Before coming here, Director Li didn't have high hopes for the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study to produce a carbon-based chip.
After all, the Institute of Semiconductors of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was working on the same project. Countless research and development units in the Jiangcheng semiconductor industry base were also working on the same project. However, there were only a few signs of results.
After reading the report sent to Beijing by Professor Lu, the old academician from the Chinese Academy of Sciences only vaguely said that the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study might have made a breakthrough in integrating carbon-based transistors into integrated circuits. However, no one expected them to be this nutty.
While they were still figuring out how to integrate carbon-based transistors into integrated circuits, not only did the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study produce a finished product, but they even made a DIY scientific calculator …
If Director Li didn't see this thing in front of him, he wouldn't have believed it either.
But now, there was no doubt about it anymore.
He had a serious expression on his face as he spoke.
"Even though the international situation seems calm on the surface, ever since our lunar scientific research base was built, hostile forces have been making big moves. There hasn't been a moment of peace. You should know about the attack on Biosphere A last year, right? "
Lu Zhou nodded.
Director Li: "That's only a small problem."
Lu Zhou: "What about the bigger problem?"
Director Li: "According to reliable sources, the United States is planning to attack our semiconductor industry."
Lu Zhou paused for a second and spoke with a strange expression on his face.
"… They don't want the nuclear core for the California controllable fusion power plant?"
If it was a few years ago, in the two years before and after he returned to China, it might really be possible. With China's achievements in the field of information technology, the United States was indeed worthy of taking action.
But now it was 2022, the third year of controllable fusion ignition, and the cross-regional power grid had been laid from Nanjiang to the Strait of Malacca …
Even if they wanted to impose a technology blockade, the situation wouldn't allow it.
"Controllable fusion is indeed one of our trump cards, and it's also a very powerful trump card. If we didn't have this trump card, it would have come a long time ago."
Director Li unscrewed the thermos cup he carried with him and filled the lid with tea. He took a sip to moisten his throat and said, "However, for the Americans, in addition to executive orders, they have many other alternatives. For example, they can use market behavior to push up the price of the semiconductor industry chain and put pressure on us, which is downstream of the industry chain, to weaken us. "
"In order to nip the problem in the bud, we must take the initiative!"
"I understand what you're saying." Lu Zhou nodded. "So … what do you mean?"
"This kind of thing should be left to the market to decide, but sometimes we can't let you figure it out yourself." Director Li smiled and took out a document from his bag and placed it on the table.
"Please take a look."
Upon hearing the word "you", Lu Zhou suddenly had a bad feeling.
This old guy was rarely this polite to him.
Unless he had a favor to ask of Lu Zhou.
Lu Zhou looked at the document on the table and suddenly had a headache.
He just made up his mind the day before yesterday. Before the Riemann conjecture was solved, he wouldn't be able to do anything for anyone. Now, this big trouble was at his door.
However, when Lu Zhou saw the old man's sincere and trusting eyes, he hesitated for a while and finally sighed. He reached out and picked up the document and glanced at it.
When he saw the title, he raised his eyebrows.
"Dragon One?"
"Yes." Director Li nodded and said, "Please read this document!"
Lu Zhou leaned back in his chair and read the text line by line.
Even though he rarely touched anything outside of research, most of these contracts were left to Chen Yushan to deal with. The content wasn't very complicated, even he could understand it.
Basically, this was a "tripartite agreement" led by the State Administration for National Defense and guaranteed by an executive order.
The three parties involved in this agreement were Huawei, Star Sky Technology, and the Institute of Semiconductors of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The specific project involved was Huawei's latest HiSilicon product development plan — the Dragon series of chips.
Unlike the Kirin series of chips, the Dragon series of chips would completely adopt the latest carbon-based semiconductor technology. Their goal was to overtake the semiconductor field and achieve complete independence in all aspects from research and development to design to production. They would completely get rid of their dependence on international chip giants and create a complete closed ecological chain around carbon-based chips.
The agreement stipulated the research and development obligations of each party, the ownership and use rights of each part of the patent after the project was completed, as well as the expenses each party had to bear, and so on.
Basically, Star Sky Technology and the Institute of Semiconductors of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the two top semiconductor research institutions in China, would work together with Huawei to produce the Dragon series of chips based entirely on carbon-based semiconductor technology, or at least the Dragon One.
For Huawei, the benefits of being able to receive help from two top research institutions were obvious. As for the Chinese Academy of Sciences, because it was a state institution, the benefits were obvious.
However, for Star Sky Technology, the benefits were clearly listed in the agreement. This included the profit share of the Dragon series of chips, as well as one-time research funding.
"Interesting proposal." Lu Zhou placed the agreement on the table and didn't immediately respond. Instead, he thought for a bit and said, "I'll give this agreement to my CEO, and I'll give you an answer within a week. How does that sound?"
"No problem! Even a little longer is fine. If there's anything you're not satisfied with, please let me know. We'll make adjustments after the meeting. Or how about this, I'll take the lead, and everyone can sit down for a meal and talk about the cooperation. "
"There's nothing to talk about. Actually, I'm just a scholar. The laboratory is more suitable for me than the wine table." Lu Zhou smiled and said, "But since it's a commercial cooperation, I have to respect my CEO's opinion. After all, I don't understand some things, so it's not good to overstep my authority.
After all, this wasn't just a $20 million investment, it was hundreds of millions of dollars, and it was related to the future of the entire industry chain.
Making a hasty decision wasn't good for anyone.
"Take your time." Director Li patted his thigh and stood up with the scientific calculator. He said, "The agreement is here, I won't bother you anymore."
"You're going back?" Lu Zhou looked at Director Li, who was about to leave. He thought that Director Li was going to have lunch with him, so he couldn't help but ask, "You're going back to Beijing now?"
"No, I have to go to Hubei before I go back to Beijing." Director Li shook his head and said with a smile, "The surprise you brought us this time is too big. It's not just our bureau, but all the departments involved in the carbon-based semiconductor industrialization are extremely busy. There's a lot of work to prepare, I don't have time to waste here. "
Lu Zhou nodded.
"Take care, I won't walk you out."
"Don't be so polite, I'll be leaving soon." Director Li was about to walk into the hallway when he suddenly noticed the stack of papers on the coffee table. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "Speaking of which, I'm quite curious, what have you been researching recently?"
"Oh, that." Lu Zhou looked at the stack of papers that Director Li was looking at. He smiled and said, "It's just a lithium-air battery design plan, don't worry about it."
"Oh, lithium-air batteries, you're busy …"
Director Li turned around and took two steps. He suddenly froze on the spot.
The next second, he whipped his head around.
"What? What are you talking about? "
Lu Zhou was taken aback by the old man's sudden action, and he paused for a second.
"… Lithium-air batteries, is there a problem?"
… Is there a problem?
Director Li: "???"
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