Preamble:
In the technology industry, the semiconductor industry is regarded as synonymous with "corner overtaking", and Liang Mengsong and others have also said that in the semiconductor industry, there is no possibility of "corner overtaking". However, in China, there is no lack of calls for comprehensive transcendence of this research achievement. At a time when the United States banned the production of semiconductors, Huaxia had already developed advanced chips above 7 nm. Many foreign semiconductor companies believe that China's chip industry will develop rapidly due to the US blockade. However, some recent key statistics show that in the current semiconductor production field, China is still highly dependent on foreign advanced technology, such as silicon wafers, electronic special gases, photoresists, etc., and its self-sufficiency capacity is less than 10%. This shows that domestic chips are still restricted in the import of raw materials and cannot be fully controlled. In this context, it is still too early for domestic chips to say "fire".
On the low self-sufficiency rate of raw materials.
At present, China mainly relies on imported raw materials, such as silicon, special gas, photoresist, etc., which are less than 10%, and the main raw materials rely on imports. Take silicon as an example, the current size of domestic large silicon is only about 300 nm, and the market share is not high, which is difficult to compete with international giants; However, in the field of photoresist, most domestic enterprises still stay above 90 nm, and it is difficult to enter a more advanced process. Therefore, the degree of localization and process technology of China's chips are far behind the world.
Read more: In the semiconductor production process, silicon is the most critical raw material, and its quality and specifications will directly determine the quality and specifications of the wafer. Although China has made some progress in the manufacture of silicon chips, it is still far from being compared with large international companies. As an indispensable substance in the semiconductor process, photoresist plays an extremely important role in the entire semiconductor process. China's high dependence on core raw materials also shows that China's localization in the semiconductor industry needs to be further strengthened.
Technological gaps and limited development space.
At present, in the field of semiconductor materials, in addition to the serious lack of its own production capacity, there is still a considerable gap between China and foreign manufacturers. For example, at present, the process of China's manufacturing enterprises is still at the nanometer level, and it is difficult to connect with the world. It is also difficult to use various materials such as photomasks, photoresist reagents, polishing pads, etc., which are technical obstacles that cannot be ignored. Although China's current chip industry is small, there are many varieties, so it is necessary to make a trade-off between R&D investment and future development space, and the willingness to invest in semiconductor raw materials is not high, and it is difficult to drive the technological progress of the entire industry.
Expansion: One of the main indicators to measure a nation's semiconductor capability is the level of science and technology, but China's scientific and technological development in this field is still far behind the international advanced level. Especially in chip manufacturing technology, photoresist formulations and some important raw materials, we still need more investment and technological breakthroughs. Although this market is still relatively small, the synthesis and use of various materials is still a big driver, so we must increase our efforts and broaden our research areas.
The conclusion is: although there has been some progress in domestic chips, there are still many problems and challenges. Among them, the domestic chips represented by Chinese chips have serious problems such as a shortage of domestic chips and a lagging development of the chip industry, which seriously affects their competitiveness in the international industrial chain. In order to achieve a sustainable semiconductor industry, it is necessary to invest in core raw materials, process processes and other fields, and make long-term plans and arrangements. On this basis, we should maintain a clear understanding of our own development status, prepare in advance, and maintain a low profile, so as to obtain development opportunities in the future.