243: Sugon Technology's super big plan!

And that was indeed the case; Zhongxin International, at this time, was rated by technology media as the world's fourth largest chip foundry.

It was the fourth largest chip foundry, only behind TSMC, UMC, and Chartered Semiconductor Singapore.

However, this referred to their chip foundry scale and production capacity; at this time, Zhongxin International's chip foundry capacity could not even be fully utilized, with a large number of production lines idle.

Historically, they were expected to achieve a turnover of 360 million US dollars this year, with the largest contribution coming from the sale of 8-inch wafers.

According to the history of the previous life, their chip foundry business would only see significant improvement next year, due to the booming chip foundry business.

In 2004, their turnover successfully approached 1 billion US dollars, marking a formal start and truly making them the world's fourth largest chip foundry.

Of course, during the same period, TSMC's operating revenue surged from 5.85 billion US dollars in 2003 to 8 billion US dollars!

TSMC remained an insurmountable peak in the Global chip foundry industry, looking down on all competitors.

What's more terrifying is that TSMC's growth rate in the next few years will be even more frightening, with its market share reaching as high as 60% at its peak.

Historically, in 2004 alone, they secured half of the Global chip foundry orders, meaning that half of the chips in the Global were produced by TSMC!

Therefore, TSMC is quite formidable in the chip foundry industry, an unmatchable super peak that Global chip manufacturers can only look up to.

Although Shuguang Technology has the system BUFF blessing that makes chips super-godly, it is not easy to defeat TSMC or even contend with TSMC.

Moreover, when the small one is defeated, the big one comes; even more terrifying than TSMC is the Wassenaar Arrangement!

After truly defeating TSMC, what awaits Shuguang Technology will be even more severe suppression, more ruthless than Huawei Technology in the previous life!

Facing this situation, Shuguang Technology has no chance of lucky; it must invest heavily in researching and developing its own core high-end chip production equipment.

It cannot put its life in the hands of others' mercy, and the enemy is not merciful but quite cruel; Shuguang Technology has no chance of lucky!

Of course, these are all future matters; at this moment, it is the most glorious time for Shuguang Technology since it entered the chip foundry industry.

With an estimated 1.124 billion US dollars in chip foundry orders for the next year, Shuguang Technology has surpassed Zhongxin International, becoming the largest in China and the world's fourth largest chip foundry manufacturer.

Although there is still a long way to go to catch up with TSMC, which had a turnover of 5.85 billion US dollars this year, let alone competing with TSMC, it cannot even compare with the world's third-ranked Chartered Semiconductor Singapore.

However, after Shuguang Technology secured this 1.124 billion US dollar foundry order for the next year, the world also saw Shuguang Technology's potential in the chip foundry industry.

In this situation, Shuguang Technology also seized the opportunity to act.

Currently, Shuguang Technology is negotiating loans with the four major banks of Daxia, preparing to use the Shuguang chip factory as collateral for a loan to build a new chip factory.

The planned new chip factory will consist of two 8-inch wafer fabs, one 12-inch wafer fab, and supporting chip production lines.

The 8-inch wafer fabs are easy to handle, but purchasing production equipment for the 12-inch wafer fab is a bit difficult.

After all, the production equipment for 12-inch wafer fabs is quite advanced in the current era. Back then, to purchase production equipment for the 12-inch wafer fab, Zhang Rujing had to use his old connections for many years and make various promises.

For example, he promised never to produce military-grade chips, and never to be involved with the Daxia military, etc., to acquire the advanced equipment for the 12-inch wafer fab.

At this time, it is truly not easy for Shuguang Technology to purchase equipment for the 12-inch wafer fab, and it will also require some effort from Shuguang Technology, with a high probability of failure.

However, where there's a will, there's a way. Although the chance of success is slim, they must try to strive for it and not shrink back in the face of difficulties. Shuguang Technology will do its best to acquire a 12-inch wafer fab.

Of course, if that still doesn't work, Shuguang Technology will abandon the 12-inch wafer fab and instead purchase 8-inch wafer fabs.

So, at that time, Shuguang Technology will have three new 8-inch wafer fabs, one old wafer fab, for a total of four 8-inch wafer fabs.

As for process technology, Shuguang Technology's new chip factory will directly abandon the 350nm process.

At that time, the lowest process technology will be 180nm, followed by large-scale adoption of 150nm and 130nm process.

As for why the world's most advanced 90nm process is not included? Shuguang Technology certainly wants it, and it's not just Shuguang Technology that wants 90nm process chip production lines.

Zhongxin International also wants to purchase 90nm process chip production lines, but what can you do if they don't sell it to you?

And to be honest, it is actually a bit difficult for Shuguang Technology to even purchase 130nm process chip production lines, and it also requires some effort.

And this is also the sorrow of not being able to produce advanced semiconductor production equipment oneself, but these are all future matters.

Shuguang Technology currently has no strength to solve the problem of researching and developing self-produced semiconductor production equipment.

Therefore, Shuguang Technology's current task is to develop itself well, and in doing so, ensure survival while investing money in research and development.

However, in the short term, Shuguang Technology's task is to first negotiate with the banks to see how much they can borrow, preferably over 30 billion.

According to Lin Chen's ambitious new factory plan, which includes three wafer fabs and multiple supporting 180nm, 150nm, and 130nm production lines.

If everything needs to be completed, Shuguang Technology might need over 30 billion to be stable.

Fortunately, the construction of the new chip factory does not necessarily have to be completed in one go; it can be done step by step in three phases.

So, if they can get a loan of 10 billion, that will be enough for the first phase of the new factory construction. As for the second wafer fab in the second phase and the third wafer fab in the third phase, they can be gradually expanded.

Of course, the best scenario is to achieve it in one go, which would save a lot of trouble and allow them to make money hand over fist.

Given the current situation where Shuguang Technology is overwhelmed with chip foundry orders and has to stop taking new orders due to capacity limitations.

If it can be done in one go, Shuguang Technology's total of four wafer fabs and multiple production lines, including 350nm, 180nm, 150nm, and 130nm, would all be put into operation.

Then the money Shuguang Technology Company could earn just from the chip foundry sector might already be several times the money it could earn from the mobile phone sector.

Only then can they truly invest heavily in researching and developing their own semiconductor production equipment, such as lithography machines, etching machines, chemical deposition equipment, and other advanced production equipment for semiconductor chips. (End of Chapter)