Rebirth

"Li Dong, I didn't expect you to be familiar with Mayor Chen and Mr. Song." In the car, Cao Xingcheng said to Li Feng with a smile.

"I didn't expect that my coming, let the two of you come together, it made me flattered. However, I came only because I am interested in UMC. I don't want to know about other things. I don't participate in politics. , Isn't it? If we can reach a cooperation, maybe we will stay a few more days, if there is no chance of cooperation, I will leave here soon." Li Feng replied with a smile.

"I really envy Dong Li's freedom and ease. Although the fire caused us UMC to suffer heavy losses, and the pressure on all parties increased, but it did not reach the point where we have several other factories, as long as we integrate At a glance, the production capacity is actually no inferior to any one."

Obviously, although Cao Xingcheng intends to cooperate, the meaning in the words is still very clear. He just wants to express that even if UMC has suffered heavy losses from the fire, the strength is still there. Those who want to come to fight the autumn wind are dreaming.

Similarly, since Li Feng has been invited, there will naturally be opportunities for cooperation. As for the final outcome, it depends on the skills of all parties.

"Really, I heard that several factories were established in cooperation with IC design companies, and among UMC's factories, you seem to have established your own IC design department since last year.

Although the joint investment and construction of the factory has allowed UMC to open up the market, as far as I know, because you have established an independent design department, these design companies are worried about the leakage of product design technology. This is not a day or two.

TSMC has no such confusion. I think Cao Dong should also be worried about this matter.UMC is now in the most difficult period, but in my opinion, don't you think this is also an opportunity to solve the problem.

There is a saying that I have always believed in, "Crisis, crisis, danger is organic.""

...

Hearing Li Feng’s words, the old man with a glimmer of eyes could not help but said in a serious tone: “Yes, these are the biggest dilemmas right now. Cooperating with a design company, although there are advantages, such as being able to expand the market and get orders, There are also inconveniences.

The first point, as you said, is that design companies worry about technology outflow. Secondly, each foundry is independently responsible for production design. The production capacity of different factories is restricted. This is also ours. What do you think should be the reason for the lack of capacity?"

"Hehe..., I think this shouldn't bother Cao Dong. Since cooperation is difficult, one side can't withdraw, right?

If UMC is reorganized and the IC design department is completely separated from the foundry to operate, I wonder if Mr. Cao is interested?Or directly purchase shares of other design companies, which is the most convenient and straightforward."

"I'm thinking, but it takes a lot of money to buy the other party's factory shares, and UMC can't spend so much money for the time being."

Obviously, Cao Xingcheng pays more attention to the direct acquisition of foundries.

"Haha..., isn't this the purpose of my coming?"

"It is true, and I think that with your influence in the United States today, Li Dong, maybe after real cooperation, it should be beneficial to us to open up the market."

"Hehe..., I can't guarantee this, but for the development of the subordinate companies, I naturally pay attention."

Sure enough, people are also interested. If Li Feng can take a stake in UMC and become a major shareholder, not only will he have integrated funds, but also in terms of Li Feng’s current influence in the United States, it must be very good for the company’s development. After all, the American emperor is the country that designs, produces, and consumes chips.

...

Since he wants to join UMC and buy shares in foundries, Li Feng naturally has some understanding of these.

The semiconductor and chip industries may initially be traced back to the former leader of the semiconductor industry-Fairchild Semiconductor. Fairchild Semiconductor is known as the'West Point Military Academy' in the semiconductor, electronics, and computer industries.

The exodus and departure of groups of elite talents has led to the glorious history of Silicon Valley. For example, Intel and AMD, which now occupy more than half of the semiconductor chips, were founded by the exodus elite talents from Fairchild.

In the beginning, all major semiconductor companies adopted a large-scale strategy, that is, the company is responsible for both design and manufacturing, and a problem arises in this way, that is, cost.

Semiconductor chip design and R&D is often a billion-dollar start-up R&D funds, and the design of chip manufacturing plants and the research and development of new manufacturing technologies are no less expensive than chip design, only a lot more.

This has made the semiconductor industry a double-intensive, expensive company with technology and capital. After all, it easily started with a unit of $1 billion. As a result, several giants are firmly in control, and latecomers have almost no opportunity to insert.

In this context of the semiconductor industry, Wanwan’s semiconductor industry has taken a bold and innovative step, which is to divide design and manufacturing into two, thus giving birth to two semiconductor industries, namely chip design and chip manufacture.

This subdivision has greatly reduced the cost of entering the semiconductor industry to find food. The market originally controlled by a small number of oligarchs has also changed. Zhang Zhongmou of Semiconductor Manufacturing is considered to be the initiator of this change.

...

In other words, in the late 1980s, Zhang Zhongmou, who was still the global vice president of Texas Instruments, was invited by Wanwan to develop the semiconductor industry here.

Later history, most people know, that is Zhang Zhongmou finally established a foundry focused on chip manufacturing, that is TSMC, and later TSMC became one of the giants in the global semiconductor industry.

Naturally, with the rapid development of Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Zhang Zhongmou has become the hero and savior of the entire Bay Bay semiconductor industry. Even in the global semiconductor industry, he has also achieved a huge reputation. After all, because of the major innovation of Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., it has spawned Two major chip industries.

However, just when people thought it was JMC Zhang Zhongmou who was the proponent of this big innovation, there was another person in Wanwan who was disapproving, that is, UMC's Cao Xingcheng.

In Cao Xingcheng's view, chip foundry is his own creativity, and Zhang Zhongmou is just a "plagiarist."He publicly expressed this statement, but Zhang Zhongmou never responded to it.

It turned out that when Zhang Zhongmou returned to Wanwan to preside over the semiconductor industry, Cao Xingcheng, a subordinate at that time, analyzed the semiconductor industry and then made an industry development plan, which was a foundry plan. Then handed it to Zhang Zhongmou.

Unfortunately, after the plan was submitted, there was no reply.

Unexpectedly, after Zhang Zhongmou completely left the US and returned to Wanwan, he immediately established TSMC, a company with foundry as the core and dedicated to chip manufacturing services. In Cao Xingcheng’s view, this is clearly his own plan by Zhang Zhongmou. Plagiarized.

...

It was also from that time that Cao Xingcheng's mistreatment with Zhang Zhongmou continued.Similarly, with the battle between the two big bosses, the competition between the two major companies also began.For example, before the 1990s, whether it was JMC or UMC, the boss of the company was Zhang Zhongmou. As a result, in the early 1990s, Cao Xingcheng passed a series of operations to drive Zhang Zhongmou out of UMC and put him in his own hands.

The competition between UMC and Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has become an exciting game in the Gulf Bay semiconductor industry and even the global chip manufacturing industry in the past two years.

Every competition between the two can cause waves in the global semiconductor industry. After all, the chips of most semiconductor design companies are produced by these foundries that specialize in manufacturing chips, and UMC and Semiconductor Manufacturing It is the largest pole of the chip manufacturing plant.

Well, the question about who raised the idea of ​​the foundry project was first exposed by Cao Xingcheng in front of the media, saying that Zhang Zhongmou had plagiarized his own planning idea, and Zhang Zhongmou did not officially appear in the media. Clearly responded.

However, Li Feng somewhat believed what Cao said. Cao Xingcheng shouldn't lie on this point if he wants to come, maybe this is true.After all, with Cao Xingcheng’s current status in the semiconductor industry, there is no need to lie. Today's UMC is not inferior to Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., and now is not the time when TSMC will dominate the world in the future, and Zhang Zhongmou has no clear refutation. Li Feng seems to have a tacit meaning.

...

As for why Zhang Zhongmou was given power by the Gulf Government in the first place, it is actually very understandable. Zhang Zhongmou was returned by the American emperor from abroad and was specially hired by the government. However, Cao Xingcheng was a local riser, and he was only a small person in the government department.