10: Chapter 10: The World-Shaking "Technological Surprise Attack" from the Dragon Kingdom

The success of the first-generation prototype interface layer was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples within the Chasing Light project that far exceeded Lin Shen's expectations.

Silicon-based Photonic Interface Engineering, which was originally just one of the Category A key focus areas, had its priority raised again after being supported by conclusive experimental data. The command headquarters even convened a small-scale, high-level seminar for this purpose. Attendees included not only strategic scientists like Academician Qin, but also top experts from various fields such as optoelectronics, microelectronics, materials, and theoretical physics.

The meeting was held via remote encrypted video. As the direct person in charge, Lin Shen, accompanied by Sun Qiming, gave his report from a temporarily set-up secure communication room in the old laboratory building.

When he presented the optimized process steps, detailed test data, and especially the precise loss measurement results provided by the Optoelectronics Institute, the names in the video window—people he usually only saw in textbooks and top journals—fell into a brief silence, followed by a barrage of dense and professional questions.

The questions were sharp and profound, ranging from the thermodynamic models of ion implantation damage mechanisms to the kinetic competition of impurity segregation and diffusion during rapid thermal annealing; from the formation conditions and stability of the amorphous structure in the modified layer to preliminary theoretical analyses of how these interface states affect light transmission in different polarization states... Relying on the guidance of the technology tree in his mind, his digestion and absorption of the 'Star Sea' knowledge, and his own deep thinking during this period, Lin Shen provided clear and powerful responses one by one. For some deeper mechanisms that could not yet be fully clarified, he also honestly pointed out the current limitations of understanding and the directions that required further research.

His performance clearly exceeded the expectations many experts had for a 'young man who had just achieved a little success.' At the end of the meeting, Academician Qin summarized: 'The work of Comrade Lin Shen not only provides a promising technical path but also demonstrates an excellent grasp of complex physics-process coupling problems and a rigorous scientific attitude. The Chasing Light project needs such explorers. The command headquarters agrees to immediately launch the next phase of prototype device design and trial production, and to establish a cross-institute joint research team, with Comrade Lin Shen serving as the technical core to coordinate relevant resources, striving to produce the first functional silicon-based optical waveguide prototype device within six months!'

This decision meant that Lin Shen had officially leapt from being a simple laboratory technician to a technical lead with considerable autonomy and coordination responsibilities. The pressure had doubled, but the stage had also become much broader.

The joint research team was quickly assembled. Sun Qiming became the team's administrative coordinator and safety supervisor. Team members included: He Yun, a female Ph.D. sent by the Optoelectronics Institute who specialized in photonic device design and simulation; Master Zhao, who was experienced in microelectronics process platforms (responsible for controlling key process steps); Chen Fan, a researcher from the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology who was adept at high-resolution characterization; and two master's students selected from relevant majors at the university with clean backgrounds and excellent grades, responsible for assisting with experiments and data processing.

The team's first meeting was held in the meeting room (temporarily cleared out) next to that small cubicle in the old laboratory building. Looking at these new colleagues who were older or younger than him, Lin Shen took a deep breath, knowing that he had to grow up even faster.

The first device design goal he proposed was very pragmatic: based on the optimized modified interface layer, create the simplest strip optical waveguide to achieve low-loss transmission and 90-degree bending of 1550nm wavelength light over a length of several millimeters. This was almost the most basic silicon-based photonic device unit, but as long as it could succeed, it would verify the effectiveness of the modified interface in a real device structure and lay the foundation for subsequent more complex devices (such as couplers, modulators, and detectors).

The design work was mainly handled by He Yun, who quickly used professional software to complete the waveguide's dimensions, refractive index distribution, and mode simulation. However, converting the design into an executable process flow chart and making it compatible with the existing microelectronics process line, which was not custom-made for photonic devices, was a huge challenge.

Lin Shen once again demonstrated his ability to tightly integrate theory and process. He discussed repeatedly with He Yun, modifying design parameters to adapt to process limitations; communicated in-depth with Master Zhao, breaking down every process step (photolithography, etching, thin-film deposition, ion implantation, annealing, etc.) to the finest detail, and estimating potential deviations and compensation methods; at the same time, he used the limited silicon-based photonic device process cases in the 'Star Sea' library for comparative learning.

They decided to adopt a relatively conservative but mature process route: first thermally oxidize to grow the lower cladding, then use the process optimized by Lin Shen to perform ion implantation and annealing on the interface modification zone (located below the waveguide core layer), then deposit the waveguide core layer (silicon nitride) and perform photolithography and etching to create the waveguide pattern, and finally deposit the upper cladding. The entire process required multiple photolithography and alignment steps; any deviation in any step could lead to device failure.

The first tape-out (sending the designed layout to the process line for trial production) was conducted amidst tension and anticipation. Lin Shen and He Yun followed the line almost the entire time, observing key steps from outside the cleanroom through the glass. Master Zhao personally operated some of the core equipment.

When the tape-out was finished and they received the wafer covered with tiny waveguide structures, everyone's heart was hanging in the balance. Preliminary optical microscope inspection showed that the pattern transfer was basically complete, with no obvious missing parts or bridging. But this was only the first step.

Next came the tedious cutting, grinding, and polishing to turn the wafer into individual chips, followed by packaging and testing.

The test was conducted in a well-shielded darkroom at the Optoelectronics Institute. When the first beam of 1550nm laser light was coupled into the input end of the packaged waveguide chip via an optical fiber, Lin Shen, He Yun, Sun Qiming, and the others all stared at the monitoring screen with bated breath.

The optical power meter reading at the output end began to jump, then stabilized at a certain value.

He Yun quickly calculated the insertion loss. A moment later, she looked up, her eyes shining with disbelief: 'Preliminary calculations... on the 3-millimeter-long straight waveguide, the loss is 8 times lower than the control group using standard processes! The loss of the curved waveguide has also significantly improved. Although there is still room for optimization, but... the principle has been completely verified!'

A suppressed cheer erupted in the laboratory. Sun Qiming patted Lin Shen firmly on the shoulder. Master Zhao's dark face also broke into a smile. This was the first fruit of victory from the concerted efforts of their temporarily assembled small team!

Although the performance of this prototype device was still behind the best laboratory results reported internationally, which used more complex material systems (such as heterogeneous integration of indium phosphide on silicon substrates, etc.), its significance lay in the fact that it was based entirely on a mature silicon-based CMOS process-compatible route. Through an innovative interface engineering method, it achieved a significant leap in performance and possessed clear process controllability and scalability!

This proved that it was entirely possible for Dragon Country to forge a competitive photonic integration technology path on an autonomous and controllable silicon-based platform, without relying on the most cutting-edge foreign materials and epitaxial equipment!

The Chasing Light project command headquarters was overjoyed to hear the news. Academician Qin personally gave instructions: 'The results are solid, and the direction is correct. Accelerate iterative optimization, form the foundation of a preliminary Process Design Kit (PDK) as soon as possible, and explore the possibility of deeper integration with existing microelectronics processes.'

However, just as Lin Shen and the team members were immersed in the joy of success and were proceeding with the second round of process optimization and the design of more complex devices (such as Mach-Zehnder interferometer modulators), a sudden storm pushed their work to the forefront of international public opinion.

An authoritative Western technology media outlet, 'Cutting-edge Technology Review,' suddenly published a long report with a highly sensational headline: 'Dragon Country Achieves 'Suspicious' Breakthrough in Silicon Photonics? Anonymous Sources Reveal Unconventional Process Details, Sparking Academic Skepticism.'

The report claimed that they had obtained an abstract of a technical document 'believed to be from within a Dragon Country research institution' through 'special channels,' which described an 'unprecedented' silicon-based interface modification process that claimed to significantly reduce optical transmission loss. The document 'lacked rigorous theoretical derivation and sufficient experimental data support,' and the process parameters described were 'contrary to mainstream understanding,' and 'might involve exaggerated publicity or technical misleading.' The report also cited comments from several anonymous 'internationally renowned photonics experts,' who called this process 'physically baffling,' stating that 'more independent and transparent verification results are needed,' and hinted that Dragon Country might have 'adopted unusual publicity tactics to gain attention in the technological competition.'

This report was quickly reprinted by many international technology media outlets, causing quite a stir in academia and the industry. Although the report did not name specific institutions or individuals, the process characteristics it described were highly consistent with the technical path that Lin Shen and his team had just achieved a breakthrough in!

Clearly, information had been leaked. It was either in the core layer of the Chasing Light project, in some peripheral link of the joint research team, or during the testing process at the Optoelectronics Institute. The other party might have only obtained incomplete, early fragments of the technical concept, but it was enough to use as a pretext to attack and question the authenticity and scientific validity of this breakthrough by Dragon Country.

This was a typical method of public opinion suppression. When you have just made progress and have not yet formed an overwhelming advantage, they use questioning and smearing to disrupt your rhythm, undermine your confidence, and attempt to influence how international peers view you, creating excuses for subsequent potential technological blockades or standard exclusion.

The Chasing Light project command headquarters and relevant departments quickly launched an internal investigation and discussed response strategies. Lin Shen was also urgently summoned.

The atmosphere of the meeting was heavy. The attitude of the superior leaders was very clear: they must fight back resolutely and shatter the skepticism with irrefutable facts. But how to fight back required strategy.

'The other side is demanding 'independent, transparent verification,' said an official in charge of external publicity coordination. 'If we just release the data ourselves, they can still be skeptical. Should we consider inviting a few internationally recognized, neutral third-party experts to witness some key experiments or tests on-site, provided that core technologies are not leaked?'

'The risk is too high,' the head of the security department immediately objected. 'We cannot let any outsiders who haven't been thoroughly vetted near our core process areas and latest samples. Besides, who can guarantee that the so-called 'neutral experts' are truly neutral?'

'Or, we could publish a peer-reviewed paper in a top international academic journal, releasing some key but non-classified data and methods,' another expert suggested.

'That takes time, and the journal peer-review process could also be interfered with,' Academician Qin mused. 'More importantly, the other side is fighting a public opinion war, which is immediate. By the time the paper comes out, the negative impact might already have been done.'

Everyone was discussing it heatedly. Lin Shen had been listening silently, thinking quickly in his mind.

At this moment, a young secretary responsible for taking meeting minutes muttered, 'If only there were an open occasion that they couldn't question, where we could demonstrate it on the spot...'

This sentence was like a flash of lightning that streaked across Lin Shen's mind.

'There is such an occasion.' Lin Shen suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but it instantly attracted everyone's attention.

'Next month, the 'International Optoelectronics and Communications Summit (IOPC)' held in Xingzhou is one of the largest and most influential academic conferences in the global field of photonics,' Lin Shen said slowly. 'The conference has poster sessions and a short 'Technology Highlights' demonstration segment. If we can demonstrate the prototype device made based on our improved process at the conference, and conduct a simple performance comparison test on the spot...'

The meeting room went quiet for a moment.

Sun Qiming frowned: 'The risks still exist. Sample transportation, on-site security, accidents that might occur during the demonstration process... And what if the other side deliberately interferes?'

'But this is also the most direct and powerful way to fight back,' Lin Shen said with a firm gaze. 'In front of peers from all over the world, we speak with real devices and data. We can choose to demonstrate a relatively mature and stable straight waveguide device. The testing method is simple and transparent, making it hard to fake. As long as we are well-prepared and the demonstration is successful, any skepticism will collapse on its own. This is more persuasive than any statement or paper.'

A flash of light shone in Academician Qin's eyes: 'Staging a comeback from the brink of death... interesting. Lin Shen, are you confident? A live demonstration allows for no mistakes.'

Lin Shen took a breath: "I'm confident. In our latest process iteration, the performance of the straight waveguide device is already very stable, and the repeatability is very high. We can conduct countless simulation demonstrations in advance and prepare backup plans and emergency measures."

"What support do you need?"

"I need an absolutely reliable, small-scale on-site testing system, and a technician who is proficient in that system to assist me. In addition, the safe transport of the samples and security during the conference require the highest level of protection," said Lin Shen.

The meeting finally decided to adopt Lin Shen's suggestion and carefully prepare for a "technological sword-drawing" at the IOPC summit! The command headquarters will mobilize all necessary resources to ensure this operation is foolproof. Operation codename: "Light Prism."

Over the next month, the "Chasing Light" project joint research team entered an unprecedented state of high-speed operation. There was only one goal: to prepare a batch of the most optimal and stable demonstration chips for the IOPC summit, and to complete the assembly and rehearsals of the portable testing system.

Lin Shen practically lived in the laboratory. He and He Yun further optimized the waveguide design, and he worked tirelessly with Master Zhao on the process details, pushing the loss and uniformity to the limit under current process conditions. Chen Fan used high-resolution characterization methods to deeply analyze the device's microstructure, ensuring its reliability. Two master's students took on a large amount of repetitive experimental and data organization work.

Sun Qiming was responsible for coordinating external resources, customizing a highly integrated, sturdy, and reliable portable optical waveguide tester, and conducting strict training and confidentiality education for the technician participating in the on-site demonstration (who was ultimately selected as a politically reliable and technically proficient senior engineer from the Optoelectronics Institute).

The samples were packed in a specially made, shockproof, and anti-electromagnetic interference safety box, escorted by armed personnel, and secretly transported to Xingzhou in advance.

The day before the summit opened, Lin Shen, acting as the paper's author (using a pseudonym and an abbreviated institution name, with details blurred), arrived in Xingzhou with Engineer Wu, who was in charge of the on-site demonstration, under strict security measures.

The IOPC summit was unprecedented in scale, with thousands of scholars, engineers, and corporate representatives from all over the world gathered together. Among the many poster sessions and technical displays, the Long Nation booth was in an inconspicuous location. However, in front of the display board labeled "New Low-Loss Silicon-Based Optical Waveguide Technology," the compact tester and a few quiet chips gradually attracted attention like a magnet.

At first, only a few curious peers stopped by to ask a few questions. Engineer Wu followed the plan, giving a simple introduction to the principles and displaying performance data. As copies of the test reports, which showed loss values significantly lower than conventional silicon-based waveguides, were taken, the crowd began to grow.

Voices of doubt also appeared. A senior researcher from a well-known federal laboratory, after carefully examining the test report, asked in a tone of obvious skepticism: "The data looks beautiful, but if I may say so, the theoretical limit of loss for silicon-based materials in this band is well known. How exactly is your 'interface modification' process achieved? Are there more detailed, verifiable process parameters?"

Engineer Wu replied according to the prepared script: "Sorry, the specific core process details involve intellectual property and confidentiality requirements from our partners, so they cannot be disclosed at this time. However, the device performance we are demonstrating is real and measurable. You can look forward to our subsequent peer-reviewed paper to be published in an academic journal."

Such an answer was obviously not satisfactory to everyone. Some whispers began to spread through the crowd.

Just then, Lin Shen (observing from the side as an ordinary attendee) noticed a few familiar figures in the crowd—they were two of the "anonymous experts" previously quoted in that Cutting-Edge Technology Review report. They were now whispering with a staff member from the conference organizers, glancing at the Long Nation booth from time to time.

A moment later, the staff member walked over with a formulaic smile: "Hello, exhibitors from the Long Nation. The conference technical committee has noticed that your display has attracted a lot of attention and has received some inquiries regarding data verification. To promote open and transparent academic exchange, the committee suggests, if it is convenient for you, whether you could conduct a very brief public demonstration and Q&A session during tomorrow's 'Technical Highlights Challenge' segment? Of course, this is entirely voluntary."

The so-called "Technical Highlights Challenge" is a traditional segment of the IOPC summit, where controversial or noteworthy new technologies are invited for on-site demonstrations and to accept impromptu questions from experts in the audience; the atmosphere is often quite intense.

This was an obvious "checkmate." If they refused, it would be seen as having a guilty conscience; if they accepted, they would have to face potentially sharper and more direct questioning under the spotlight.

Engineer Wu looked at Lin Shen, who was hidden in the crowd. Lin Shen nodded imperceptibly.

"We accept the committee's invitation," Engineer Wu replied calmly.

The news spread quickly. The next afternoon, the meeting room for the "Technical Highlights Challenge" session was packed to capacity. Not only scholars in the field of photonics, but many researchers in microelectronics and materials science, and even some technology media reporters, had heard the news and rushed over.

The Long Nation's presentation was scheduled third. After the first two presentations finished, the atmosphere in the venue was already somewhat heated. When Lin Shen (this time as the technical core, accompanying Engineer Wu on stage) and Engineer Wu walked onto the stage with the tester and chips, countless eyes focused on them, many of which were scrutinizing, skeptical, or even provocative.

The demonstration process was simple and clear. Engineer Wu operated the instrument, installed a brand-new, unopened demonstration chip, and connected the light source and detector. The large screen displayed the input optical power and the output optical power after passing through a straight waveguide several millimeters long in real-time. After a simple calculation, the loss value was displayed—it matched the data shown previously perfectly, and the repeatability across different chips and different test points was excellent.

A low murmur arose from the audience.

As soon as the demonstration ended, the Q&A session began immediately. The questions were as sharp as expected.

"How do you ensure the accuracy of the testing system and that it has not been tampered with?" a federal expert asked.

"The testing system we are using is a customized, integrated version of commercially available standard instruments, and its core modules can be submitted for third-party calibration and verification at any time. The entire test link is completely transparent, and we welcome supervision from the experts present," Engineer Wu replied.

"What about the repeatability of the process? Are you showing the best results that were carefully selected?" another imperial scholar pressed.

Lin Shen took the microphone: "We have brought a complete test data report for a total of twenty chips from different batches, which is available for review. All chips were prepared using the same standard process flow, and the yield and performance distribution are detailed in the report. What we are showing is the typical value, not the optimal value."

"The most critical question," said the senior federal researcher who had questioned them at the booth earlier, standing up with an aggressive tone, "is still the process mechanism. A vague 'interface modification' cannot explain such a significant performance improvement. Have you used some undisclosed, potentially toxic special material? Or does your testing method have some as-yet-undiscovered theoretical flaw?"

The venue went quiet, and everyone was looking at Lin Shen.

Lin Shen took a deep breath; he knew the decisive moment had arrived. He could not reveal the core process, but he had to provide an explanation that was physically sound and convincing enough.

"Thank you for the professor's question." Lin Shen's voice carried clearly through the microphone across the venue, "Regarding the mechanism, our current research indicates that the core lies in introducing a highly ordered transition region at the silicon-dielectric interface through precise ion engineering and heat treatment. This region effectively suppresses carrier recombination centers and light scattering centers caused by dangling bonds, impurity adsorption, and lattice mismatch common at the interface."

He tried his best to use concepts already available in public literature for his description.

"This process does not rely on any special toxic materials and is entirely based on elements and methods common in existing semiconductor processes. Its effect is similar to laying a layer of extremely smooth, transparent coating on a rough rock surface; although the coating itself may be very thin, it can greatly change the propagation characteristics of light on its surface. We have observed the morphology and optical characteristic changes of this transition region through high-resolution electron microscopy and spectroscopy, and relevant evidence will be presented in our subsequent paper."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces in the audience, some thoughtful, some still skeptical, and finally landing on the questioner.

"On the path of scientific exploration, new discoveries sometimes challenge old knowledge. We respect all fact-based questioning and are willing to continuously improve our work with more experimental data and deeper theoretical analysis. But we firmly believe that what we are showing here today is a real, reproducible experimental result with significant potential value. We welcome global peers, under the premise of following academic norms, to verify, criticize, and discuss cooperation on our work."

His answer was neither humble nor arrogant, showing both technical confidence and an open attitude.

There was a moment of silence in the audience. The senior federal researcher opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to ask something else, but finally just nodded and sat down. The other experts who had originally intended to make trouble also temporarily held back.

Seeing this, the scholar chairing the meeting timely announced the move to the next segment.

The demonstration ended, and Lin Shen and Engineer Wu walked off the stage under the gaze of everyone. Although there was no thunderous applause, the tense and hostile atmosphere of questioning had obviously eased significantly. Many peers crowded around, no longer just questioning, but starting to ask about technical details and the possibility of cooperation.

That evening, discussions about this "new silicon-based optical waveguide technology" from the Long Nation skyrocketed on the conference's internal network and relevant academic social platforms. Although there were still a few voices of doubt, the mainstream opinion had shifted to surprise, curiosity, and re-evaluation. That report from Cutting-Edge Technology Review, in the face of conclusive public demonstration data, appeared pale and weak, and was quickly drowned out by more objective reports.

Operation "Light Prism" was a great success!

This was not just defending the reputation of a scientific research achievement; it was a public declaration on the international top-tier academic stage that the Long Nation already possessed a unique and highly competitive technical path in the strategic direction of silicon-based photonics. This was tantamount to a brilliant "technological surprise attack," disrupting the pace of certain forces attempting to delay the Long Nation's technological progress through public opinion suppression.

When the news reached back home, the "Chasing Light" project command headquarters was filled with jubilation. Academician Qin personally called to congratulate them: "Well done! Calm, decisive, and methodical. You have not only proven the technology but also showcased the confidence and demeanor of our scientific researchers!"

Lin Shen stood in front of the window of his Xingzhou hotel room, overlooking the brilliantly lit foreign night scene, but his heart was unusually calm.

Did it shock the world? Perhaps.

But this was just the beginning. The "Long Chip" road for photonic chips had just passed its first important hurdle of public opinion. Next would be more arduous technical breakthroughs, more complex system integration, and deeper challenges that might come from all sides.

He touched a miniature encrypted storage device in his chest pocket, which contained the preliminary deduction clues for the next key sub-direction derived from the 【Photonic Chip Basic Architecture】 node on the technology tree—"On-chip Light Source and Modulator Integration."

The light had already been lit, attracting the world's attention. Now, he wanted to make this light even hotter, more controllable, and impossible to ignore.

The prologue of the first volume slowly drew to a close with this bloodless confrontation in Xingzhou. And the much more magnificent second volume was about to begin.