Diary number: 38139-7 '
70 years ago, when physicist Walter Bratton wrote down his experimental diary as usual, he did not expect an era to open.
The protagonist of this experiment is a semiconductor amplifier that is shorter and thicker than a matchstick, and later it was named a point contact transistor.
Click-to-contact transistors became the first key to humanity's opening of the transistor gates, a revolution in information technology sweeping the globe.
70 years later, the transistor has become almost ubiquitous.Human brick and tile to build a virtual world.We still have not found a substitute for transistors, based on the integrated circuit, will also be long-term human rely.
The advent of transistors, the forerunner of human microelectronics revolution
Before the birth of the transistor, people already had a tube, or vacuum tube.
Tube with signal amplification, but the problem of a basket - low life, bulky, poor reliability.
So one hopes to find a device to replace the tube, and Bell Labs, part of AT & T, has become the pioneer in finding ways to go.
Founded in 1925, Bell Labs is the largest industrial laboratory in the world, with 2,000 technicians among the 3,600 staff members.
In July 1945, near the end of World War II, in order to adapt to the post-war research directions, Bell Labs restructured each research department.
The reorganization, the physical department set up three research groups, one of which is the Solid State Physics Research Group.This group is divided into two groups of semiconductors and metallurgy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Dr. Shockley concurrently semiconductor team leader.He The group's research plan for the development of 'semiconductor amplifier'.
Semiconductor refers to the conductive properties at room temperature between the conductor and insulator materials, such as silicon and germanium, is a common semiconductor materials.
Wei Shaojun, director of the Institute of Microelectronics at Tsinghua University, said that to understand the working principle of a transistor, one can imagine a dam's sluice.
When the dam gate closed, no water out, the hydroelectric generator can not generate electricity; when the gate is open, the water gushed out, the hydroelectric generator can output current. 'Gate opening and closing directly affect the operation of the hydro-generator, which is With a weak signal, to control a strong signal. 'The basic principle of the transistor, is' amplification', with a small current to control high current.
Bell Labs has a long history of transistor design, and the birth of the transistor is the result of long-term accumulation. From the point of view of ownership of the Nobel Prize, the honor eventually gives three individuals - Shockley, Bratton and Budding.
December 16, 1947, placed in front of Bratton and Budding, is a multi-improved, built on the germanium crystal device.Ge germanium crystal surface, with a spring pressed on both sides wrapped with gold foil Triangular plastic wedge on both sides of the gold, is the signal input and output.
That's it, in that day's experiment, successfully amplified 30% output power and 15 times the output voltage.
Measured in modern standards, the prototype of the touch transistor is too simple and clumsy, but it is undeniable that it is the forerunner of the human microelectronics revolution.
Behind it, there are bipolar, unipolar transistors and silicon transistors come out one after another.
'From mobile computing to intelligent computing, all the changes of the present era are inseparable from the electronic information system, transistors, which is one of the most basic devices.' 'Wei Shaojun said the transistor in the information revolution, as ironware in the agricultural revolution, as Steam engine in the industrial revolution, 'its importance can not be overemphasized.'
China started late, still behind
The transistor should be used to do more, but only if it is small enough.
How to find a way to connect efficient transistors, wires, and other devices? Around 1958, two young Americans in their 30s in the United States each came up with their own solutions - the integrated circuits we are familiar with today.
If we say that the birth of the transistor is the butterfly flapping its wings, then China, far away from the ocean, also keenly smelled the signal of the storm coming.
China's start is not late in the mid 50s of last century, just as China began the implementation of the first five-year plan.The semiconductor science and technology by the party and the government attaches great importance to .1956, without technical information and complete equipment , Our country successfully developed the first batch of semiconductor devices - germanium alloy transistor.In 1965, China also has integrated circuits.
'Speaking of the first generation of semiconductor people in our country, it is really remarkable.' 'Ye Tianchun, director of Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said with emotion,' they returned home with knowledge, developed their own equipment, prepared their own materials, Completely self-made.
The first 20 years, China's IC and the international gap is not large; but in the second 20 years, the road began to twists and turns.
The difference is not technology, but industry.A country that has not yet completed industrialization has just come out of the era of planned economy and it is not yet known how to organize large-scale commodity production. At this moment, it is even more difficult to further develop high-tech industries More difficult.
Industry development is not up, technology research and development are also struggling, into a vicious circle.Ye Tianchun remember that in 1986 when he just entered the IC line, the entire industry is in a painful transition period.We are still learning to produce high-quality low-cost bulk products , Groping in chaos.
The eighties and nineties of last century, the international IC industry began to take off. 'This is the difference between the stages of national development, there is nothing to complain.'
The real turning point happened in 2008.
That year, the state science and technology major projects started. "The core electronic devices, high-end general-purpose chips and basic software products," "very large-scale integrated circuit manufacturing equipment and complete sets of technology," and other special points are integrated circuits. 5 years later, the technology reserves to To a certain extent, increase industry input, it was put on the agenda.
In 2014, the State Council released the "Outline for Promoting the Development of the National Integrated Circuit Industry" and set up the National Industry Investment Fund. "The effect suddenly appeared. Why can it be so fast? Because the technology system has been established to support the rapid development of the industrial system Ye Tianchun concluded, 'This is a combination of punches, is perfect.'
It is time to fight the big battle
In January 2017, the United States, where the transistor was born, targeted a Chinese in a report.
The U.S. Presidential Science and Technology Advisory Committee said that China's chip industry has posed a serious threat to the U.S. related businesses and national security. It is suggested that the U.S. president order a more rigorous examination of China's chip industry.
Why? China's IC industry in the world accounted for a very small scale, be regarded as 'small transparent', even if there are some cross-border mergers and acquisitions, but the transaction volume is not enough to see, as to cause such a high alert?
'Because behind the capital is our own real technical system and industrial system to do the support,' Ye said, 'They think, once developed, they can not be stopped.We have the core competitiveness, people are afraid.'
In fact, China's integrated circuits have always been in the international suppression and containment in the survival of the industry is still in its infancy, there is 'Paris Co-ordinating Association' on China's new technologies and new equipment to block the embargo.When the last century Following the disintegration of the Paris Co-ordination Association in the late 1980s, the WATSCO continued to impose restrictions on emerging technologies and emerging industries in our country. They only allowed the release of integrated circuit technologies and equipment lagging behind the economically developed countries for two generations.
'Western countries are a little bit nervous.' "Wei Shaojun's view is slightly different:" It is not easy for China to win the battle for integrated circuits. "The development of the integrated circuit industry requires a globalized industrial environment, which requires huge investment and a large amount of talent This can not be accomplished in one go.
Statistics from the China Semiconductor Industry Association show that in 2016, China's IC industry sales reached 433.55 billion yuan, an increase of 20.1% over the previous year, the growth rate can be considered as "triumph." However, Wei Shaojun reminded that more than 400 billion yuan Of sales, but also includes the contribution of foreign investors in China. 'In fact, our own ability is quite limited.' He judged that China's own production of integrated circuits, can meet about 1/4 of domestic demand.
Technically speaking, the latest integrated circuit technology in our country is one generation to two generations behind the latest technology in the world, but Ye Tichun believes that the intergenerational difference entangled in this latest technology is a misunderstanding and does not make much sense .
For example, the 55nm, 40nm and 28nm chips, which are still in mass production today, have been in the market for almost 10 years, but they have not exited the stage of history because of the smaller die.
'ICs are indeed shrinking in size quickly, but they are not a complete replacement for the generation of the next generation. Each generation of technology has a life cycle of about 10 years.' "Ye said that the three generations of 55, 40 and 28 nanometer packages in China have been developed Success and mass production, and more advanced 22,14 nm pilot technology breakthrough in research and development, formed its own intellectual property rights. "The so-called catch-up, but also without the need to fully exceed in all fields, as long as China's integrated circuits can support The development of informatization and intelligence in our country can be. '
To be sure, this transistor-based information revolution will deepen and reform the human society more deeply. "In the future, the importance of the chip only increases." Wei Shaojun emphasized.
Looking back, Ye Tianchun often said that "inheritance." One generation of semiconductor people's temper, only China's situation today.
What is the situation today? He looked up, looking afar, with a smile. 'Can fight the battle .We have the ability to' war ', although the capacity is limited, but before the big difference. It is only a question of time and time that there is no reason to surpass others.