we will fully adopt these new, proven, and cutting-edge subsystem solutions, immediately expand our procurement, and consolidate our market leadership!"

Orders were issued quickly.

Asmay's supply chain procurement engineers, carrying a flurry of new orders, flew to North America, Germany, and even to distant China across the ocean.

The one flying to plant the flowers was none other than Paul, an old acquaintance from the Orange family.

This time, he even brought his daughter Ellie with him, wanting her to see for herself this rapidly rising and mysterious Eastern country.

Meanwhile, at Chase headquarters in Obercohen, Germany.

An Asmark optical systems purchasing engineer, having just finished a meeting with the Zeiss team, coincidentally encountered another visitor in the hallway: a purchasing engineer from DMG Mari, a global giant in precision machine tool manufacturing. The engineer was examining Zeiss's optical and alignment systems, seeking core components for the next-generation six-axis precision CNC machine tool that DMG Mari was developing in collaboration with Mari Seiki.

During a casual conversation, an ASMI engineer inadvertently mentioned that ASMI did not use Zeiss for the alignment system in its new generation of DUV lithography machines, but instead chose a supplier called "CK Micro Motor," whose precision performance is even better.

He does not mean that.

The engineer from Demagee was greatly surprised that another company's alignment system could outperform Zeiss.
He immediately reported the news back to Demag headquarters.

When the chief technology officer of Demag, who was struggling with the precision bottleneck of six-axis CNC machine tools, received the news, he immediately mobilized his resources to inquire.

After confirming the information was true, he quickly informed his partner, Neon Sen Crystal Machinery, of the situation.

We hope they can send someone to China to conduct an on-site investigation of this mysterious CK company and verify whether its claimed static accuracy of "0.000018°/h" for the "CK-PAS 1.0 Precision Alignment System" is true.

If true, Demag hopes to purchase a batch of samples through Senjing Machinery for joint research and development projects.

When the project liaison from Senjing Machinery received the news, their first reaction was disbelief: "What?! China? That desert of precision technology, could it have technology that surpasses Zeiss?"

After confirming with Demagi repeatedly, Mori Crystal Technology did not dare to delay and sent an inspection team led by Chief Technology Officer Kenichi Tanaka to Zhonghua Mountain City.

Meanwhile, in North America, another line was quietly launched.

Honeywall CEO David Cate has just breathed a sigh of relief.

They relied on the new "HGX-9000 Ultima Gyro" ultra-precise gyroscope (accuracy 0.00001°/h).

In the bidding for the upgrade project of the inertial navigation system of the Nogo Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, it defeated its old rival Kearfott's laser gyroscope solution (accuracy 0.00015°/h) and won the order with a unit price of up to $6 million.

Only a very few people within Honeywell knew the core of this "HGX-9000".

In fact, it is the product of disassembling the "CK-PAS 1.0 Precision Alignment System" purchased from ASMI for $450 million and then repackaging and testing the four "MYT-3.0 Ultra-Precision Gyroscopes".

Asma even made a profit of 50 in the process.

After weathering the crisis of changing CEOs imposed by Wall Street, Gao Dewei immediately had an idea: why not bypass the middlemen and contact the source directly?
This reduces procurement costs and is also more discreet and secure.

Thus, under Gao Dewei's leadership, a secret operation was launched.

To circumvent strict export controls and regulations, Honeywell used an anonymous shell company, Alpha Technology, registered in the Cayman Islands, as a front.

This company is anonymously held by a Honeywell Asia Pacific executive through an offshore trust, with a registered capital of US$500 million, and its stated main business is "industrial sensor trading".

Alpha Technologies used its port subsidiary as a transit point for funds, forging procurement contracts (claiming to purchase "high-precision inclinometers for tunnel safety monitoring in Southeast Asian mines") to conceal the true purpose.

Subsequently, a purchasing manager from Xing'erpo named Lim Teck Beng was dispatched, and his task was to contact CK Micro Motor, which was involved in the flower business.

Mountain City, Orange Micro Motor Factory.

With the replacement of the new gate and the expansion of the factory area, it is now completely different from what it used to be.

Once upon a time, this was just a small factory with an annual revenue of only 200 million yuan, on the verge of bankruptcy amidst the tides of the times.

The injection of nearly 3000 million yuan from Orange Company, coupled with the support of MYW series micro motors and MYT series gyroscope technologies, was like a timely rain, completely rewriting its fate.

With monthly revenue of nearly 3 million yuan, this precision manufacturing factory has now become a rising star in the mountain city's manufacturing industry.

Inside the factory area, modern production workshops stand side by side.

The main production lines for mobile phone motors and gyroscopes are operating at full capacity, with local workers dressed in neat work clothes operating the precision equipment in an orderly manner.

In the region focused on producing mobile phone motors, the production line equipment operates efficiently and continuously.

Small, precision eccentric motors manufactured using MYW-1.0 micro-motor technology are continuously completing the molding process along the production line.

These motors will be installed in countless Orange 2 phones, providing key hardware power feedback for the phone's motion-sensing interactive operating system.

The production line next door, which produces gyroscopes, is equally busy. Although the MYT-2.0 gyroscope is small in size, its manufacturing process is extremely complex and requires relatively high precision. It is all done by the factory's veterans.

After going through a series of rigorous processes, qualified MYT-2.0 gyroscopes are continuously produced here, laying the foundation for the Orange 2 to achieve functions such as "body sensing".

On the other side of the factory area is the production area that focuses on high-end products.

The laboratory used to manufacture precision alignment subsystems has extremely demanding environmental requirements, including constant temperature and humidity, and a cleanliness level of up to Class 1000.

The equipment here is more advanced, and the R&D personnel and technicians are focused and dedicated, meticulously crafting every component.

OrangeTech's precision alignment subsystem is now being promoted in high-end precision equipment, lithography machines and other fields. It is a core component that determines the accuracy of products, and OrangeTech Micro Motor Factory is striving to gain a foothold in this high-end field.

Not far away, the area where ultra-high precision MYT-3.0 gyroscopes are produced is equally quiet and orderly.

This type of gyroscope has a precision far exceeding that of ordinary products and is used in industries such as aerospace and military where the precision requirements are almost extreme.

Zhou Mingzhe gradually formed a research and development team that worked day and night to continuously optimize the technology, striving to take the performance of Orange Technology's high-end products to the next level.

The entire factory area is full of vitality, with vehicles transporting raw materials and finished products shuttling back and forth on the factory roads.

Inside the warehouse, various products are categorized and stored, awaiting shipment to Shenzhen or Helan.

That day, the head of Orange Technology's external relations department felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the three inspection appointment letters that he had received almost simultaneously.

The first one came from an old friend, Paul from Holland Asmay.

This is normal; they are most likely here to discuss a new round of orders for DUV lithography alignment systems, or even to explore the possibility of technological iteration for EUV alignment systems.

The second report came from Japan, from Mori Shoki, a global giant in precision machine tools, with Chief Technology Officer Kenichi Tanaka personally leading the team!

This is truly a rare guest; their purpose is unclear, but they must be someone of considerable importance.

The third application came from an obscure company called "Alpha Technology," whose manager, Lin Deming, claimed to be from a Southeast Asian mining group and wanted to purchase high-precision gyroscopes for "tunnel monitoring" tiltmeters.

The head of the external relations department delivered the three inspection appointment letters to Director Feng's desk.

The first two are basically fine!
As for that "Alfa," Director Feng had people investigate again and again, but they had never heard of any large mining group in Southeast Asia called "Alfa."

Having experienced the foreign trade turmoil in state-owned enterprises during the 1980s and 90s, Director Feng's vigilance instantly heightened.
Back then, foreign swindlers had all sorts of tricks up their sleeves!

"Well, they were fine when they didn't come, but now that they've all come, they've all rushed here!"

Factory Director Feng rubbed his temples and instructed his assistant, "Arrange receptions for all of them! But the levels of hospitality must be different!"

"Asma is a VIP, Senjing Machinery is treated as an important client, and that Alpha is treated as a regular business client for now, but keep a close eye on them and find out what they're really up to!"

It is foreseeable that the Orange Micro Motor Factory, nestled in a remote corner of the mountain city, will soon welcome an unusual "international inspection team," and an undercurrent surrounding cutting-edge precision technology from around the world is quietly converging here.

(End of this chapter)