Zhongqing Online Changsha August 4th (China Youth Daily, Zhongqing Online Reporter Wang Lin Ningdi) After the listing of Guoke Microelectronics and the localization of chips in vertical fields such as radio and television, Zhou soldiers did not reveal much happy expressions. On the contrary, serious, nervous expression has been hanging on his face.
In front of this semiconductor industry, the veteran of the hair industry has been the CTO (CTO) of Hunan Guoke Microelectronics Co., Ltd., responsible for the R&D, definition and development path of the company's chip products. This chip is based in Changsha. Enterprises, which are relatively rare but very critical chip developers in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.
The TV set-top box used by many people is based on the chip developed by Guoke Microelectronics. At present, there are more than 60 million households in the country, which are watched by Guoke Microelectronics' direct broadcast satellite, cable HD, ground wave, digital audio and other solutions. TV show, enjoy family entertainment.
Talent is the most direct difficulty
Under the leadership of the founding team, Guoke Microelectronics has produced a good transcript in the positive competition with European and American companies:
The total sales of radio and television chips totals more than 60 million chips, with a market share of more than 50%. The transmission speed of the GK2301 solid-state storage control chip reaches 500 megabits per second, breaking the monopoly of foreign chip manufacturers on this line and becoming the first domestic information security company in China. Evaluation Center, the National Cryptographic Authority is dual-certified, and has completely independent intellectual property rights...
Putting it in front of ordinary people, these achievements are already proud enough. But decades of experience in the field of rooted semiconductors tells Zhou soldiers that although Chinese companies such as Guoke Microelectronics have achieved market leadership in some vertical fields, they are far from the chip semiconductor industry. The world's leading level, Chinese companies still have a big gap, there are still many problems to be solved.
August 3, Changsha City, Hunan Province, National Science and Technology Microelectronics research and development of chips. China Youth Daily · China Youth Online reporter Zhao Di / photo
Talent is the most direct difficulty for their current feelings. When recruiting new graduates in recent years, they found that a problem is becoming more and more serious: Many semiconductor graduates are not preferred by Huawei Hisilicon, Guoke Microelectronics, etc. Professional counterpart chip business.
The talent problem is not the only 'pain point' faced by domestic chip companies. The lack of manufacturing links also casts a shadow on the autonomy of chips.
Taking Guoke Microelectronics as an example, its 40nm (nanometer) precision chip products are generally handed over to chip manufacturing companies such as SMIC; however, high-end products represented by 28nm and 14nm precision chips have to be selected. TSMC and other well-known chip manufacturers are doing this. This is because the manufacturing process of such manufacturers is more advanced, and the non-performing rate and production cost control are better.
'It takes almost 10 to 20 years to catch up with the world's most advanced level.' Zhou soldiers told China Youth Daily · Zhongqing Online reporter, for various reasons, China is on core products such as CPU (Central Processing Unit). There is still a big gap with the world-class level. Moreover, because the path of the development of the chip industry is basically the same, this gap is difficult to bend overtaking.
'Going out' to integrate international talents
As an industry that constantly updates and iterates, the chip semiconductor field is in great need of talents to join. In order to build a talented echelon, Guoke Microelectronics has taken the initiative to “go global” and set up R&D centers in Silicon Valley and other regions to integrate and utilize international talents.
As a chip design company, Guoke Microelectronics needs to have a balanced choice between current business interests and the future of technology. It is the immediate profit, or the long-term technology, which has become a problem for Zhou soldiers and other founders. .
August 3, Changsha City, Hunan Province, SSD chip developed by Guoke Microelectronics. China Youth Daily·China Youth Online Reporter Zhao Di/Photo
The talent and capital investment in the field of storage controller chips can explain their choice. According to reports, Guoke Microelectronics has divided the team of storage controller chips into three parts: The R&D team in Silicon Valley has all doctoral degrees and has been in business for more than 10 years. They will act as mentors and architects to plan products for the next five years; the R&D team in Taiwan will develop products for the last three years; the Continental team will be responsible for the development of current products; People go to Silicon Valley to study and work.
In addition, the chip company headquartered in Changsha, Hunan, has set up branches/subsidiaries in Chengdu, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing, Changzhou and other places in recent years, and spends more than 20% of its annual revenue on research and development. A series of major scientific research projects, including the major scientific and technological projects, the National Torch Program, and the strategic emerging industries in Hunan Province, have established an academic platform for academician workstations, solid-state storage engineering technology research centers, and Hunan Enterprise Technology Center.
At present, an upgraded version of the GK2301 memory controller chip with full intellectual property rights is being developed, and its data transmission speed will be greatly improved.
How to use the policy 'baton'
Another appeal of Zhou’s soldiers is that they should consider what kind of policies should be used to stimulate the innovation vitality of chip companies. In his view, the technological breakthroughs in high-end products such as chips need to rely on 'policy Dongfeng'. 'Policy through policy' To guide the focus of the company's investment in resources. '
At present, China has introduced a number of special support policies for the chip semiconductor industry, and also established a 'big fund' in this field - the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, which promoted the development of the industry in the form of market-oriented investment and changed the past. Tax land subsidies, research and development incentives. Guoke Microelectronics is the first chip design company to invest after the establishment of 'big fund'.
August 3, Changsha City, Hunan Province, Gu Kewei Weekly Soldier. China Youth Daily·China Youth Online Reporter Zhao Di/Photo
In the view of Zhou soldiers, there are many specific policy support in the future that can be achieved through institutions such as the 'big fund'. For example, in view of the long-term characteristics of the semiconductor industry chain, it is possible to increase investment in some key and short-term links, and to support policy support. The combination of market choices, strive to achieve the autonomy of domestic technology at an early date.
In addition, he also hopes that in the future policy level, he can give some encouragement policies to areas with relatively high R&D investment and high technical difficulty, and guide the chip industry to make up the short board and develop synergistically.