Breakthrough! In the 50-nanometer silicon wafer space - Interview with the Peking University "Basic Research on New Devices and New Processes in System-on-Chip" Project Team

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Breakthrough! In the 50-nanometer silicon wafer space - Interview with the Peking University "Basic Research on New Devices and New Processes in System-on-Chip" Project Team [Copy link]

Source: Science and Technology Daily
Reporter: Xiang Jie Intern: Zhang Hanxue
Chief: Zhang Xing
Time: Afternoon of June 21, 2006
Location: School of Information Science and Technology, Peking University

　　
　　Computers, mobile phones, MP3s... Almost all electronic products have chips. It is hard to imagine how people's lives would be without chips. At present, China's production of electronic consumer products such as computers and mobile phones is already the world's first, but because it has not yet fully mastered the core chip technology, some aspects are still at the level of the assembly industry. The research goal of the 973 project "Basic Research on New Devices and New Processes in System Chips" is to propose innovative new semiconductor device structures for chip manufacturing processes below 50 nanometers, and use new processes to produce a new generation of system chips.
　　When contacted for an interview, the voice on the other end of the phone was a little low, which made people imagine that Zhang Xing, the chief scientist of the 973 project "Basic Research on New Devices and New Processes in System Chips" who had never met, should be an old man with a head full of silver hair. However, after seeing him in person in his office at Peking University, the reporter realized that this imagination was so unreliable—the "old man" was just a young scholar who had just crossed the age of 40. In other words, in 2000, when he became the chief scientist of the 973 project, he was only 35 years old!
　　"Newcomer"—a word popped out of my mind without restraint. Although this word may not be very accurate, for a moment, the reporter could not think of a better word to describe the chief in front of him.
　　Reporter: What was the original intention of establishing this project?
　　Zhang Xing: Microelectronics is the core and foundation of high technology and information industry. With the rapid development of the global information industry, the rapid rise of the network economy, the initial emergence of the knowledge economy, and the continuous rise of cutting-edge technologies in modern national defense and future wars, microelectronics has shown its important strategic position more than ever before.
　　In recent years, although the international microelectronics industry has been in a wave-like development state with ups and downs, China's microelectronics industry has been a standout, always maintaining an annual growth rate of more than 30%. In particular, with the operation of a number of large-scale, high-level integrated circuit manufacturing companies such as SMIC, the internationally advanced semiconductor processes are being rapidly and directly introduced into China, and the manufacturing process technology has reached the process technology level of 12 inches and 100 nanometers. Therefore, it can be said that China's microelectronics industry has entered a leapfrog development stage. However, despite this, China's microelectronics industry is also facing the trouble of independent intellectual property rights. The patent disputes that have occurred many times in recent years are a clear proof.
　　At present, with the changes in the international economic situation, the competition in the semiconductor industry has gradually become fierce. The semiconductor process continues to develop in the direction of micro-scale to reduce costs and improve competitiveness, forcing semiconductor process technology to maintain rapid development. In order to enhance the competitiveness of China's microelectronics industry, we must vigorously develop the next generation of microelectronics process technology with independent intellectual property rights, so that we can have our own place in the field of microelectronics technology in the future. This is exactly the original intention of our proposal of the 973 project.
　　Reporter: What is the main research goal of the project?
　　Zhang Xing: As you know, the name of our project is "Basic Research on New Devices and New Processes in System Chips". Its research goal is to propose our innovative new semiconductor device structure for the manufacturing process level below 50 nanometers, and use new processes to produce a new generation of system chips.
　　Reporter: What is the connection between this chip and our daily life?
　　Zhang Xing: There are too many connections. It is already everywhere in our lives, including mobile phones, MP3s...almost all electronic products have chips.
　　Reporter: What is the concept of less than 50 nanometers?
　　Zhang Xing: In the field of system chip research, everyone has been pursuing smaller size and lower energy consumption. Obviously, the smaller the size of the system chip, the better. Otherwise, the mobile phone we can put in the palm of our hand today will be like a brick a dozen years ago.
　　It is generally believed that when the device size is greater than 45 nanometers, the performance of the system chip can be improved by traditional proportional reduction. However, when it continues to shrink to less than 45 nanometers, a bottleneck that is generally recognized by everyone appears. Because once this size is reached, if the size of the device is reduced by traditional ideas, many parasitic effects will occur, such as heat problems, which can burn itself, not to mention improving the performance of the system chip.
　　Therefore, at this size, everyone must find a new device structure and use a new process to break through this bottleneck and further improve the performance of the system chip.
　　Reporter: Five years ago, when the project was launched, was it ahead of time to set the research goal below 50 nanometers?
　　Zhang Xing: At that time, the level of mass-produced system chips in the world was generally between 180 nanometers and 250 nanometers, and there were few laboratory research levels that reached 50 nanometers. Although China has always attached great importance to the research of system chips, it should be noted that there is still a certain gap between us and the world's advanced level. On this basis, can we use the latecomer advantage to make a breakthrough? To be honest, everyone was a little nervous at the time.
　　Looking back now, the goal set at that time was indeed relatively high, but through five years of unremitting efforts, we finally achieved this goal, and the effect was not bad.
　　Reporter: Making new devices below 50 nanometers is the biggest achievement of the project. Can it be understood in this way?
　　Zhang Xing: The focus of our research is not simply to pursue smaller device sizes. We pay more attention to proposing new device structures suitable for system chip integration in system chip processes below 50 nanometers.
　　The research team has currently proposed some new structures and has used these new structures to produce experimental devices under existing laboratory conditions. They may be applied to mass production in the future.
　　Reporter: What is the main innovation of this project?
　　Zhang Xing: I personally think that the innovation of the project is mainly reflected in three aspects.
　　First, we have proposed a variety of new device structures suitable for sub-50 nanometer system chip integration. As we all know, new structures are the bottleneck of nanoscale system chip development. Now different scientists in the world are proposing some different structures, but no one is clear which one will be applied to mass production in the end. We have currently proposed an original structural prototype, and the next step is to optimize it on this basis so that some structures can be applied to mass production.
　　Second, we have made a platform for simulating and simulating nanoscale devices. In the past, if you want to know the performance of a new device, you often have to make the device and then conduct experiments to get data. This cost is very high. For example, using the current process, making a 90-nanometer system chip and conducting an actual process tape-out costs about hundreds of thousands of dollars. If there is a mistake in the chip design, the waste caused is amazing. In view of this, the research team has developed a set of models and simulation software platforms based on the basic theory of quantum mechanics for devices below 50 nanometers in size. Using this platform, the actual performance of new structure devices can be simulated on the computer, thereby greatly saving costs.
　　Third, we have made a lot of innovations in materials. Because new devices inevitably require the use of new materials. For example, silicon oxide, a dielectric that was often used in chips in the past, may no longer be applicable when the process level is below 50 nanometers, and new alternative materials must be found. We have also made great progress in this regard.
　　Reporter: As the chief scientist of the 973 project in the field of microelectronics, what do you think are the shortcomings of China's current information industry?
　　Zhang Xing: After the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China raised informatization to the height of national strategy, which is very wise.
　　As traditional energy in China becomes increasingly scarce and increasingly dependent on imports, it is necessary to develop new industries and find new breakthroughs. The information industry has very low requirements for raw materials and mainly relies on human wisdom. The main material in chips is silicon, which has a high content on the earth, second only to oxygen, and can be said to be inexhaustible. However, once silicon wafers are turned into chips, that is, knowledge is integrated into chips, it can create great value. Therefore, it can be said that the chip industry is a typical knowledge economy.
　　But our current problem is that we focus on application and neglect research. At present, China's production of electronic consumer products such as computers and mobile phones is already the world's first. However, even so, because we have not mastered the core chip technology, some aspects are still at the level of assembly industry.
　　Chips and software are the two weakest links in China's information industry. If these two points are not solved, China's information industry will remain at the stage of working for others.
　　Reporter: Then where do you think we are most likely to make a breakthrough?
　　Zhang Xing: In recent years, China has made certain progress in system chips and communication chips. But there is still a long way to go to compete with chip giants like Intel.
　　At present, we have a good opportunity, which is embedded system chips. The biggest difference between it and CPU is that CPU is a general-purpose chip, while system chip has certain specialization. It can be combined with some industry standards in China and solidified on the chip. This is relatively easy to control and can also drive the rapid development of industries such as design technology, manufacturing technology, packaging technology and software.
　　The most obvious example is the ID card chip, which must use technology with independent intellectual property rights. As far as I know, this industry has driven the turnover of several companies to rise sharply. China has a demand of hundreds of millions of pieces a year, and this market is huge.
　　Reporter: Please finally introduce the academic achievements of the project.
　　Zhang Xing: In the past five years, our project has published 587 academic papers and 4 monographs in domestic and foreign academic journals and academic conferences, including 219 papers included in SCI and 248 papers included in EI. According to incomplete statistics, our published academic papers have been cited more than 150 times and have received good reviews. In addition, members of the research team were invited to give 24 reports at international academic conferences.
　　The project has also obtained a series of original innovative patent technologies, applied for 86 invention patents, of which 28 have been authorized. This has played a certain role in promoting my country's transition from a microelectronics power to a microelectronics powerhouse.