Six factors drive the development of integrated circuit equipment in China

“The annual import volume of ICs in China has been maintained at more than US$200 billion in recent years, and it is heavily dependent on imports, and there is a serious imbalance in market supply and demand.” said Liu Bin, chief expert of the 45th Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation.

From the point of view of manufacturing technology, the difference between China's integrated circuits and international advanced technologies is 2 to 3 generations. Equipment is heavily dependent on imports, and localization is facing challenges.

At present, the advanced manufacturing technology of the international integrated circuit manufacturing is a 14-10nm process node. The front-end manufacturing reaches the 7nm process node and will be mass-produced in the second half of 2018. The 3-5nm node technology is under development. On the domestic front, 14nm manufacturing technology is expected to reach volume production in 2019, and there is a gap with international advanced technology.

Liu Bin pointed out that the gap between China's integrated circuit manufacturing equipment and the world's advanced level is mainly determined by the current status and inherent development characteristics of China's integrated circuit manufacturing equipment.

Semiconductor equipment has the inherent characteristics of high technical threshold, long research and development cycle, and process line verification. It involves many disciplines and long return on investment. Equipment companies must cross the R&D to industrialization and need support from the country, downstream units, and other aspects.

As the first ten-year action plan for China's government to implement the strategy of building a powerful country, "Made in China 2025" sets a clear goal for the localization of integrated circuit equipment: Before 2020, the localization rate of 90-32 nanotechnology equipment will reach 50%. The localization rate of key measurement equipment will reach 50%; before 2025, the localization rate of 20-14nm process equipment will reach 30%; by 2030, the localization of 18-inch process equipment, EUV lithography machines, and sealing and measurement equipment will be realized.

To implement the development goals of “Made in China 2025”, it is necessary to clarify the driving factors and drive industry development from the six dimensions of market demand, security protection, self-controllability, industrial chain integrity, mission responsibility, and policy guidance.

Driven by market demand, equipment manufacturers carry out advanced research and production equipment accounts for 60% to 70% of the investment quota. Technology, capital, knowledge accumulation and brand competition have become the forming elements of the monopoly effect.

In addition to technical reasons and commercial competition, “artificial back door” has become a potential safety hazard for product services, and safety protection has become a driving factor in the development of equipment. Liu Bin pointed out that the higher the degree of networked equipment, the more there are security risks. In the future, IC smart manufacturing may generate products and services for security needs.

To avoid the risk of being “controlled by others”, an autonomous and controllable industrial ecology must be formed. Liu Bin emphasized that companies must seek breakthroughs in the entire line process, featured processes, and individual equipment to reduce dependence on the global supply chain.

Equipment is an important part of building a complete industrial chain. Liu Bin emphasized that semiconductors must not only have the support of key equipment, but also have equipment integration capabilities. At the same time, enterprises in the field of national electronics manufacturing equipment should assume the responsibility of developing the semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry, realize a complete semiconductor manufacturing equipment industry chain, and serve the needs of China's semiconductor manufacturing.

With the support of the national, industry, and local levels, the Outline for Promoting the Development of the National IC Industry and the 13th Five-Year National Science and Technology Innovation Plan have all deployed integrated circuit devices with a goal of 14nm nodes and equipment. Technology, packaging, materials, and other aspects will focus on supporting companies that already have industrial capabilities. Under the guidelines of the National Medium and Long-Term Scientific and Technological Development Plan (2006-2020), more than 30 kinds of high-end equipment have been successfully developed, freeing China from the basic blank state of high-end equipment for integrated circuits, and IC industry ecology has been able to The establishment and gradual improvement of the integrated circuit manufacturing system and technology system for the 55- to 28-nm process segment have basically created a number of equipment manufacturing companies and attracted a group of international and domestic resources to gather in the IC manufacturing equipment industry.

"Recall that our equipment accounted for 4% of the world's total in 2010. In just ten years, we have turned it five times." Liu Bin said. He also stressed that the grand goal of “Made in China 2025” is both opportunities and challenges. CEC will target integrated circuit manufacturing equipment to form part of the 28-14nm core equipment and mass production capacity, breaking through 7-5nm core equipment technology, Let core equipment enter the international procurement list.