Chapter 682: Do you want to start a business?
At that time, Lin Benjian was not famous. He was just a senior director of TSM. Although he had entered the management level, his position was not very high.
In 2002, the global lithography industry had reached a bottleneck. Moore's Law was about to become invalid, but the technical route for the new generation of lithography machines had yet to be established.
In particular, the United States plans to bet on the extreme ultraviolet light route in order to kick away the annoying Connie and completely crush the island country's semiconductor industry.
It is easier said than done. Extreme ultraviolet light is not so easy to handle, and it is even more radical than Connie's 157nm F2 laser route.
ASML has been stuck at this critical technical node for a long time and is so stuck that even they themselves don't know when they can make a breakthrough.
On this day, Lin Benjian took the plan he wrote and went to his boss.
"Mr. Jiang, this is my immersion lithography solution. Please review it."
The Mr. Jiang he mentioned is named Jiang Shangyi, the Chief Operating Officer of TSM.
"Oh? Immersion lithography?"
Jiang Shangyi's eyes lit up and he couldn't wait to open the folder.
However, after reading Lin Benjian's plan, Jiang Shangyi fell into silence.
There is no doubt that Lin Benjian is a talented person, and Jiang Shangyi also admires Lin Benjian very much. Otherwise, he would not have given him the opportunity to join TSM when Lin Benjian came to TSM for a job after his business failed.
But at the moment, Lin Benjian's suggestion made him feel a little troubled.
He closed the folder, looked at Lin Benjian, and said, "Xiao Lin, what do you think about this plan?"
Lin Benjian didn't think too much about it. As a technology geek, he chose to speak the truth and his advice was simple: "I just think the idea of extreme ultraviolet light is right, and if you want to reduce the wavelength of light, the fundamental method is to start from the light source. After all, even high school students know that water affects the refractive index of light."
Jiang Shangyi frowned slightly, then sighed and said, "So, you suggest adding a layer of water between the lens and the silicon wafer, refracting the original 193nm laser, and then directly crossing the 157nm barrier and reducing it to 132nm?"
Lin Benjian nodded excitedly: "Yes, that's what I thought."
Seeing that the subordinate had not yet realized the seriousness of the problem, Jiang Shangyi had to remind him: "Your method is only feasible in theory. If you want to implement it, the investment is by no means a small amount. Of course , the biggest problem is not the technology itself, but the external factors."
"external?"
The smile on Lin Benjian's face froze in an instant, and he asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
Jiang Shangyi did not keep the topic in suspense and said directly: "The research and development direction of the whole world is towards 157 nanometers. Not only have many manufacturers and research and development units invested in this wavelength, but the global investment in 157 nanometers is far more than 1 billion US dollars. A single manufacturer of lithography equipment claims to have invested more than 700 million US dollars. Your immersion lithography technology idea runs counter to theirs. If you are right, then their investment will be wasted."
Lin Benjian seemed to understand something, but he was a little unconvinced. He said, "What does it have to do with us if their investment goes down the drain? If we are just followers, then I think the R&D department can be laid off. We can just wait for others to develop something and then use it."
"That's what I said."
Jiang Shangyi tapped the table lightly with his fingers, and first expressed his agreement with Lin Benjian's opinion, and then said: "So this is what I think is the most difficult part. I should stand on your side emotionally and logically. After all, they spent so much money to prove that the road is not easy to take. If we follow your method, we may succeed in one fell swoop and overtake others. But we are a small company, and we can't afford the huge pressure imposed on us by those big companies. Do you understand what I mean?"
After his explanation, Lin Benjian finally understood. He was very depressed. He felt that according to this statement, it was neither R&D nor not R&D. He wanted to be a leader, but under pressure, he could only be a follower.
Lin Benjian felt a little depressed.
When leaving Jiang Shangyi's office, Lin Benjian's expression was dazed and his thoughts were a tangled mess.
When he returned home in the evening and looked at the slightly deserted house, Lin Benjian sighed again, took out his cell phone and called his wife Huang Xiuhui who was still in the United States.
Both of them are of Chinese descent who were born in South Vietnam. Their families fled from Hong Kong to South Vietnam for refuge during the Anti-Japanese War and later settled there. Now the whole family has settled in the United States.
Lin Benjian is a Christian who speaks gently, and his wife Huang Xiuhui is also a senior intellectual. She is gentle and virtuous, and has profound insights into many things.
Lin Benjian told Huang Xiuhui what happened today.
Huang Xiuhui listened to Lin Benjian's words patiently and asked softly, "Do you think your plan is better than theirs?"
Lin Benjian was slightly stunned, but then he said very confidently: "I firmly believe that immersion lithography technology is the future of lithography machines."
Huang Xiuhui said without hesitation: "In that case, then do as you think. Truth will never give in to fallacy. If you give up now, you will probably regret it for the rest of your life."
Lin Benjian was deeply moved to see Huang Xiuhui’s support.
Huang Xiuhui always stood firmly by his side, giving him immense courage and wisdom.
Although she spoke softly, Huang Xiuhui's words gave Lin Benjian tremendous strength.
He suddenly figured it out. The reason why he didn't insist on his own ideas in the company today was that he was afraid of losing this hard-earned job. After all, he is not young anymore, and it is reasonable to have a career while having a family.
Huang Xiuhui's understanding and support made him feel more relaxed and determined. He said, "Yes, if I firmly believe that I am right, then I should not give in. No matter what, I want to prove myself and prove that the technical idea of immersion lithography is correct!"
"Go ahead, I believe in you."
"Honey, I love you."
"I love you too."
In the following days, Lin Benjian took this "immersion lithography" plan to travel to the United States, Germany, and Japan to lobby various semiconductor giants.
But unfortunately, no one appreciated his talent, so he was rejected every time.
He had just returned to TSM and before he had time to feel disappointed or sigh, Jiang Shangyi called him to the office.
Lin Benjian nervously came to Jiang Shangyi's office and knocked on the door.
"Mr. Jiang."
He also thought that Jiang Shangyi was dissatisfied with his behavior of selling the plan everywhere, and he had even prepared himself to be laid off.
Jiang Shangyi saw Lin Benjian walk into the office and said to him kindly, "Xiao Lin, sit down."
Seeing Jiang Shangyi behaving out of character, Lin Benjian's feeling that he was about to be laid off became even stronger.
"Oh, okay."
After Lin Benjian sat down, Jiang Shangyi said in a friendly manner: "Xiao Lin, are you tired from work recently?"
Lin Benjian stuttered a little and said, "It's... it's okay, it's fine."
Jiang Shangyi said: "I have been looking at your plan for several days. I think your approach should be easier to implement than theirs."
When Lin Benjian heard this, he couldn't believe his ears. He said with some surprise: "Boss Jiang, does the company agree with my plan?"
Jiang Shangyi shook his head and said, "Don't think about it. It's impossible. I'm telling you this because I want to tell you that someone asked me to tell you not to mess things up."
During this period, Lin Benjian traveled around the world, attended various academic conferences in the field of optics, and actively promoted the application of immersion lithography technology.
Naturally, this move was boycotted by some major equipment manufacturers, including industry giant Connie, as well as many American companies.
Once this technology is widely used, many equipment manufacturers or wafer fabs that have invested in dry 157nm lithography machines will suffer heavy losses.
And this is the pressure that Jiang Shangyi mentioned before.
Jiang Shangyi's words made Lin Benjian stunned.
Although Jiang Shangyi had told Lin Benjian before that if TSM adopted his solution, there would most likely be suppression from peers and the supply chain.
Now, the company has not yet decided to adopt it, and even Lin Benjian has only gone out to sell this plan, but it has caused dissatisfaction among these people.
Lin Benjian felt very aggrieved, but there was nothing he could do. Cutting off someone's financial resources was like killing his parents. In front of vested interests, insisting on the truth would inevitably come at a price, and this price was too heavy for him to bear.
"Mr. Jiang, technology is changing with each passing day. If we kill new technology in the cradle just because of concerns about this and that, how can society progress? I think that if my solution is the optimal solution, it can also help those companies reduce their R&D investment. After all, if they continue to move forward on the wrong path, they will spend more money."
Jiang Shangyi waved his hand and said, "You don't need to tell me this. I know what you have been doing during this period. Don't you know what those people think? You are destroying their jobs and slapping their faces. Even if one of them is attracted by your plan, they must be considerate of their competitors. After all, in today's society, interests are intertwined, and everyone is a player in the same supply chain. If you offend someone, you will be easily bullied. Okay, I won't say anything else. I hope you can understand. Go and do your own thing."
"OK."
Feeling frustrated, Lin Benjian left Jiang Shangyi's office.
As soon as he went out, Lin Benjian's cell phone on his waist rang.
"Hello, is this Mr. Lin Benjian?"
Hearing the completely unfamiliar voice coming from the phone, Lin Benjian asked doubtfully: "It's me, who are you?"
"Hello, Mr. Lin, my name is Li Qiu. Are you free to have a cup of coffee now? I'm just downstairs from your company. I want to talk to you about something that interests you."
"I'm interested?"
Lin Benjian looked back and found that Jiang Shangyi's office door was closed, so he walked towards the elevator.
"Then wait for me."
After a few minutes, Lin Benjian saw Li Qiu.
"Hello, Mr. Lin."
"Hello."
The two found a seat in a coffee shop at the corner of the street.
Lin Benjian asked curiously: "Mr. Li, why are you here to see me?"
Li Qiu said: "I am here to invite you on behalf of someone else."
"invite?"
Lin Benjian shook his head slightly and said, "Mr. Li, I'm sorry, I don't have any plans to change jobs now."
Although he has encountered some setbacks and suffered some grievances in recent times, Lin Benjian believes that Jiang Shangyi has been very kind to him and it would be unfair to Jiang Shangyi if he were to change jobs just like that.
Facing Lin Benjian's refusal, Li Qiu smiled and said, "Mr. Lin, a wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. You don't have to refuse so bluntly. How about listening to my conditions first?"
Before Li Qiu came, he had done a detailed investigation, so he said confidently: "Mr. Lin was born in South Vietnam and grew up in Little Saigon. He then studied at Hsinchu Senior High School in Taiwan Province. After graduation, he was admitted to the National Taiwan University and obtained a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He then went abroad for further studies and obtained a doctorate in electrical engineering from Ohio State University in the United States. Am I right?"
Lin Benjian felt a little unhappy when he heard Li Qiu recount his life experiences like a treasure. He said, "You know me quite well."
Li Qiu heard the dissatisfaction in Lin Benjian's tone, and quickly clarified with a smile: "Mr. Lin, please don't misunderstand, I have no ill will towards you."
"According to the information I have, compared to your smooth academic career, Mr. Lin, your work is a little unsatisfactory. According to the information, you have worked as a researcher, R&D manager, department manager, and staff member at IBM in the United States. Later, you started your own business and became the general manager of Lingchuang Company."
"But after eight years of hard work, your business eventually failed because of a merger between a competitor and a large company. That's why you had to return to Taiwan and join TSM."
Lin Benjian was even more upset when his wounds were exposed, but he was still a kind person after all. Facing Li Qiu's relentless pressure, he just said, "So what?"
Li Qiu glanced at Lin Benjian with a smile and asked: Are you willing, Mr. Lin?
"What's the meaning?"
"It is said that where you fall, there you stand up. Just because you failed once, Mr. Lin is going to give up entrepreneurship and be willing to work for others?"
"this……"
Even a man as determined as Lin Benjian was confused .
He originally thought that Li Qiu was a headhunter who came to poach him, so he had already thought about how to refuse. After all, Jiang Shangyi had done him a favor, and TSM had a good future. With the United States as its godfather, it had a very strong backing and the future was promising.
Working here, you can live a peaceful and stable life until retirement.
For a working person, this is the best solution he can choose.
However, Li Qiu now gave him another choice, a completely different choice from being a stable worker - starting a business!
Beneath his gentle appearance, Lin Benjian also has his own ambitions and aspirations.
But he once realized his powerlessness in the face of capital, so he chose to be a worker.
But now, he seems to have another choice.
There was a flash of lightning in his mind, and Lin Benjian's heart was also slightly disturbed. He lowered his head, and in order to ease the embarrassment, he kept stirring the cup of coffee in front of him with a coffee spoon.
Li Qiu smiled and did not expose Lin Benjian's thoughts. Instead, he struck while the iron was hot and said, "Mr. Lin, you have been frustrated recently, right? Maybe your idea is right, but in front of capital, the most important thing is profit, not right or wrong. Instead of aimlessly seeking recognition from others, why don't you prove yourself with actual actions?"
Lin Benjian suddenly looked up, staring at Li Qiu with his eyes, and the fear in his heart became even greater.
"What do you mean by that?"
He never expected that Li Qiu could not only investigate his life from childhood to adulthood, but also knew all about his recent setbacks.
From this we can see that the network of relationships behind this man named Li Qiu is extremely powerful.
At this point, Li Qiu didn't hide anything and said frankly: "It's nothing, it's just that my boss is impressed by your ability and talent, and wants to invest in your business, provide you with a bigger stage, and let you do things according to your own ideas. For example, for this plan in your hand, don't you want to implement it and verify whether it is the optimal solution?"
Li Qiu's words were like the whisper of a devil , which gave Lin Benjian a huge shock.
Start a business!
These two light words seemed to have some kind of magic, making Lin Benjian's breathing quicken.
He had lived a stable life, even during the eight years when he was the general manager of Lingchuang, he took one step at a time. His final failure was not due to any fault of his own, but a loss to capital.
However, Lin Benjian is not a child anymore. He has been in the society for so many years and has rich experience. Jiang Shangyi first reminded him that this plan would be pressured by his peers, and later even directly told someone not to let him continue. Now a mysterious boss suddenly appeared and said he would support him in starting a business. He even wondered if this was a trap.
"Mr. Li, since you have investigated me so thoroughly, you should know that the plan I have is rejected by other large manufacturers. Can your boss withstand the joint pressure from these manufacturers?"
Li Qiu smiled and said, "I don't think you need to worry about this. My boss has not taken those manufacturers to heart. As long as you nod, my boss will invest money in you and give you full freedom to make the lithography machine you imagine completely according to your own ideas."
"Your boss is quite arrogant. He even claims that he can withstand the pressure from these international giants."
Lin Benjian couldn't help laughing: "I don't know if this is just bragging, so I'll just be straightforward. How much money is your boss willing to invest?"
Li Qiu shrugged slightly and said, "I don't know."
"I don't know? What do you mean?"
Lin Benjian's expression changed slightly, and there was something wrong in the look he gave Li Qiu.
