Get a black technology system at the start

Chapter 211 Lithography Machine

Transforming Mars undoubtedly requires the support of technology and money, both of which are indispensable.

After a long time, if the transformation is successful, there is no doubt that Mars will belong to Zhang Xingchen, no matter whether others admit it or not.

Zhang Xingchen has the ability to reform and also has the ability to go up, what about others, or other countries?
Perhaps, other countries can't even send people to Mars, but Zhang Xingchen has completed the transformation of Mars here. Thinking about the beauty of being alone on a planet, the corners of Zhang Xingchen's mouth can't help but look up.

……

Producing silicon wafers by yourself is only the first step, and the next second step is to manufacture your own lithography machine, which is a high-end lithography machine.

After being able to manufacture the lithography machine by itself, then the entire process of chip production can be said to be mastered by Xingchen Company. From designing chips to manufacturing silicon wafers to producing chips, the entire process, upstream, middle, and downstream can be completed, and it can be completed alone. No need to rely on others.

Speaking of lithography machines, there are actually many names for lithography machines.For example, the lithography system, such as the exposure system, such as the mask alignment exposure machine, etc., in fact, they are all talking about one piece of equipment, that is, the lithography machine.

The lithography machine is the most critical equipment for producing chips. It can be said that without a lithography machine, chips cannot be produced.

The working principle of the lithography machine is very simple, similar to the previous photo printing technology, but there is a certain difference in precision.

It can be said that the precision of the lithography machine is very high and has reached the nanometer level.

It is no exaggeration to say that the high-end lithography machine is the most sophisticated instrument in the world, and it is called the flower of the modern optical industry. There is no water in it, and it is genuine.

Judging from this title, we can reflect the precision and value of the photosynthetic machine from the side. The price of high-end photolithography machines is very expensive, and can be sold for 5 million yuan.

Of course, it's not just about money. Sometimes even if you have money, people won't sell it to you.

Because foreigners are afraid that after we buy it back, we can study it and then make it ourselves. After all, our country's reverse reasoning ability is still very strong.

Now we can know that high-end high-tech companies are all foreign companies. The most famous of them are three companies, ASML from the Netherlands, AI Kun from the island country, and Acon from the island country.

Among the three major companies, the island country occupies two. From this aspect, we can find that the island country is very powerful in lithography machines.

Although we have historical reasons to be very hostile to island countries, we have to admit that they are powerful and face their strength. We need to be blindly arrogant or blindly inferior.

We must face up to ourselves and the enemy, recognize ourselves and recognize the enemy clearly. Only by doing this can we know ourselves and the enemy in order to win all battles.

The backwardness at this time is not terrible, the terrible thing is that we have been lagging behind. After we know that we are not as good as others, we can catch up with the enemy, or even surpass the enemy.

And because of the existence of Morningstar, I believe it won't take long for our capabilities on the chip.It will surpass the island countries and surpass ASML, and even leave them far behind.

At that time, our country will become a big chip country and a chip powerhouse.

Chips are engraved on silicon wafers. To manufacture chips, we first need to prepare a silicon wafer, and then we apply photoresist on the silicon wafer.

Put the silicon wafer coated with photoresist on the platform of the photolithography machine, there will be a mask above the photoresist, and the ultraviolet light emitter will be on the top of the mask.

When the lithography machine starts to work, the ultraviolet light emitter will emit ultraviolet light, and the ultraviolet light will shine on the photoresist through the mask.

On the mask, there is a circuit diagram that has been designed in advance. The ultraviolet light released by the photolithography machine passes through the slits on the mask, and the ultraviolet light passing through the slits will shine on the photoresist.

Then the photoresist exposed to ultraviolet light will melt.A circuit pattern is thus formed on the photoresist.

But it should be noted here that only the pattern is formed on the photoresist, and our ultimate goal is to form a circuit diagram on the silicon wafer.

Then we put the silicon wafer on the etchant, so that the place without photoresist protection will be etched away by the etchant, leaving a circuit on the silicon wafer.

After the circuit pattern is formed, just wash the surface with pure water to remove impurities.

This process is like holding a flashlight to illuminate a pattern with holes. Whatever the hole is, what kind of pattern will be formed on the wall behind.

The principle is the same, mainly to see the precision.

The precision of the lithography machine is at the nanometer level.

If you only talk about the nanometer level, you can't feel how precise its precision is?

Here we can draw an image metaphor, everyone knows the thickness of the hair, if we don't know, we can pull one from our own head to see.

The precision at the nanometer level is as thin as one-fifth of a hair.

Think about it, our hair is divided into 5000 parts, and the nanometer level is one-fifth of it.

The error of the lithography machine is only within two nanometers.

The lithography machine has two working platforms, and the two working platforms must be kept in sync. This is the so-called mechanical precision, and the error of the mechanical precision is also within two nanometers.

One of these two working platforms is for placing silicon wafers, and the other is for releasing masks.

On the lithography machine, the ultraviolet light emitter is stationary, while the two working platforms move at the same time, which can improve the yield of chips, but the requirements for equipment are very high.

Of course, the lithography machine not only requires high mechanical precision, but also has very high requirements for the light source, and the optical system contained in it is also extremely complicated.

The light source of the lithography machine has DUV and EUV.
The so-called EUV is extreme ultraviolet light.

The lithography machine uses extreme ultraviolet light. The lithography machine is called EUV lithography machine. It can be said that this is the most advanced lithography machine in the world. It can produce chips of five nanometers or even three nanometers. Only those who master this technology There is only one country, the United States.

Our country can also produce lithography machines, but the precision is not so high. We produce lithography machines ourselves.It is called the 600 series lithography machine.

It can produce 90-nanometer chips, which were manufactured by the Great Wall Electronic Equipment Company, and foreign high-tech companies can also produce [-]-nanometer chips.

Comparing the two, we can see that the gap between the two sides is still very large, and this is not just a generation gap.It's a gap of generations.

We must know that the precision of the lithography machine is 90 nanometers, which is a difficulty. After passing this difficulty, it is very easy to further increase the density, and the road ahead is comfortable.The checkpoint will not be encountered until 45 nanometers.

After passing the 45nm level, the next level is 22nm...

There are still many hurdles behind. The lithography machine we made ourselves can only manufacture 90-nanometer chips, but we have purchased lithography machines that have been eliminated from abroad, and now our SMIC can manufacture 14-nanometer chips.

The fact is that foreign countries will never sell us the most advanced stuff.

(End of this chapter)