Episode 182. Super.
At my words, TM Foundry development team leader Cha Ki-hyun put on a worried expression.
“If it is EUV, it is a good light source for a process of 10 nm (nanometer) or less. However, there are currently no companies that can properly handle these extreme ultraviolet rays. Famous laser light source equipment companies such as Nakhon and Conon in Japan are now at the research stage.”
“It is now. However, since no one wants to use EUV, equipment makers are not in a hurry to develop it. If we can clearly show our will to use EUV, the development speed will go up. I will persuade the equipment makers, so please start developing the 22nm process first.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Cha opened his mouth.
“..Actually, the 22nm process is also a problem. It is impossible to draw a circuit with a line width of 22 nm with ArF (argon fluoride), which is a conventional laser light source, so a new light source is required.”
“That can be solved with DPT.”
DPT (Double Patterning Technology).
When drawing a circuit on a wafer, which can be said to be a material for making semiconductors, it is usually completed only once, but it is a technique to draw this repeatedly several times.
Each time the number of times of drawing increases, the precision increases, which has the advantage of being able to draw circuits finely.
“…if it is DPT…theoretically, it seems possible. But if you use that technique, the processing time increases and the material is consumed, which increases the cost quite a bit. Is it okay?”
“it’s okay. In the future, the highest demand for system semiconductors will be parts used in smartphones. However, while performance is important for these parts, power consumption characteristics are more important than that. Smartphones have to be small enough to fit in one hand, so the battery cannot be increased beyond a certain size. And to make such a low-power semiconductor, microprocessing is essential. Design companies will use our foundries as long as they can reduce power consumption, even if it is a little expensive.”
“Ah… it seems that the CEO saw that smartphones are becoming the mainstream.”
“yes. The only thing that has to be done is that it is very convenient because you can do a lot of things, starting with the phone.”
“All right. We will develop the 22nm process by applying DPT.”
#Seoul Daechi-dong.
Ha-young Kim, a housewife in her 40s, who was watching the drama ‘The Garden of the House’ aired on SBN, turned the channel in annoyance.
“No, I didn’t like that drama from the start… Did the lead actor change today?”
Since watching D Flix’s dramas, which I signed up for as a one-month free promotion last month.
The dramas broadcast on the terrestrial TV were not filled with spirituality, but ‘The Garden of the House’ was too serious.
From the first episode, he frowned with all kinds of improbable settings.
In only 4 episodes, he showed a tendency to change even the lead actor.
Kim Ha-young sighed.
“Huh.. I think home shopping would be more fun.”
After the promotion period was over, the cost was burdensome, so I canceled it for now.
After that, the taste of watching TV dramas withered away.
“Ah, let’s wait a little longer, well, after that, the broadcasting station can calm down and make a good drama.”
After complaining once, Ha-young Kim started cutting fruits while watching a home shopping channel.
#Korean broadcasting company SBN Drama Bureau meeting room.
“3.5%…3.1%…Ugh, yesterday’s rating was 2.1%?”
The director sighed after flipping through a few pages of material and looked at the PD Im Si-hoon.
“Im Paddy. The garden of that house, what are you going to do?”
Im Si-hoon answered with a distressed expression on his face.
“..if the sexual harassment scandal of the lead actor Oh Seung-jin hadn’t happened, it wouldn’t have been this far… Since the 4th episode has already been aired, I can’t change it from the beginning, and I’m going crazy.”
“Oh Seung-jin…I was arrogant that the fortress had risen in popularity, but, in fact, when we were filming our drama, it was like this…”
The head, who had been vigorous, opened his mouth to Im Si-hoon.
“Im Paddy. Can we just finish this drama soon?”
Im Si-hoon asked in surprise.
“Let’s end it early. If you keep dragging it like this, there won’t be an answer!”
“Then what do you do with your free time? The sequel isn’t ready yet…”
“..I’m sorry, but let’s borrow one drama from Dflix and fill it up.”
“At D Flix?”
“okay. You make really good dramas there, right? At most, we have a budget of 1 billion won for a drama series, but according to the rumors we’re pouring 10 billion won, it seems like we have no choice but to do that. Anyway, let’s borrow something plausible from there and fill it up.”
“Hmm… that sounds like a bad idea. But would you like to lend us a drama there?”
“You’ll find out if you go and talk about it. You should go to Damoye.”
“okay. Hey, you’re from the Hwansung Video Project, aren’t you?”
“Damoyo, I heard that the head of D Flix’s business unit is also from Hwanseong, isn’t it someone that Im PD knows?”
“..I know Kwon Woo-myung, but I don’t know what to talk about when I go there… One thing I can say for sure is that the business manager is not someone who treats me like I’m a little acquainted.”
“I am not sending you to do something. First of all, it’s unclear if the atmosphere is that the content never goes out, or if it’s possible to export it if the conditions are right, right? Go and take a look at the situation. If you don’t like it, you can find another way, so don’t feel burdened.”
“Ah… I understand what you mean.”
“Then go and talk and call me right away.”
“All right. Chief.”
I was at RSML headquarters in the Netherlands.
RSML Corp.
Currently, it is the world’s second-largest laser light source equipment maker after Japan’s Nakhon.
Later, there was no other company in the world that could produce EUV except RSML.
It is a legendary company that is even called Super Eul by creating a situation that is not funny where the order of applying the 10nm or less process is determined depending on who placed the order for this company quickly.
Even if I don’t get involved, RSML will eventually start developing EUV facilities.
That point must have been at least two or three years from now.
I came here to advance the development time as much as possible.
I met RSML CEO Peter Dubrie in the conference room and greeted me in fluent English.
“Hello, Mr. Kang. It’s an honor to see a young genius who shocked the world with his smartphone at the end of last year. haha.”
“Thank you for your hospitality. Mr. the Bright.”
I said to Peter, who was sitting across from the table.
“The reason I came here is because I want to buy EUV equipment.”
“EUV equipment? Are you already trying to develop sub-10nm process technology?”
I nodded and answered him.
“The 10nm process is more difficult than any other process developed in the past, but it is a technology that needs to be developed in the end. I’m going to do it anyway, it’s going to take a long time, so I’m going to start early.”
Peter opened his mouth in admiration.
“Hey, I can see why Mr. Kang is always successful in business. You are preparing for the future a few years ahead of others, so it has no choice but to do so. But sorry, we do not sell EUV equipment. No other company, not just us, nor anywhere else in the world, makes EUV equipment yet. The equipment itself is difficult to make, and there is no demand for it yet, so there will be no companies that have started developing it.”
“I know. So I came here to meet that demand.”
“The demand?”
“yes. We will order 20 EUV equipment from TM foundry. We will also give you half of the payment in advance.”
When I said that I would give you the money before I even received the item, Peter put on a very surprised expression.
“..Are you going to make an advance payment? Is that half of it?”
“yes. I believe in your technology. Besides, the business situation these days isn’t very good, is it? You will need development costs, so I made such a proposal.”
Because RSML spent more money on R&D than any of its competitors.
Even the slightest deterioration in product sales could lead to a twist in cash flow.
Since this would still be the case, even if they wanted to develop EUV, they would not be able to do so, so they offered to pay an advance payment.
After thinking for a moment, Peter opened his mouth.
“The proposal is appreciated, but it will cost trillions of dollars just to develop the EUV facility. It is too risky to trust and invest that money in your company.”
It was an euphemistic refusal of expression.
I was expecting that it might be.
“The semiconductor of the future will develop in the direction of reducing power consumption, calorific value and size. And all of these characteristics are closely related to the circuit linewidth. Therefore, the semiconductor process has no choice but to go below 10 nm in line width in the future. If you think about it that way, the demand for EUV equipment is not only our company, but also foundries around the world.”
“..it’s not wrong, but isn’t the future always uncertain? Although our EUV facility is the core equipment of the 10nm process, it does not mean that it is the only one, and there will be many foundry companies that give up because of the high level of difficulty. Then there won’t be many customers, and there’s no guarantee that we will be the only laser light source equipment makers to develop EUV equipment. If there are other equipment companies that have developed EUV, there will be less demand for our equipment.”
In fact, in One Future, most companies, except for 5 or 6 foundry companies competing for industry leaders such as Wontel and Hwansung Electronics, will give up on the 10nm or less process.
It was a pretty accurate prediction.
‘There’s a reason RSML is growing. My eyes are not normal.’
However, we have prepared one more proposal for such a time.
I took the proposal out of my bag and handed it to Peter.
“Mr. the Bright. We will make that uncertain future certain.”
“This is a proposal to invest 3 billion euros in equity investment over the next two years.”
Because the amount I offered was close to 5 trillion Korean Won.
Peter’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Three billion… Euros?”
“yes. If your company suffers damage due to EUV facility development, it is an expression of my will to bear the damage as well. In addition to that, at least our TM Foundry is a proposal we have prepared because we think it is the surest way to promise that we will purchase RSML equipment as our top priority when purchasing EUV equipment in the future.”
In the future, RSML will grow into the world’s largest laser light source equipment company, and its share price will rise 10 times.
I can show my commitment to EUV development to RSML’s management and shareholders.
In addition, it was a proposal because it was possible to obtain a huge investment profit.
Peter, who was deep in thought, raised his head.
“The proposal of Mr. Lecture is attractive in many ways. We will talk with the shareholders and get back to you.”
