MM Racing Chapter 135 Who is right and who is wrong?
Chapter 135 Who is right and who is wrong?
March 2, 2020, Shenzhen.
It was the sixth day after Su Chen returned from Beijing.
Zhao Jiancheng called promptly at eight o'clock in the morning.
"President Su, I have two pieces of bad news."
Zhao Jiancheng's voice was calm, but Su Chen could tell it was the calm that the old engineer was deliberately suppressing his emotions.
"you say."
"First, Oxford Instruments informed us that the export license for PlasmaPro 100 Estrelas has been suspended by the UK Export Controls Board. The reason given is the need for additional review of the end use."
"What about the review period?"
"They said it would take at least three months, but hinted it could be longer. I asked Oxford Instruments' Asia Pacific sales manager—who privately told me that someone had submitted a 'letter of concern' to the Export Control Commission, alleging that our equipment's end use involves MEMS inertial navigation systems for the military."
Su Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Letter of Concern." He repeated the word.
"The second piece of bad news," Zhao Jiancheng continued, "The SÜSS MA200 lithography machine, originally scheduled for delivery in mid-September, has just informed us that due to delays in delivery from the supplier of core optical components, the delivery time will be postponed by three to four months—to around January next year."
Su Chen remained silent for three seconds.
Who are SÜSS's optical component suppliers?
"Some parts are from Nikon."
"Nikon." Su Chen repeated.
"President Su, I know what you're thinking," Zhao Jiancheng said. "These two things happening at the same time—it can't be a coincidence."
"It's not a coincidence."
Su Chen stood up and walked to the office window.
Shenzhen was still sweltering at the end of August. Outside the window, on a construction site in Guangming District, the foundation of Hongyuan MEMS R&D Center had just been laid.
Without DRIE etching equipment, the SOI hybrid process route is out of the question.
Without new lithography machines, the lithography precision of the production line remains at 2 micrometers—it can't even produce MEMS gyroscopes at the BMI270 level.
Production line upgrade plan – completely halted.
"Old Zhao, what level of performance can the existing equipment maintain?"
"Our existing equipment can barely produce low- to mid-range pressure sensors and accelerometers," Zhao Jiancheng said. "The production of the six-chip version of the Flying Bird S1 is unaffected—because the six-chip version uses the Bosch BMI270, which doesn't require our own MEMS production line."
"But the tape-out and verification of the self-developed MEMS gyroscope—has been halted."
"Without DRIE and new lithography machines, wafer fabrication is impossible."
Su Chen closed his eyes.
The entire chess game flashed through his mind—
DRIE was stuck, lithography machine delays → production line upgrades stalled → the first step of "benchmarking BMI270" timeline was forced to be postponed → the design results of Academician Zhou's joint research team could not be verified on the wafer fabrication → the entire MEMS self-sufficiency process was at a standstill.
And on the other side-
The market for the Flying Bird platform is still operating, and the six-chip version of the S1 is still shipping, but all profits have been committed to MEMS. If the MEMS process stalls, then these investments are just burning money into a bottomless pit.
Even more critically—if this window of opportunity is exploited by competitors—
DJI's FlightCore 2.0 and Hangxindatong's LDCL 3.0—they won't wait for Hongyuan to resolve the equipment issues before launching their attacks.
Su Chen opened his eyes.
"Old Zhao."
"exist."
"I'll have Vice Minister Zheng coordinate the letter of inquiry. But even with a fast track, the export control review process will take at least two to three months. We can't afford to wait that long."
"What should we do then?"
"Two paths." Su Chen's voice became unusually calm.
"The first option is to find alternative suppliers. Oxford Instruments isn't the only manufacturer of DRIE equipment. Sumitomo Precision of Japan, Plasma-Therm of the United States, and SPTS of Germany also produce similar products. Make a list of all the models you can procure, by today."
"Okay. But there's a problem—" Zhao Jiancheng said, "If they're using export controls to restrict us, then switching to another supplier might cause the same problem. They can simply submit another letter of concern and freeze our accounts as well."
"So there's a second way," Su Chen said.
Zhao Jiancheng remained silent.
Because he guessed what Su Chen was going to say.
"Self-developed DRIE."
"President Su..." Zhao Jiancheng's voice hesitated slightly, "Developing DRIE etching equipment in-house—that's not something that can be done in a few months. Bosch took five years to develop its own DRIE. Sumitomo Precision's deep silicon etching equipment went through seven generations of iterations before reaching its current level."
"I know."
"Moreover, DRIE involves vacuum systems, plasma control, gas delivery, and temperature management—each subsystem represents a significant technological barrier."
"I know."
"Even with the support of a joint research team, building a usable DRIE from scratch—my estimate—would take at least two years."
"Two years is too long," Su Chen said.
"So how long do you plan to stay?"
Su Chen did not answer directly.
"Old Zhao, has Chen Guodong arrived at his post yet?"
"I just reported for duty yesterday. I'm currently familiarizing myself with the production line."
"Have him produce a report this week—based on his thirty years of DRIE experience, what's the shortest time it would take to build a DRIE etching system from scratch with a 20:1 aspect ratio. Don't give me a conservative estimate, give me his maximum timeframe."
"Okay." Zhao Jiancheng paused, "There's one more thing—"
"you say."
"Liu Guoqiang has also been thinking about this these past few days. When he was at the Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, he participated in a National 863 Program project—the pre-research of domestically developed MEMS etching equipment. Although the project was eventually discontinued due to funding issues, he still has some technical documents and experimental data."
"This is very important." Su Chen's tone finally changed slightly—not with excitement, but with a calmness that came from discovering a key piece of the puzzle.
"Have Liu Guoqiang compile those documents. Also, contact Academician Zhou to see if the complete documentation for that 863 project from the Institute of Microelectronics can be retrieved."
"good."
After hanging up the phone, Su Chen stood in his office for a long time.
The interface of the product analysis system flickered faintly in his mind.
Last time, the system unlocked the design blueprints for the MEMS inertial navigation chip. But the blueprints are just designs—without manufacturing equipment, it's all just theoretical.
If the system could unlock one more time—
The thought flashed through Su Chen's mind, but he did not place his hopes on the system.
The system has its own unlocking rules; it's not something he can just do whenever he wants.
Therefore—take the path you can take first.
Alternative procurement + self-developed DRIE + support from joint research teams.
If three paths run parallel, one of them will eventually lead to a successful journey.
……
At 2 PM, Su Chen convened an emergency video conference.
Participants included Zhao Jiancheng (Kunshan), Liu Guoqiang (Kunshan), Zhang Lei (Shenzhen), Zhou Ming (Shenzhen), Xu Lang (Shenzhen), and Fang Xu (Shenzhen).
Su Chen got straight to the point:
"Everyone knows about DRIE and lithography machines. I don't intend to hide it from anyone—this was an organized supply chain attack. The goal was to permanently halt the upgrade of our MEMS production line in the 'in progress' state."
The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.
Zhang Lei was the first to speak: "There are no problems with the Feiniao S1. The mass production switch for the six-chip version is complete, and the inventory of Bosch BMI270 chips is enough for three months. Replenishment contracts have also been signed. Terminal shipments are not affected."
"Okay," Su Chen said. "The shipments of the Flying Bird S1 cannot stop. This is currently our largest source of cash flow."
Xu Lang continued, "But there's a problem—if the MEMS project is delayed, and all our profits are invested in MEMS… won't the company's operating capital be affected?"
"No," Su Chen said. "All profits will be invested in MEMS—but that doesn't mean we won't keep operational reserves. I'll maintain proper financial separation. Funds for the company's normal operations won't be touched."
Zhou Ming nodded: "Of the 3000 million yuan in grant funds from the Science and Technology Innovation Committee, 1.5 million yuan has already been received. The 1500 million yuan low-interest loan quota has also been approved and can be withdrawn at any time."
"Okay," Su Chen said. "Let's allocate 5000 million as a special budget for self-developed MEMS equipment."
"Self-developed equipment?" Xu Lang's expression clearly showed surprise.
"Yes," Su Chen said, "We developed our own DRIE etching equipment."
A brief silence fell over the meeting room.
Fang Xu was the first to react: "President Su, let me confirm first—is this an alternative to the procurement plan, or is it the main focus?"
"Both approaches should be pursued concurrently. Procurement substitution is the short-term solution, while in-house development is the long-term solution. However, my assessment is that procurement substitution will likely also be hampered. Therefore, in-house development is not an option, but a necessity."
"Since it's a necessity—" Fang Xu said, "then I suggest we start laying out our intellectual property rights now. We need to prepare circumvention designs and apply for patents independently for the core technologies involved in DRIE in advance."
"You'll be in charge of this," Su Chen said.
"good."
Su Chen looked at Zhao Jiancheng in the video: "Old Zhao, you, Chen Guodong, and Liu Guoqiang will form the DRIE self-developed research team starting today. You decide on the personnel configuration, and just let me know what resources you need."
"clear."
"Also—I'll speak with Academician Zhou separately about his joint research team. The Institute of Microelectronics should have some basic research experience in the DRIE field; let's see if we can transfer one or two people to provide support."
"good."
Su Chen finally looked at Zhang Lei: "Lei Zi, the shipment schedule for the six-chip version of the S1 remains unchanged. At the same time—the development of the Feiniao platform's SDK ecosystem and the market expansion of H-Link 2.0 cannot be halted."
"This is our crucial rear area. MEMS is a long-term battle. If we lose our rear area, there's no point in developing MEMS."
"Don't worry," Zhang Lei said, "I'll keep an eye on things here."
After the meeting, Su Chen sat alone in his office.
He picked up his phone and dialed Academician Zhou Jianhua's number.
"Academician Zhou, there's something I'd like to report to you."
Su Chen briefly explained the issues of DRIE being stuck and the lithography machine being delayed.
There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.
Then Academician Zhou said something:
"As expected."
"You... you foresaw this all along?"
"Su Chen, why do you think I raised that condition at the symposium—'The core patents must be in Chinese hands'?"
Su Chen was taken aback.
"Because the issue of equipment bottlenecks is never a question of possibility—but rather a question of when they will occur."
"If you pursue the SOI hybrid process route, you're destined to need high-end DRIE. And there are only a handful of suppliers of high-end DRIE worldwide. If any one of them is pressured, you'll be cut off."
"Therefore, my condition—it's not just about patents. The deeper meaning is—key equipment must also be in our own hands."
Su Chen remained silent for a few seconds.
"Academician Zhou, I understand."
"What are you planning to do?"
"Self-developed DRIE."
"Okay." Academician Zhou's tone was very calm, but Su Chen could tell that the old man was very satisfied with the answer.
"I have two students working on plasma etching. Although it's basic research, it should be valuable for understanding DRIE's vacuum system and plasma control. I've asked them to report to Kunshan next week."
"Thank you, Academician Zhou."
"Don't thank me," Academician Zhou said calmly. "I've said it before—I'm doing this for China's MEMS."
"However, Su Chen—"
"You said."
"Developing your own DRIE is not something that can be done overnight. During this process, you cannot afford to lose your DRIE platform. If the rear collapses, winning the battle on the front lines will be useless."
"I know."
"Okay," Academician Zhou said, "Then go ahead and do it. Contact me anytime if you encounter any problems."
After hanging up the phone, Su Chen walked to the window.
The sun was setting in the west, and the skyline of the Bright District was dyed orange-red.
He recalled Zhao Jiancheng's words—"Bosch spent five years developing its own DRIE."
Five years.
He didn't have five years.
It didn't even last two years.
But he has Chen Guodong's thirty years of DRIE experience. He has the technical reserves accumulated by Liu Guoqiang in the 863 Program. He has two PhDs from Academician Zhou who are engaged in plasma research. He has the overall support of the joint research team.
And—himself.
Su Chen closed his eyes.
The virtual disassembly lab of the product analysis system loomed in his mind.
He knew that the road ahead would be more difficult than any of the previous ones.
But hardship was never a reason for Su Chen to back down.
on the contrary--
Every time he was driven to a dead end, that was precisely when he was in the most danger.
Because at that time, Su Chen would fight without regard to the cost.
And a Su Chen who doesn't care about the cost—is the last thing any opponent wants to face.
……
That evening, Su Chen turned on his computer.
He searched for a keyword in his browser: "Current status of domestic production of deep silicon etching equipment".
The first search result was an industry report from 2019:
Report on the Localization Process of MEMS Etching Equipment in China – A Long and Arduous Road Ahead
The first sentence of the report is—
"As of the end of 2019, China's self-sufficiency rate in the field of DRIE (Deep Silicon Etching) equipment was zero."
Su Chen stared at the number "zero" on the screen for three seconds.
Then he closed the browser and opened a new document.
The document's title is—
Hongyuan's Self-Developed DRIE Etching Equipment Project (Code Name: Kaishan)
He started typing.
……
In another corner of Shenzhen—
In an office at DJI headquarters, Chen Jiaming is reviewing a document.
The cover of the document reads—
FlightCore 2.0 Marketing Plan – Seizing the Opportunity on the FlightCore Platform
The first page of the document is a timeline chart.
The chart is marked: "September-December 2020: Hongyuan MEMS production line upgrade stalled. Shipments of the Feiniao S1 are expected to slow, and attention to the SDK ecosystem will decline."
"Window of opportunity: 4 months."
Chen Jiaming signed the document.
Then he picked up the phone and dialed the number of Wang Rui, the head of the FlightCore product line:
"Wang Rui, the release date for FlightCore 2.0 has been moved up to mid-October."
"Mid-October?" Wang Rui was clearly surprised. "Product testing isn't completely finished yet—"
"We need to work overtime to finish the testing," Chen Jiaming interrupted him. "This window of opportunity won't wait for us."
"……clear."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Jiaming leaned back in his chair and looked out at the Shenzhen night view.
The headquarters of Hongyuan and DJI are less than 30 kilometers apart as the crow flies.
But at this moment, the two companies are heading in completely different directions.
One company is engrossed in developing its own MEMS devices, betting on the future three years from now.
Another company is vying for the current market share, aiming for market share three months from now.
Who is right and who is wrong?
Perhaps only time will tell.