Warmest congratulations to Jiangfeng Electronics on winning the Second Prize of the National Technological Invention Award!

On November 3, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council solemnly held the National Science and Technology Awards Ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The project “Technology for Preparation and Application of Ultra-High-Purity Aluminum-Titanium-Copper-Tantalum Metal Sputtering Targets,” undertaken by Ningbo Jiangfeng Electronic Materials Co., Ltd., a vice-chairman unit of the Integrated Circuit Materials Industry Technology Innovation Alliance (hereinafter referred to as the “Materials Alliance”), was awarded the Second Prize of the 2020 National Invention Award in Technology. Dr. Yao Lijun, the project’s primary completer, who also serves as the company’s Chairman and Chief Technology Officer, Wang Xuezhe, Party Secretary and Chief Engineer, Zhou Youping, head of the R&D Center, and Dr. Bian Yijun, Deputy General Manager, entered the Great Hall of the People to receive the award. Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Wang Huning, Han Zheng, and other leaders of the Party and the state attended the ceremony and presented awards to the winning representatives.

Only by mastering critical core technologies in our own hands can we turn crises into opportunities and gain a competitive edge. As the primary completing unit of this project, Ningbo Jiangfeng Electronic Materials Co., Ltd. has long been focused on the strategic raw materials and sputtering target manufacturing for ultra-large-scale integrated circuits. Led by Dr. Yao Lijun, the technical team has overcome numerous challenges spanning the entire spectrum of target material preparation—ranging from metal material purification and preparation, microstructure control, large-area welding of dissimilar metals, precision machining and surface treatment, cleaning and packaging, to evaluation and testing—and has established a production base equipped with complete independent intellectual property rights and based on domestically produced equipment. This has enabled the industrialization of a full range of cutting-edge targets—including ultra-high-purity aluminum, titanium, tantalum, and copper—and achieved mass production at the globally advanced 5nm technology node. With a market share ranking second worldwide, the company has fundamentally transformed China’s longstanding reliance on imported sputtering targets.
Achieving self-reliance and strength in science and technology hinges on independent innovation. Jiangfeng Electronics has always attached great importance to scientific and technological innovation, making substantial investments in R&D to continuously enhance its innovative capabilities and facilitate the industrialization and large-scale application of scientific and technological achievements. Over the past three years, the company has invested a total of 180 million yuan in R&D; in the first three quarters of 2021 alone, R&D expenditures reached 71.89 million yuan, representing a year-on-year increase of 43.74%. To date, the company has obtained a total of 409 validly authorized patents, including 268 invention patents, and has formulated 7 national standards and 14 industry standards.
Standing at a new historical starting point, Jiangfeng Electronics will continue to target cutting-edge international technologies. Through sustained technological innovation, we will keep seizing strategic high-ground positions in advanced technologies, break through a number of core technologies and high-end products, and achieve a transition from catching up to taking the lead in this field. In doing so, we will provide more high-quality scientific and technological contributions and robust technological support for economic and social development as well as national security, and make new and greater contributions to building China into a world-class science and technology power.

National Award for Technological Invention It is one of the five major awards established by the State Council’s National Science and Technology Awards (the State Supreme Science and Technology Award, the National Natural Science Award, the National Technological Invention Award, the National Science and Technology Progress Award, and the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award). It is awarded to Chinese citizens and organizations that have demonstrated novel technical concepts, significant technological innovations, achieved advanced levels in key technical and economic indicators compared to similar technologies, made substantial contributions to technological advancement in their respective fields, and generated notable economic or social benefits. This year’s National Science and Technology Awards recognized two recipients of the State Supreme Science and Technology Award, 264 projects, 10 science and technology experts, and one international organization.

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