The 2021 China Semiconductor Materials Innovation and Development Conference was successfully held in Guangzhou.

2021 marked the inaugural year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan. In response to global technological and market changes, and in order to leverage the country’s strengths across the entire integrated circuit manufacturing value chain, strengthening connectivity between upstream and downstream segments of the integrated circuit materials industry has become a major trend and overarching direction for the entire industry. Against this backdrop, the “2021 China Semiconductor Materials Innovation and Development Conference,” jointly organized by the Materials Alliance and the Supporting Industries Branch of the China Semiconductor Industry Association, was held from November 1 to 3, 2021, in Huangpu District, Guangzhou, concurrently with the “24th China Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Annual Conference and Supply Chain Innovation Development Conference.”

Special guests invited to the meeting include Ye Tianchun, Chief Technical Advisor of the National Major Science and Technology Project 02 and Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the China Integrated Circuit Innovation Alliance; Guo Qiang, President of Shanghai Jita Semiconductor Co., Ltd.; Zheng Li, CEO of Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology Co., Ltd.; Sun Peng, Chief Operating Officer of Wuhan Xinxin Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Co., Ltd.; Ke Chenbin, Executive Vice President of Shanghai Huali Microelectronics; Yang Jianhong, Deputy General Manager of Suzhou Jingfang Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd.; Yuan Yipei, Rotating President of XinXin Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.; and Zhang Xiaoyong, Deputy General Manager of Shenyang Tuojing Technology Co., Ltd. Also in attendance were representatives from user organizations including CR Microelectronics Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Yuexin Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd., Gekewei Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Guangzhou Meivi Electronics Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Shenai Semiconductor Co., Ltd., Tianshui Huatian Technology Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Chuangxin Integrated Circuit Co., Ltd., the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Huajin Semiconductor Packaging Leading-edge Technology R&D Center Co., Ltd.

The scene of the 2021 China Semiconductor Materials Innovation and Development Conference

This conference brought together over 200 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 new challenges facing the global semiconductor industry under the current circumstances, emerging trends in the development of the materials industry, and new demands arising from technological and market developments.

This conference specially invited renowned industry experts to deliver insightful presentations, including Dr. Zheng Zi Qi, CTO of Tongfu Microelectronics Co., Ltd.; Dr. Chen Tian Niu, General Manager of Merck China’s Semiconductor Division; Dr. Li Jun Hua, Chairman of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (Handan) Perry Special Gases Co., Ltd.; Dr. Wang Yu Chun, Vice President of Anji Microelectronics Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.; Dr. Mao Zhi Biao, Deputy General Manager of Ningbo Nanda Optoelectronic Materials Co., Ltd.; Dr. Dan P. Tracy, Senior Market Analyst at TECHCET.LLC; and Shi Ying, Executive Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Integrated Circuit Materials Industry Technology Innovation Alliance.

Dr. Zheng Zi Qi, CTO of Tongfu Microelectronics Co., Ltd., delivered a presentation titled “Advanced Packaging and Its Material Requirements.” In his presentation, he highlighted the advantages of advanced packaging technologies in enhancing chip utilization, design flexibility, mass-production yield, and cost reduction. He also summarized the challenges encountered in the development of advanced packaging technologies and provided a detailed analysis of the emerging demands for advanced packaging materials.

In his report, “Looking Ahead: The Evolution of Electronic Technology and Semiconductor Material Innovation in the Era of ‘Technological Convergence’,” Dr. Chen Tianniu, General Manager of Merck’s Semiconductor Division in China, pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented uncertainty and disruption to the global economy, while also giving rise to new development opportunities. Technological convergence will become a disruptive trend in the future and is now advancing at an astonishing pace. Looking ahead, the development of semiconductor technology will increasingly rely on materials and data-driven original innovation. Semiconductor materials are poised to enter a “golden opportunity period.”

Dr. Li Junhua, Chairman of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (Handan) Pairy Special Gases Co., Ltd., delivered a report titled “Current Status and Future Prospects of Electronic Gases for Integrated Circuits.” He pointed out that, looking ahead to the coming years, integrated circuit technology will continue to advance along two main directions: “dimensional scaling down” and three-dimensional system integration, thereby further enhancing integration density. To meet the challenges posed by these new technological nodes, electronic gas manufacturers will focus on improving control precision, introducing new types of gases to meet emerging demands, and adjusting the capacity of existing gas supplies.

In his presentation titled “The Art of CMP: Materials Engineering Principles at the Nanoscale Interface,” Dr. Wang Yuchun, Vice President of Anji Microelectronics Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., discussed the development of dielectric oxide polishing technology. He pointed out that the surface catalytic effect of dielectric materials is key to enhancing polishing efficiency, and he also outlined future trends in polishing slurry technology as well as new material requirements.

In his report titled “Opportunities and Challenges in the Localization of ArF Photoresists,” Dr. Mao Zhibiao, Deputy General Manager of Ningbo Nanda Optoelectronic Materials Co., Ltd., introduced the current status, opportunities, and challenges facing the domestic supply of photoresists. He pointed out that the unstable supply of foreign IC photoresists and the continuously expanding new applications—such as automotive electronics and 5G—have created excellent market opportunities for domestically produced IC photoresists. To ensure long-term, healthy development, domestic photoresists must establish a complete industrial chain—from raw materials to finished photoresist products—and continue investing in R&D of raw materials.

In his report, “Development Prospects, Challenges, and Emerging Opportunities in the Semiconductor Materials Market,” Dr. Dan P. Tracy, Senior Market Analyst at TECHCET.LLC, noted that 2021 marked a prosperous year for the semiconductor industry, and he expects the strong growth momentum in the materials sector to continue from this year through 2022. He highlighted the challenges facing the supply chain as well as the opportunities emerging for materials suppliers—particularly those providing chemicals used in semiconductor manufacturing processes.

Shi Ying, Executive Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the Integrated Circuit Materials Industry Technology Innovation Alliance, delivered a report titled “The Current Status and Development Trends of China’s Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Materials Industry.” In her report, she reviewed the achievements made by China’s integrated circuit materials technology and industry over the past decade, analyzed market demand and product maturity for silicon materials, lithography materials, specialty electronic gases, process chemicals, CMP polishing materials, sputtering targets, and packaging materials, and discussed the challenges facing the industry in terms of talent structure, supply chain security, and industrial ecosystem. Drawing on the current new circumstances, she highlighted the importance of ensuring the security of the materials supply chain and offered recommendations for future innovation and development in the industry.

During the conference, the second Integrated Circuit Materials Awards Ceremony was also held with great ceremony. A total of 29 awards were presented, including the Technical Breakthrough Award, the Best Collaboration Award, and the Best Contribution Award. Mr. Ye Tianchun, Chief Technical Officer of the 02 Special Project, and Mr. Zheng Li, President of Changdian Technology, presented trophies and Five-Star Product Certificates to the winners via a virtual award ceremony.

On the afternoon of November 3, the Materials Alliance, together with Merck China, co-hosted an Advanced Materials Workshop. The workshop featured in-depth discussions on the latest materials technologies and future development trends in areas such as photoresists, CMP, specialty electronic gases, and advanced packaging. In addition, representatives attended a tour of Merck’s Innovation Center in Guangzhou.

During the conference, specialized matchmaking sessions and comprehensive matchmaking sessions were also held. Twelve domestic and international manufacturing and packaging/testing companies—including Guangzhou Yuexin, Wuxi CR Microelectronics, Jita Semiconductor, Shenzhen Shenai, Tianshui Huatian, Suzhou Jingfang, HuaJin Semiconductor, and Guangzhou Meivi—along with 57 domestic material suppliers, engaged in focused or one-on-one closed-door exchanges. These sessions played a positive role in helping both international and domestic semiconductor manufacturers deepen their understanding of Chinese material suppliers and strengthen cooperation between supply and demand sides.

Scene from the YueXin Special Matchmaking Session

Integrated matchmaking event venue

Concurrently with the conference, the Materials Alliance held its 2021 General Assembly and the 3rd Session of its 5th Board of Directors. More than 100 representatives, including members of the Board of Directors and representatives from member units, attended the meeting. Deputy Director Qiu Gang from the Department of Major Special Projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology also attended the meeting and provided important guidance on the Alliance’s future development.

Council on-site

Nominated and recommended by Dr. Yao Lijun, the inaugural rotating chairperson, the Board of Directors unanimously approved Dr. Wang Shumin, CEO of Anji Microelectronics Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., as the rotating chairperson for the second term. The Secretariat provided a comprehensive report to the attending delegates on the Alliance’s 2021 work summary and its plan for the next phase of activities. The meeting also reviewed amendments to the Alliance’s articles of association, considered changes in the board members of HuaJin Semiconductor and Youyan Yijin Company, and discussed other matters. During the Board meeting, outstanding information reporters who had demonstrated exceptional performance in collecting data on the mass production and application of domestically produced materials were also recognized and honored.

Key words: