MTL - Warship of Great Power-Chapter 770 Foundry chips for AMD

  Chapter 770 OEM chips for AMD

In the 1990s, after Moore retired, Grove took over his position. He originally said that he would retire at the age of 57, but he worked very happily. I can retire.

   Barrett took his place, but in front of him was a mess.

  Under the halo of Godson, Intel, the processor giant, is left with only a lingering breath.

   They originally thought that their competitor was AMD, but they didn't expect that the little-known Dongfang came out with a dark horse!

  In fact, Intel was also engaged in memory a few years ago, but in the early 1990s due to fierce competition, it suffered losses and withdrew from this market. Now, although they do not produce memory, they can specify standards.

   "That's right, they use DDR is the wrong way, this technology can not bring about a substantial improvement, we have already negotiated with MRambu to use their standard." Technical Officer Paul said.

He is confident: "They have evolved from the PC100 route, and the memory bandwidth has been increased from 1GB/sec to 2GB/sec at most, which is at most the PC133 standard. The data bandwidth improvement is limited, and our RDR memory standard, the initial bandwidth It can start from 4.2GB/sec, and has unlimited development prospects. It should be a perfect match with our new generation of processors. Even if our main frequency is not as high as theirs, our computing power will not be slower than theirs. How many."

Paul is in charge of the memory specification. He went to Rambus many times and jointly customized the RambusDRAM memory specification. The advantages of frequency and high bandwidth can definitely become the new darling of the memory market. I thought that the innovative Godson company would come up with a new standard, but it was just modifying the original memory!

  In terms of frequency, Rambus memory also has a great advantage. It directly uses a 400 MHz 16-bit bus, and can also transmit data on rising and falling edges. The starting frequency is 2400 MHz.

   (If you compare it, it is almost the same as the memory stick in the DDR4 era, specifically DDR4-2400. It can be seen how advanced the technology of this memory stick is. Unfortunately, it is useless to be advanced. The key is the price. It is too expensive and who can afford it.)

   "Then what are you waiting for?" Barrett said: "Go to contact the various memory manufacturers now and let them unify their caliber and refuse to support DDR memory."

Paul shook his head helplessly: "Mr. President, you just took over, and you probably don't know yet. We have reached an agreement with Rambus. This memory technology is only jointly owned by us and Rambus, and we have no intention of licensing it to a third party. "

   They publish a new standard, for what? They still want to squeeze out all other memory manufacturers and let them dominate the market. In the past few years, they kept losing money in the fierce memory competition, and finally they were forced to withdraw from the memory field. Now, they want to bring new standards, Returning to the stage, no one wants to produce, Intel and Rambus eat alone!

   "Now, can there be a future without authorization?" Barrett glanced at him: "First try to squeeze the Godson company to the bottom, and with them, none of us will have a good end!"

   Now if they want to eat alone, they will definitely not end well. They must go bankrupt. In order to develop, they can only unite!

  Faced with this challenge, the choice Intel made was to continue to compete. After all, they used to be the leader in this field, but for other manufacturers, this is not necessarily the case.

   Such as AMD.

  Unlike Intel, AMD has not changed its head since its founding in 1969. This is a miracle in the entire high-tech company, and Jerry Sanders has a legendary spirit.

  Generally engaged in science and technology, they all come from wealthy families, but Sanders is different. He was born on South Winchester Street in Chicago in 1936. When he was young, his parents divorced, so he could only live with his grandparents.

  The long-term poor life has also created Sanders' perseverance. Once he decides something, he will go on unswervingly.

  When AMD was founded, there were only eight people, and Sanders held several roles, especially to deceive investors.

   Promising Intel raised $5 million in 5 minutes, while Sanders took 5 million minutes to raise $50,000. However, he didn't give up because of this, he kept fighting.

   Relying on the spirit of never giving in, AMD passed through the difficult early days of entrepreneurship. However, their future is still uncertain. After all, they are facing a behemoth like Intel. Sanders has never been afraid. He took AMD to challenge Intel. He also started from himself to improve the company's structure and stimulate the innovative spirit of employees. It can be said that it is precisely because of such a resolute, An outstanding leader who dares to speak and act, and never gives up, AMD can always maintain a high morale. Look at the companies that challenged Intel together, such as Zilog, National Semiconductor, and Motorola, have all disappeared in the long river of history.

   Now Sanders is gray-haired, in his sixties, and has reached retirement age. However, he wants to lead AMD out of the predicament. There are not many paths he can choose.

"Now, our biggest problem is that the manufacturing process can't keep up." Dirk Mayer said: "Like Intel, we have just mastered the 0.18-micron manufacturing process, and it is not ready for mature use. Our K7 also plans to try it first. 0.25 micron to transition. SMIC has long been able to use the 0.13 micron process. When we master the 0.13 micron process, they must have been able to master the 90-nanometer process. us."

Mayer joined AMD in 1996. However, he is definitely a powerful faction. AMD dug it from IBM. He served as the engineering director and was in charge of the AMD-K7TM microprocessor development plan in Austin, Texas. . Originally, this project should be very successful. The initial model of the K7 processor can reach a frequency of 900 megahertz, and will eventually reach 1.8GHZ. Its appearance made AMD beat Intel for the first time, and people shouted AMDYes slogan to come.

  Mayer relied on this project to be promoted to vice president of engineering for the Computing Products Group, which is how he came to the meeting.

   It's just that, even if this processor beats Intel, a more terrifying opponent than Intel has appeared, and they are pressing Intel to fight!

"Yes, the more advanced the process, the more transistors are integrated on the same chip, the lower the cost, the higher the performance, and the lower the heat generation." Sanders said: "We can't rely on 0.18 micron process to win, we have to continue to develop 0.13 micron process."

"Relying on our own words, we will not be able to master this production process within three to five years, and by that time, our opponents have already switched to 90 nanometers." Mayer said: "We will always follow behind, forever There is no day of success.”

  AMD also has its own fab. They design and manufacture by themselves. If there is a problem, they have to solve it by themselves. Therefore, their progress was not smooth and their steps were difficult.

   "So what?" Sanders asked.

"Our opponent, Godson Corporation, is only responsible for designing processors. They can devote all their energy to designing. As for how to produce processors, it is handed over to SMIC. The latter does not design chips, but only produces chips. ’” Mayer said.

   "What do you want to say, just say it." Sanders said with a black face.

   "We improved the design of K7, adopted a 0.13 micron process, and then handed it over to SMIC for OEM, so that we can directly keep up with the footsteps of the East." Mayer said.

   "It's impossible!" Sanders categorically vetoed: "A hero must have his own fab" (realmenhavefabs).

This sentence has always been circulated in Silicon Valley. It belongs to the famous saying of Sanders. He is a famous tough guy in Silicon Valley. For more than thirty years.

  For him, if it doesn't have its own fab, is it still called a high-tech company?

When Sanders was in office, he always insisted on independent research and development and independent production. In this way, until his retirement, his successor Lu Yizhi sold AMD's fab business in 2009 and established it with the Middle East Tyrant Fund. The current Globalfoundries company (also known as GF, this is very similar to the abbreviation GirlFriend for girlfriend.)

  However, despite the split, AMD still handed over its chips to his girlfriend for OEM production, and after receiving investment from local tyrants in the Middle East, they gained a financial advantage and made great progress all the way.

   It was not until 2011 that my girlfriend's 32nm process foundry had problems and AMD was cheated, so they handed over some orders to TSMC. In 12 years, AMD completely broke with his girlfriend and completely gave up his insignificant shares. Since then, AMD has completely embraced TSMC, relying on TSMC's technological advantages, and once again beat Intel to the ground. So that computer enthusiasts have to thank AMD for allowing themselves to use cheap Intel.

   Now, AMD has encountered a crisis, and their only solution is foundry!

"We don't want to completely abandon our own fab." Mayer said: "Our fab also needs to develop, but our technology can't catch up with the Orientals now. If we want to compete, we have to work under the same process." Competition, otherwise, it is not a question of whether we have our own fab, but whether we have AMD itself."

   If this continues, AMD will also go bankrupt!

   "Mayer, you are taking it for granted. How can the Orientals give us OEM? They want to crush us." An executive said.

"If the Easterners are smart enough, they should see that there are many benefits to us as an OEM." Mayer said: "If their processors want to be sold here, they have to follow our laws. There can't be just one processor company, or it would violate our monopoly laws."

  Everyone is discussing, Sanders is thinking, from his personal point of view, he absolutely does not want to hand over the chip to others, but now their own technology can not keep up, and it is impossible not to hand over the chip to the East.

  The route was wrong, which hindered them. If they switched to immersion lithography machine technology early, how could they let the Orientals take the lead! Are those companies engaged in lithography machines eating shit?

"Our goal is not to compete with Godson. At least for now, it is very difficult for us to surpass Godson, but we only need to beat Intel." Mayer is still talking: "Our national defense, the government, Education, etc. Many government departments need to update their computers, and they will definitely not buy Loongson computers, even in the whole of Europe. After defeating Intel, our AMD company will be able to dominate this market. At that time, we will continue to grow and grow. Ten times, a hundred times. We develop first, and when the gap with Dongfang is evened out, it will not be too late to achieve overtaking.”

   These words finally made Sanders make up his mind: "Okay, then let's go to the East and apply to them for OEM."

   "However, if we want to manufacture, it means that our technology has been exposed to the Orientals!" There are still some people who object, and it is too difficult for their proud whites to bow their heads to the yellows.

  The chip foundry must receive a full set of design drawings, and their processors have no secrets!

  Using the same foundry as competitors, will the foundry leak their secrets to Godson?

   "Our technology is not as advanced as Godson's at all, so how could they care about our secrets." Mayer said: "Besides, we use different technical routes and different instruction sets. What can be leaked?"

   "You mean now, what about the future?"

"In the future, they will find out that there is a lot of profit in OEM for us. We will use this opportunity to invite them to build factories in the United States, so that we can firmly control it." Mayer said: "Even if we want to obtain The authorization of the White House, those smart guys, shouldn't stop us in this matter. They will focus on Intel and let us fend for ourselves."

  Sanders didn't hesitate any more: "Mayer, you should go to the East immediately and discuss with them about OEM."

   "Me? Aren't you going there yourself?"

   "I'm going to lobby the White House."

In this way, Mayer embarked on a trip to the East. In fact, he has no idea. If the opponent is someone who has no overall perspective, he will definitely not contract for him. However, if the opponent is Mr. Qin If so, he should be able to know how to choose the right one.

It has been 99 years. At the beginning of the new year, Vientiane is renewed, and many things have to be arranged, especially when China Iron and Steel Association is negotiating the import of iron ore for the new year. Qin Tao is even more busy. He has been in the capital and Sinosteel The leaders of the association were mixed together. On this day, dizzy and dizzy, Zhao Ling walked gently to his side.

   "Brother Tao, there is a new situation at SMIC. Mr. Zhang is undecided, so I come to ask for your opinion."

"what's the situation?"

   “AMD came to us as an OEM to produce K7 processors.”

"What? Looking for our OEM? It's a good thing!" Qin Tao said: "This kind of good thing, of course we have to agree! Tell Mr. Zhang that without affecting our own production, the excess production capacity can be used by AMD as an agent. work!"

   After finishing speaking, Qin Tao thought of something again: "I'll go there myself."

   "Brother Tao, they are not the president, but the president's subordinates."

   "It's okay, it's just to let the other party feel that we value it."

  Zhao Ling couldn't understand even more: "Brother Tao, isn't it good that we crushed our opponents? Why do you attach so much importance to them?"

"Of course it's good to crush our competitors, but what happens after we're crushed?" Qin Tao said, "Will others let us go? They will use all kinds of tricks. If we can OEM for AMD, it will be quite Yu Duo gave SMIC a way to survive. However, you must be careful in everything, so as not to be calculated by others."

  Qin Tao went from the capital to Huating again, and when he arrived at Huating, it was already night.

  The meeting could only be held on the second day. That night, Qin Tao first met with Zhang Rujin.

   "We produce chips now, and the whole industrial chain is in our own hands?" Qin Tao cut to the point.

"The production of chips requires wafers. The equipment includes single crystal furnaces, vapor phase epitaxy furnaces, oxidation furnaces, and magnetron sputtering tables. To make wafers into chips requires chemical polishing machines, ion implanters, lithography machines, etching machines, and marking machines. Microchips, etc., we can produce these equipment ourselves at present, but the output is not high, and it is in single digits every year, so it limits the production scale of our own factory." Zhang Rujin said: "When purchasing equipment, we follow the principle of If you can use domestic production, you don’t need to import it, so over the past few years, domestic production machines have come up, forming a complete industrial chain.”

   "Think about it again, is there anything else?"

   "Others, it is photoresist, which we still import from island countries." Zhang Rujin said.

  Although Qin Tao is not an electronics engineer, he is very impressed with this photoresist. Such a small thing may be stuck by others. Relying on imports is unreliable, the little devil has to listen to his father, and this thing is different from iron ore. If you import too much at one time, if you can't use it, the performance will decrease after six months, and it will break after nine months. Yes, it has a shelf life.

   "Can't we produce domestically?"

"The low-end photoresist is already self-produced. There are relevant domestic units that are developing high-end photoresist. We are also constantly testing. The distance to success is getting closer and closer. It is expected that within half a year, we will be able to use domestically produced photoresists. The photoresist is gone," Zhang Rujin said.

   "Within half a year? Okay, then we will increase the amount of stock, even if we no longer import photoresist, we can still use half a year." Qin Tao said.

In fact, the more advanced the process, the better the quality of the photoresist required. In later generations, the photoresist needed is the most advanced when the process is a few nanometers or tens of nanometers. The current 0.13 micron process will not be used in future generations. Low-end photoresists can be produced by themselves.

   "Boss Qin, are you worried that others will trip us up?"

"I think it's not worry, it's affirmation." Qin Tao said: "We used to produce by ourselves, and people already hated it. Now, we have to do OEM, which makes many people's teeth itch. They first contact us Sign the contract, and when we suddenly encounter a supply cutoff and cannot produce, they can come to seek compensation."

   "Then this time is a conspiracy by AMD?" Zhang Rujin became nervous. He is engaged in technology, and he is really not familiar with this kind of political affairs. Thanks to Mr. Qin's reminder, otherwise he would fall into the pit.

"I don't know about this. Maybe they really want to find us as an OEM." Qin Tao said: "However, other people will take this opportunity to create a crisis, but we don't have to care about it, as long as we do our own things well good."

   "Actually, we don't need to manufacture..."

"Of course we want OEM." Qin Tao said affirmatively: "Only OEM can make our SMIC develop and grow. We don't engage in design. If we don't do OEM, how can we make money? How can we develop and grow if we don't make money?" ?We not only want to do OEM for domestic chip design units, but also for other chip design units in the world. In the future, we will crush all the foundries and monopolize this market.”

This monopoly is not a brand monopoly, but a monopoly of an OEM. Others can't fault it, and once you are in a monopoly position, it means you have the right to speak. There will be no less struggles in the future. There will be one more hole card.

  A certain country wants to say that it has a monopoly and fine it? Damn, I won't do OEM for you anymore, and let your chips go back several generations!

  Anti-monopoly is nonsense. Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas, leaving only Boeing in the U.S. market. Why haven’t Americans jumped out and called for monopoly? Those military industry giants are constantly merging, and they have long been monopolized.

  Zhang Rujin also became excited, Mr. Qin made it very clear that if he wants to be the leader in the foundry field, he will crush TSMC!

  Zhang Rujin and TSMC, those are old enemies!

  Zhang Rujin's heart became hot.

  This night, Mayer, who came from the other side of the ocean, didn't sleep well either. He was in the high-end presidential suite of the Huating Hotel, looking at the brightly lit big city below, which gave him a strange feeling.

  The East is taking off!

  The East is like a sleeping lion, and now it has woken up! It is shouting to the whole world, it will return to the top!

  Once you hand over the chip business to Dongfang OEM, can you regain control of chip production?

   Regardless, the most important thing now is that AMD can survive!

   After holding back for so many years, the K7 carefully crafted by AMD will definitely surpass Intel. Now, with the oriental technology, they can quickly surpass Intel, and let Intel be defeated first.

  Anyway, in the hands of the user, it bears the AMD trademark, and the name of the foundry will definitely not be written on it.

   It was not until the middle of the night that Mayer finally fell asleep. In his sleep, sitting on AMD became the number one chip in the United States.

  The next day, when he walked into the conference room, he saw the people inside, and was immediately surprised: "Mr. Qin, you actually came in person?"

  (end of this chapter)