From knock-off old-man's electric vehicles to industrial giant

Chapter 110 Layout of Power Semiconductors: The Beauty of Numerical Analysis and Mechanisms!

Logically speaking.

No car manufacturer would be willing to offer custom-made paint protection film to a single car owner.

Even among external modification shops, relatively few handle this type of business.

At least an additional customization fee will be charged, and if the splicing effect is considered, the painted film will usually be more expensive than ordinary color change and car wrap.

Customization is never a thankless task.

Not only do you have to pay extra, but you're also likely to receive the worst service.

but.

Zheng Guozhao recalled what President Xu had said to him before.

—Treat car owners like you would treat family and friends…

...

"No problem. If you can provide the relevant design drawings and additional costs, Xingchen Auto Mall can provide customized services, but the premise is that there can be no infringement."

Zheng Guozhao understands the issue of copyright infringement.

Not only did I understand it, but it also left a deep impression on me.

Look at how much money Leiding Auto and those other manufacturers of electric vehicles for the elderly lost.
It's because they don't understand the law!

Old Zheng wouldn't make such a mistake that drags things down.

...

"Mr. Zheng, you can rest assured that the illustrations I provide are all personally created. In fact, I am an amateur online illustrator, which means there are no issues with copyright or production rights. They just look similar to the anime styles on the market."

This series is a labor of love for me, and it hasn't even been published yet. My previous works uploaded to art websites went unnoticed, so I figured I might as well print it on my car. I'm so grateful that the official website offers such affordable customization services!!

"Thank you, officials!!"

Inside a rented room.

The man with disheveled hair had a look of surprise in his eyes!

His name is Li Shi, and he is a person who loves painting and anime.

In my spare time, I just do some painting to pass the time, hoping to earn some extra money.

Although the works I create are only minor and inconspicuous on Pixiv and other paid sites, even though I try to cater to market trends, they are ultimately ignored and remain just a nobody.

At last.

He simply gave up and began to create freely, since his previous works had all disappeared without a trace, so he never published these drawings.

I simply wanted to create my own "itasha" based on these works, to leave behind a personal memento.

He had consulted about custom screen protectors on the market before, and the ones with slightly better quality cost eight or nine thousand yuan. If he weren't short of money, he wouldn't have shamelessly asked the official company for help.

At this moment, he felt somewhat glad that he had purchased the Starry Sky brand.

I've never heard of any domestic car brand offering such thoughtful and meticulous ecosystem services before!
...

"Hmm? Why does he have the air of a down-on-his-luck art student?"

Zheng Guozhao stroked his chin, staring thoughtfully at the chat box.

But soon——

So I put the matter out of my mind.

In his opinion, there are still quite a few places around the car mall that are worth developing!
Based on the votes of car owners.

He also compiled a list of car store attachments that urgently needed to be developed and listed.

For example—suede headrests, comfortable lumbar supports, car phone holders…

Don't be fooled by their small size; they are used quite frequently.

There's no need to elaborate on phone stands.

Headrests and lumbar supports can also significantly improve comfort.

Zheng Guozhao decided to spend the next few days personally visiting offline parts factories to inspect and customize products, and to control the materials and mold making.

……

……

"Mr. Xu, the meeting time has been confirmed with Taike Tianrun."

This time.

The core market positioning of the new car lies in "long range" + "120kw fast charging".

This means taking the lead in addressing the current pain points of "energy replenishment" and "range" for new energy vehicles.

Its significance is absolutely no less than the transition from keypad phones to touchscreens, or the invention of the universal charger in the mobile phone battery charging industry...

Based on Polestar's large single-cell battery technology, once the final process optimization is completed and production begins, the energy density will be greatly improved, the weight will be reduced accordingly, and the range will no longer be an issue.

However, there are still major problems to be solved regarding the self-developed fast charging module.

Taking the 120kW fast charging module as an example, the core power component required—the "SiC silicon carbide module"—is currently still largely dependent on imports.

The price is so high that the cost of supercharging modules has not been able to come down.

and.

Silicon carbide is not only related to the single module of fast charging function. The technical roadmap for future upgrades of high-end new energy vehicles—"full-domain 800V high-voltage SiC silicon carbide platform" and "silicon carbide electric drive system"—can significantly reduce energy consumption and improve efficiency.

Therefore, to position ourselves in the future high-end new energy market and build a nationwide fast charging network, we must have control over power semiconductors.

"Tell me the specifics." Xu Yi couldn't help but prop himself up slightly, showing his keen interest in this matter.

How to describe it.

They develop their own electric vehicle three-electric system, but they lack self-developed and self-produced high-end power semiconductors.

That would be equivalent to "making mobile phones without having independent SoC chips" or "making air conditioners without having independent compressors".

The core technology is in their hands.

...

“The other party is in a greater hurry than we imagined… After conducting a corporate investigation, we found that Taike Tianrun had completed a Series A financing of 1000 million yuan, with a valuation of about 5000 million yuan. However, this amount of money is far from enough for the research and development of SiC.”

Liang Shouzhou took out a paper report and explained the situation of the communication and investigation over the past few days.

He smiled and said, "I consulted with Director Sun, and Taike Tianrun's core technology focuses on SiC Schottky diode design for fast charging rectifier circuits, which is exactly what we need."

However, due to the lack of SiC MOSFET design capabilities, they are currently unable to produce full SiC modules. They are still in the process of seeking financing due to a lack of R&D funding to expand their design department.

Upon hearing of our investment intentions, they quickly agreed and invited us to visit the company's production lines at headquarters.

...

Currently.

The application of SiC (silicon carbide) in China is still in its infancy.

Demand is concentrated in industries such as industrial power supplies, photovoltaic inverters, and high-frequency power supplies.

In the new energy vehicle market, only a few high-end models like the Model S are equipped with super-fast charging of 120kW or more.

Therefore, while there is promising potential for self-developed SiC technology, its valuation remains low and is far less sought after than that of power batteries.

Moreover.

To overcome the challenges of SiC design, fabrication, and packaging, mass-produced SiC wafers are needed as substrates. This part still relies on imports from Cree in the United States, which are not only expensive but also have unstable production capacity.

For anything that needs to be mass-produced to reduce costs, relying on imports is a predictable dead end.

"What about SIC wafers?" Xu Yi asked again.

Liang Shouzhou continued:

"The mass production of SiC wafers is currently monopolized by two foreign companies, Cree and Infineon."

However, according to the investigation, there is already a semiconductor company called Shandong Tianyue in Shandong, China, which has a certain mass production capacity for 4-inch SiC wafers!

It is said that this technology was left by Professor Jiang Minhua, a former academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who successfully cultivated silicon carbide single crystals in the laboratory.

Subsequently, Tianyue Advanced Company spent a large sum of money to purchase this technology from Shandong University.

Since 11, we have been fully committed to the research and development of silicon carbide semiconductor materials.

In the following years, mass production of 2-inch silicon carbide substrates and 4-inch products was achieved.

...

Speaking of it.

He paused again, then said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry:
"However, it is said that the reason why production capacity has been slow to increase is because demand cannot keep up. The order volume for SiC wafers is really too small, and we are currently in a state of seeking orders everywhere."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yi immediately understood.

The chip and semiconductor materials industry has been "strangled" by technological bottlenecks, which has been completely ignored, at least in recent years.

Even though Tianyue Advanced Technology is currently the only silicon carbide substrate unicorn company in China, it has still managed to reach the point where it doesn't have many orders.

Ultimately, it's because demand hasn't exploded, and there's no supply disruption from overseas.

Since we can buy them all, why invest heavily in research and development?
Even if we invest in it, we may not be able to keep up with the technological progress of foreign companies. If they then lower their prices, there will be no future at all.

Currently, the only companies in China doing this, besides those with state-owned backgrounds, are BYD Semiconductor.

Furthermore, they only supply it for their own new energy vehicle use.

This is the case.

For Xingchen Motors, it also means pursuing a fully self-developed approach.

Isn't this a coincidence?
One lacks R&D funding and a stable supply of wafers, while the other can produce wafers but lacks a large number of orders.

……

The next day.

Xu Yi led his executives to Kyoto and headed straight for the headquarters of Taike Tianrun Company.

soon.

I met with the company's core executives at noon.

The founder of Taike Tianrun Company is named Wang Lei.

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is named Chen Mo, who was previously a SiC device design expert at Infineon's headquarters.

The core technical team members have all worked in key positions in power semiconductor packaging R&D overseas, making it a purely technology-driven company.

"We've already discussed this over the phone. Today's main purpose is to meet with everyone and confirm some investment details..." Xu Yi said with a smile, appearing quite relaxed.

Given Taike Tianrun's current size, it's something he can easily control.

From the beginning, his intention was clear: to acquire at least 60% of the shares and control of the company in the name of Star Technology.

of course.

The terms were very generous, a full 30 million yuan to solve their current financial pressure.

An additional ten million will be invested in production line construction and R&D support.

Given the current predicament of Taike Tianrun, this support will allow it to get back on track as quickly as possible.

Besides.

There's also the "big pie" drawn by Xu Yi.

The nationwide deployment of supercharging stations, as well as the new energy vehicles to be launched soon, will all use Taike Tianrun's silicon carbide modules.

Hear this.

Wang Lei and several key personnel present exchanged glances.

After exchanging glances, they couldn't help but give a wry smile.

no way.

I simply can't refuse!
As the founders of a technology-driven company, they naturally didn't want to relinquish control. Everyone who came out to start a business with technology was hoping for a bright future.

However, Xingchen Motors is offering very favorable conditions, and they are not the only company in China investing in this area. If they really have to wait, it's hard to say how many years it will take before they can succeed, not to mention that the R&D and design issues haven't been fully resolved yet.

and so.

Xu Yi's attitude was also quite direct.

You won't agree? If you don't agree, I'm going to pull it out!
...

"Mr. Xu, your terms are... too sincere! It's hard for us to refuse!"

Wang Lei said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

With a determined effort, he finally nodded.

Once you take that step, you suddenly feel like the world is your oyster.

Yes, the future prospects of this Star Auto look quite promising.

The key lies in its accumulated expertise and achievements in battery technology and the three core electric components (battery, motor, and electronic control system). It's nothing like an ordinary startup new energy vehicle company; it's far superior to some unknown new players.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been convinced so quickly.

You know, for a technical team like theirs, the people they admire most are those who are better at technical work than they are.

Even if it's just empty promises, there needs to be some basis for them!

Meanwhile, the "dynamic boost technology" and "dual-gun fast charging technology" showcased by Xingchen Technology left their core team utterly astonished!
No child—

You can even do this with charging?
This is way too abstract!!
...

Xu Yi's original words were as follows:
With dynamic boost technology, a single charging gun makes our Xingchen Motors both stable and fast!

Wang Lei couldn't help but ask, "What about those two guns? What are they?"

[With two charging guns, our Xingchen Motors is fast and stable!!]

Xu Yi stated it very frankly.

His words, though seemingly simple, are filled with a beauty that transcends the need for thought and reason, where mechanisms and numbers coexist!
...

Needless to say.

The core technology team at Tyco Tianrun took a look.

This technology is available.

The blueprint for a future nationwide network of supercharging stations doesn't sound like a mere "pie in the sky."

Once vehicles equipped with this technology reach mass production, it will significantly raise the usage ceiling of existing charging stations and future supercharging stations.

What Xu Yi demonstrated was only the first generation of dual-gun fast charging technology.

In fact, they even have a second-generation dual-gun fast charging solution internally. They're truly developing one generation and reserving the next, and releasing it is absolutely dazzling!
With the support of two 120kW supercharging stations, the charging speed can reach a maximum of 240kW.

This truly allows for the simultaneous use of both charging stations, reducing the charging speed of commercial charging piles to within half an hour.

Currently, there are 60kW commercial charging piles.

It actually takes more than an hour and a half to fully utilize the efficiency of a car.

Some cars equipped with only a 30kW fast charging module require an even more exaggerated two hours.

In situations like this, those in the relevant industry are actually more anxious than the car owners!
If the charging speed of vehicles can be reduced to within one hour, then with the increase in the number of new energy vehicles, the turnover rate of commercial charging stations will increase by an order of magnitude.

Commercial charging piles, which were originally not favored by capital, are now seeing their profit margins rise sharply and are becoming a hot commodity for third-party capital investment.

At that time, the demand for silicon carbide (SiC) modules needed for fast charging will surge!
This is a major benefit for them.

……

"Mr. Xu, this is our SiC diode production line. The core components include three main modules: chip processing, device manufacturing, and packaging and testing..."

"High-performance SiC Schottky diodes offer significantly better switching losses and reverse recovery charge than the industry average, while their on-resistance and high-temperature stability are comparable to Infineon's..."

"When used in core power components such as fast charging modules, it can maximize efficiency and keep the lifespan and heat stability at an extremely good level."

After discussing investment, everything became pleasant.

Chen Mo, the technical director of Tyco Tianrun, took the initiative to lead Xu Yi and his group on a tour of the company's sophisticated SIC production line.

Domestically produced components are benchmarked against Infineon in terms of performance.

That sounds exaggerated.

However, coming from a former SiC device design expert at Infineon's headquarters, it gained some credibility.

"With this funding, we can also begin to expand the research and development of SiC MOSFETs, and we expect to complete the SiC MOSFET tape-out within 20 months."

but.

Even if we only use our self-developed SiC Schottky, the cost of the fast charging module is expected to be reduced by 10%.

That is, the total cost of a single fast charging module is 13,000 yuan, which can achieve a cost reduction of 1300 yuan.

If the development and tape-out of SiC MOSFETs are completed, the total cost reduction is expected to reach 25%.

...

After explaining the main technical parameters.

Chen Mo quickly added their "core values".

Nearly 40% of the cost of high-voltage fast charging modules comes from power semiconductors.

Imported SiC is very expensive.

Once we achieve self-developed technology to replace imports, reducing costs in this area by 40% will not be a problem.

Xu Yi couldn't help but show a satisfied expression after hearing this.

To increase the sales volume of new energy vehicles and to expand the nationwide network of supercharging stations, it is essential to reduce these costs.

Based on the current development, it basically conforms to the previous SIC self-developed cost reduction technology roadmap.

If we replace the SiC wafers with domestically produced ones, it's not impossible that after a year or two, when the production line reaches full scale, a total cost reduction of 35% could be achieved.

At that time, the cost of a high-voltage fast charging module will be reduced from more than 10,000 yuan to 8,000 yuan.

Sure thing!!
...

How is the wafer supply situation?

Xu Yi asked.

Upon hearing this, Wang Lei and the others couldn't help but look a little off. They sighed and said, "Cree's production capacity is currently tight, costs are high, and there are occasional delays."

"If there's a large volume demand, we often need to place orders in advance. Last time, because the wafer delivery cycle was extended from 8 weeks to 12 weeks, we lost an order."

It's hard to hold back.

But no way.

At this stage, CREE held a near-monopoly in the silicon carbide substrate field, and even if there was a delay, there would be no compensation.

"Didn't you ever consider using domestically produced wafers?"

"Well... although domestically produced wafers are cheaper, the yield is too low, only 40%. The crystal growth process is not very stable, and the defect density is also high. It's not that we don't want to, it's just that we can't do it."

Hear this.

Wang Lei could only manage a wry smile.

The fast charging module suppliers that their company works with have very high requirements for delivery time and quality stability.

Leaving aside the delivery cycle of domestically produced wafers, even a small problem in yield and consistency can cause issues.

That could make them explode on the spot!!

Not to mention that we are currently in the research and development loss stage, and in order to ensure the quality and delivery of the orders on hand, we can only use imported wafers.

to be honest.

The foundation is still weak.

If the capital market is even slightly optimistic, they'll try to raise more funds.

Otherwise, things wouldn't be in such a miserable state now.

They were all a little embarrassed when this was brought up.

After all that effort, they still ended up losing money. With an uncertain future, it's understandable that investors aren't optimistic about the company.

...

But I didn't expect it.

Xu Yi's next sentence was truly earth-shattering!
"You don't need to worry about this anymore. Before I came here, I connected with Shandong Tianyue and invested some funds to help them optimize their production lines and capacity. We also signed a priority supply agreement in advance. I believe the process issues will be resolved soon."

Imported goods may provide convenience in the short term, but ultimately they hand over core resources to others.

Star Technology will cover all the costs of future research and development.

In short—fight hard for domestically developed technologies!

……

(End of this chapter)