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 global 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 Xinzhhan 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 of the Department of Major Special Projects at the Ministry of Science and Technology; Yang Xudong, Deputy Director 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 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 departments 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 wholeheartedly build itself into a highland for the “Chip-Screen-Device Integration” industry. 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 industrial 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, 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 Special 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 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 advances toward becoming a science and technology powerhouse, advanced manufacturing materials that epitomize the country’s technological strength should also take the lead and achieve global integration and collaborative development. He further emphasized that the advanced materials industry, situated at the very beginning of the industrial chain, particularly needs strong government support. He expressed hope that Hefei could become the nation’s first industrial base for the application and promotion of advanced materials.

 

 

Yao Lijun, rotating chairman of the alliance, Shi Ying, vice-chairman and secretary-general of the alliance, Dr. Wang Shumin, chairwoman 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 CoreSearch 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., to deliver inspiring 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.

Wei Shaojun, chief engineer of the National Major Science and Technology Project 01, delivered a report titled “Realistically Assessing the Current Trends in the IC Industry.” In his report, Wei presented an in-depth analysis of the current state of China’s integrated circuit industry, supported by comprehensive data. He pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic will have profound and lasting impacts on the IC industry, and the global semiconductor market is facing uncertain challenges. He recommended that the Chinese government must remain firmly committed to providing sustained support for the development of the IC industry, while industry enterprises should humbly learn from their international counterparts and work together to pragmatically 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 situation facing China’s integrated circuit industry—alternating between challenges and opportunities—and recommended increasing effective investment in the integrated circuit sector 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 global and domestic status and development trends of the memory industry. 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 the hope that the company will remain committed to 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 their innovation efforts.

 

 

The conference solemnly held the inaugural IC Materials Awards Ceremony, during which Chief Engineer Ye Tianchun and Director Yang Jun presented awards to the recipients of 36 corporate and individual honors, including the Technical Breakthrough Award, Best Collaboration Award, Best Contribution Award, Rising Star Enterprise Award, Best Growth Award, and Five-Star Product Award.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The conference specially invited Dr. Zhijian Lv, General Manager of Semiconductor Lithography Technology for DuPont (China) R&D Management Co., Ltd.; Dr. Zhitang Song, Director of the Nanomaterials and Devices Laboratory at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Xin Chen, Chairman of Beijing Kehua Microelectronics Materials Co., Ltd.; Dr. Junfeng Luo, Senior Technical Director at Youyan Yijin New Materials Co., Ltd.; Huidong Cui, Assistant General Manager of Hubei Xingfu Electronic Materials Co., Ltd.; Shenggao Xiao, Chief Engineer at Suzhou Shengyi Technology Co., Ltd.; Zenji Yamada, CTO of Hangzhou Kebote Filtration Equipment Co., Ltd.; and Dr. Dan S. Tracy, Senior Market Analyst at TECHCET.LLC—among other distinguished experts and scholars—to deliver insightful presentations. These reports covered a wide range of topics—from international to domestic perspectives, spanning new device development, advanced manufacturing processes, technological breakthroughs in materials, and industrialization efforts. They comprehensively explored the impact of the global economic slowdown and rising 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 exceptionally engaging and received an enthusiastic response.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

On September 16, the conference organized a special government-enterprise exchange meeting and an industrial chain matchmaking event for 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 companies with supportive preferential policies and streamlined approval procedures, hoping that high-quality semiconductor material enterprises will establish themselves and take root in the Xinzhangu Zone.

 

 

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

More than 10 domestic manufacturing companies—including Hefei Jinghe, Hefei Changxin, Beijing Yandong Microelectronics, Yangtze Memory Technologies, CR Microelectronics, Jiangsu Nenghua Microelectronics, Xiamen Lianxin, Fujian Jinhua, and Tianjin Xintianhe—each held specialized exchanges and one-on-one meetings with over 60 domestic and international material suppliers. These exchange activities played a positive role in deepening mutual understanding between suppliers and buyers and fostering greater cooperation.