The 2020 China Semiconductor Materials Innovation and Development Conference was successfully held in Hefei.

2020 was an extraordinary year. The vigorous development of new information technologies—such as 5G applications and artificial intelligence—has brought tremendous new opportunities to the integrated circuit industry. However, the global pandemic has introduced fresh challenges to the worldwide semiconductor supply chain, and the semiconductor materials industry is facing unprecedented new hurdles. In response to global technological and market changes, fostering close supply-chain collaboration, strengthening corporate capabilities, and maintaining composure amid numerous uncertainties have become the overarching trend for the entire industry as it seeks innovative development.

Against this backdrop, the “2020 China Semiconductor Materials Innovation and Development Conference” (hereinafter referred to as the “Conference”), themed on new trends, new challenges, and new breakthroughs, was grandly held in Hefei from September 14 to 16. Under the guidance of the Office for Implementation and Management of the National Major Science and Technology Project 02, the People’s Government of Hefei City, the China Semiconductor Industry Association, and the China Integrated Circuit Innovation Alliance, the Conference was organized by the Overall Expert Group of the National Major Science and Technology Project 02, the Integrated Circuit Materials Innovation Alliance (hereinafter referred to as the “Alliance”), and the Semiconductor Supporting Industries Branch of the China Semiconductor Industry Association. It was co-organized by the Hefei Municipal Commission of Development and Reform, the Hefei Investment Promotion Bureau, and the Management Committee of the Hefei New Station High-Tech Industrial Development Zone.

Cao Jianlin, former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Chairman of the China Integrated Circuit Innovation Alliance; Yu Aihua, Member of the Standing Committee of the Anhui Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Hefei Municipal Party Committee; Qiu Gang, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Major Special Projects at the Ministry of Science and Technology; Yang Xudong, Deputy Director-General of the Electronic Information Department at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; Wang Wensong, Member of the Standing Committee of the Hefei Municipal Party Committee and Vice Mayor of the Hefei Municipal Government; Ye Tianchun, Chief Technical Advisor of National Major Science and Technology Project 02 and Vice Chairman of the China Integrated Circuit Innovation Alliance; Ke Wenbin, Member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director-General of the Anhui Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology; Yang Jun, First-Level Researcher at the Department of Major Special Projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology; Wei Ge, Member of the Standing Committee of the Hefei Municipal Party Committee and Secretary-General; and leaders from various relevant municipal agencies attended the opening ceremony.

Vice Mayor Wang Wensong, on behalf of the Hefei Municipal Government, warmly welcomed all the leaders and guests attending the conference. He enthusiastically introduced Hefei as a sub-center city in the Yangtze River Delta’s world-class urban agglomeration—a strategic dual-node city along both the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt—and emphasized that Hefei will vigorously promote scientific and technological innovation and strive to build a leading industrial hub focused on “semiconductors, displays, equipment, and integration.” As a critical national asset, integrated circuits are given top priority for development, and integrated circuit materials represent an even more crucial link in the industry chain. He stressed that, under the dual impact of the global situation and the COVID-19 pandemic, the development of the materials industry requires even greater encouragement and support. Hefei will further refine its policies related to industries and talent recruitment, providing enterprises with efficient and high-quality services, and working hand-in-hand with the materials industry to achieve common development.

In his speech, Ye Tianchun, Chief Engineer of the National Major Project 02 and Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the China Integrated Circuit Innovation Alliance, recalled the difficult situation faced by materials companies 12 years ago. He pointed out that, thanks to strong government support and the joint efforts of enterprises, China’s integrated circuit materials industry has achieved remarkable progress today. He expressed hope that entrepreneurs, in the face of new circumstances and challenges, will seize new opportunities and achieve new breakthroughs; remain committed to global cooperation and development; keep product- and customer-centric approaches; strengthen technological innovation; and enhance the industry’s competitiveness.

Deputy Director Yang Xudong warmly congratulated the convening of the conference and pointed out that semiconductors are a strategic national industry, and materials—situated upstream in the industrial chain—occupy a strategically central position. He emphasized that in August of this year, the State Council issued a document to promote the development of the integrated circuit industry, under which both domestic and international enterprises meeting the relevant criteria will be eligible for preferential policies. He expressed his hope that entrepreneurs will seize the vast market opportunities and development prospects to achieve higher-quality growth in the semiconductor materials industry, and welcomed multinational corporations to set up factories in China and jointly build a global semiconductor industry supply chain.

In his speech, Cao Jianlin, former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Chairman of the Board, pointed out that the materials industry is of paramount importance. The integrated circuit industry is characterized by one generation of products, one generation of processes, and one generation of equipment—each of which rests on a corresponding generation of materials. As China strides toward becoming a science and technology powerhouse, advanced manufacturing materials that epitomize the nation’s technological strength must also take the lead and achieve global, integrated development. He further emphasized that the advanced materials industry, situated at the very beginning of the industrial chain, particularly requires strong government support. He expressed hope that Hefei could become the country’s first industrial base to promote and apply advanced materials on a large scale.

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Yao Lijun, rotating chairman of the alliance, Shi Ying, vice-chairman and secretary-general of the alliance, Dr. Wang Shumin, chairperson of Anji Microelectronics, and Dr. Xu Congying, deputy general manager of Jiangsu Nanda Optoelectronics, each chaired the meeting.

The conference specially invited Wei Shaojun, Chief Technical Advisor of the National Major Science and Technology Project 01. Gu Wenjun, Chief Analyst at CoreWise Research, Cai Huijia, General Manager of Hefei Jinghe Integrated Circuit Co., Ltd., Feng Yaobin, Manager of the Lithography Technology Department at Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd., and Zheng Li, CEO of Jiangsu Changdian Technology Co., Ltd., delivered compelling keynote speeches.

This conference brought together nearly 600 Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs, experts, and scholars from fields including integrated circuit manufacturing, packaging and testing, key materials, and equipment manufacturing. Participants engaged in in-depth and lively discussions on the new challenges facing the global semiconductor industry under the current circumstances, the emerging trends in the development of the materials industry, and the new demands arising from technological and market developments. The conference also featured a grand ceremony to present the inaugural IC Materials Awards, as well as a signing ceremony for key projects in Hefei City and the unveiling ceremony for the “Semiconductor Materials Industrial Park” in Hefei’s Xinzhancheng District. The atmosphere at the conference venue was exceptionally enthusiastic.

National Key Science and Technology Major Project 01 Chief Engineer Wei Shaojun delivered a report titled “Pragmatically Assessing the Current Trends in the IC Industry Development.” In his report, he analyzed the current state of China’s integrated circuit industry with detailed data, pointing out that the COVID-19 pandemic will have profound and lasting impacts on the IC industry. The global semiconductor market now faces uncertain challenges. He recommended that the Chinese government must remain firmly committed to continuously supporting the development of the IC industry, while companies in the industry should humbly learn from their international counterparts and work together pragmatically to advance the development of China’s IC industry.

In his report, “Reflections on the Development of China’s Integrated Circuit Industry under the New Situation,” Dr. Gu Wenjun of Xinyou Research analyzed the starkly contrasting new situation facing China’s integrated circuit industry—characterized by both challenges and opportunities—and recommended increasing effective investment in the integrated circuit industry to promote its long-term, sustainable development.

Cai Huijia, General Manager of Hefei Jinghe, delivered a report titled “Hefei Jinghe’s Support for the Localization of Materials.” The report focused on Jinghe’s current situation in 2020 and the company’s capacity planning. It pointed out that, to meet customer demands, rapidly expand production capacity, continuously advance cutting-edge technologies, and strengthen intelligent manufacturing, the company is committed to actively promoting the localization of raw materials.

In his keynote speech titled “Seizing Historical Opportunities and Rapidly Enhancing Industrial Capabilities,” Feng Yaobin, Manager of the Lithography Technology Department at Yangtze Memory Technologies, introduced the current status and development trends of the global and domestic memory industries. He pointed out that the IDM model will place even higher demands on the integrated capabilities of the industrial chain, emphasized that the development of China’s semiconductor industry is inseparable from the synergy of the global supply chain, and underscored that the overarching trend of international cooperation is irreversible. He expressed his hope to be firmly rooted in serving global customers, forge broad partnerships with strategic global collaborators, and promote the healthy development of the industry ecosystem.

Zheng Li, CEO of Jiangsu Changdian, delivered a report titled “Advanced Finishing Technologies for Integrated Circuits Empowering Innovation in Semiconductor Materials.” He pointed out that emerging applications will drive the innovative development of integrated circuit packaging toward higher density and greater precision. He emphasized the growing importance of collaborative R&D involving the coordinated design of chip circuits, packaging processes, materials, and systems. Changdian Technology expressed its willingness to support material manufacturers in innovation and deepened collaborative R&D efforts.

The conference solemnly held the inaugural IC Materials Award Ceremony, attended by Chief Engineer Ye Tianchun and Director Yang Jun. Awards were presented to 36 enterprises and individuals, including recipients of the Technology Breakthrough Award, Best Collaboration Award, Best Contribution Award, Rising Star Enterprise Award, Best Growth Award, and Five-Star Product Award.

The conference has specially invited Dr. Lü Zhijian, General Manager of Semiconductor Lithography Technology, China Region, DuPont (China) R&D Management Co., Ltd.; Dr. Song Zhitang, Director of the Nanomaterials and Devices Laboratory at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Mr. Chen Xin, Chairman of Beijing Kehua Microelectronics Materials Co., Ltd.; Dr. Luo Junfeng, Senior Technical Manager at Youyan Yijin New Materials Co., Ltd.; Mr. Cui Huidong, Assistant General Manager of Hubei Xingfu Electronic Materials Co., Ltd.; and Mr. Tan Wei, R&D Department Manager at Jiangsu Huahai Chengke New Materials Co., Ltd. 、 Xiao Shenggao, Chief Engineer of Suzhou Shengyi Technology Co., Ltd.; Yoshinori Yamada, CTO of Hangzhou Kebote Filtration Equipment Co., Ltd.; and a Senior Market Analyst at TECHCET.LLC. Dan S. Tracy Experts and scholars, including doctoral researchers, delivered outstanding presentations that covered a wide range of topics—from international to domestic perspectives, from the development of new devices and advanced manufacturing processes to technological breakthroughs and industrialization in materials. The presentations comprehensively explored the impact of the global economic slowdown and increasing uncertainty on the semiconductor industry, emphasizing the critical importance of collaborative innovation across the entire industry chain in driving the semiconductor sector forward. The conference’s presentations were both fascinating and highly acclaimed, generating an enthusiastic response.

On September 16, the conference organized a special government-enterprise exchange meeting and an industrial chain matchmaking event focused on Hefei Xinzhangu High-tech Zone. Hefei Xinzhangu High-tech Zone is planning to develop a “Semiconductor Materials Industrial Park” that will be based in Hefei and radiate throughout the Yangtze River Delta region. The zone will also provide semiconductor material enterprises with supporting preferential policies and streamlined approval procedures, hoping that high-quality semiconductor material companies will establish themselves and take root in the Xinzhangu Zone.

On-site scene of the special exchange meeting between government and enterprises

Hefei Jinghe Hefei Changxin 、 Beijing Yandong Microelectronics, Yangtze Memory Technologies, Jiangsu Nenghua Microelectronics, Xiamen Lianxin, Fujian Jinhua, Tianjin Xintianhe, HuaRun Microelectronics More than 10 domestic manufacturing companies and 60 domestic and foreign material suppliers participated in specialized exchanges and one-on-one closed-door discussions. These exchange activities played a positive role in deepening mutual understanding between suppliers and buyers and fostering cooperation.

Concurrently with the conference, the Materials Alliance held its 2020 General Assembly and the 3rd Fourth Session of its Board of Directors. More than 100 people, including members of the Board of Directors and representatives from member organizations, attended the meeting.

The Secretariat reported on the Alliance’s work for the first half of 2020. At the General Assembly, various Alliance initiatives were discussed and put to a vote. Following review and approval by the Board of Directors, five new organizations—Xuzhou Xinjing Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd., Wuxi Dike Electronic Materials Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Hongxin Semiconductor Co., Ltd., Shanghai Saijin Precision Technology Co., Ltd., and Shanghai Jita Semiconductor Co., Ltd.—were admitted to the Alliance.