Semiconductor rivers and lakes, a world wrapped in precision instruments and high-end technology, but also hide the most primitive talent competition.
Lin Benjian, a distinguished engineer, is not only a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the Academia Sinica, but also held senior positions at IBM for 22 years. In 2000, he joined TSMC and in 2002 he successfully developed the revolutionary 193nm immersion micro-imaging technology, which enabled TSMC to leapfrog from 55nm technology to six more advanced technology generations in semiconductor manufacturing. Lin Benjian's achievement not only consolidated TSMC's leading position in the global semiconductor industry, but also completely reshaped the development direction of the entire industry, so he is known as the "father of immersion micro-imaging technology".
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This well-known scholar in the semiconductor industry once pointed out succinctly: "Although the dream of self-sufficient semiconductors is beautiful, the shortage of talents is like an unbridgeable gap, between dreams and reality." His words are a wake-up call to remind the industry that talent is a scarce resource to drive innovation in the fast lane of technology iteration.
According to authoritative statistics, the talent shortage faced by the global semiconductor industry is intensifying at an alarming rate. In the early years, the industry's demand for highly skilled talent had a gap of about 10%, but with the rapid development of technology and the explosive growth of market demand, this gap has swelled to more than 150%. This means that for every two positions that require a senior engineer, only one can find the right candidate. This shortage is not only reflected in quantity, but also in quality - those top talents who have mastered core technologies and innovation capabilities have become the object of competition among enterprises in various countries.
Historically, almost every major breakthrough in the semiconductor industry has been the result of international collaboration. For example, the cooperation between ASML and global leaders such as TSMC and Samsung has jointly promoted the commercialization of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) technology, which is a big gamble for the global semiconductor manufacturing industry and the pinnacle of technology cooperation. However, in recent years, as geopolitical tensions have escalated, the once-open semiconductor ecosystem has gradually been fragmented by trade barriers and export restrictions, and the former model of cooperation seems to have been overshadowed.
When it comes to EUV technology, we have to mention ASML CEO Peter Wennink, whose foresight and bold decisions have made ASML the absolute hegemon in the field of semiconductor equipment manufacturing. The development of EUV was costly, took more than 20 years, and there was no shortage of skepticism and pressure in the process, but in the end, the successful commercialization of this revolutionary technology paved the way for the advancement of semiconductor processes around the world. Lin Benjian commented: "ASML's victory is a proof of the coexistence of courage and wisdom, and an incentive for the entire industry. ”
The competition between China and the United States in science and technology, especially in the field of chips, has become the focus of international attention in recent years. The U.S. export restrictions on Chinese technology companies such as Huawei, ostensibly a direct blow to their technology dependence, have actually accelerated the process of China's semiconductor industry becoming independent. "Blockade and confrontation may be able to gain tactical advantages in the short term, but in the long run, they give birth to self-reinforcement of opponents, as evidenced by Huawei's tenacity," Lin commented. ”
As the world's largest wafer foundry, TSMC's every step of strategic deployment affects the nerves of the global semiconductor supply chain. Its investment and construction of factories in Arizona, USA, as well as its layout in Japan and Germany, is not a simple capacity expansion, but a strategic choice based on the global political and economic pattern. Lin Benjian analyzed from a calm perspective: "TSMC's global chess game shows its sensitivity to geopolitics and the need to ensure the security of the supply chain. ”
Lin Benjian has an ideal of "chip peace" in mind, and he believes that semiconductor technology should not be a weapon in the struggle between countries, but a bridge to promote global prosperity. In this ideal, cooperation and sharing are more important than isolation and lockdown. As he puts it, "Only when chips become a medium of connection rather than isolation can we truly usher in an era of technological symbiosis." ”
The future of the semiconductor industry is not only a test for leaders, but also a challenge to the wisdom of all mankind. In this era of hyper-globalization, no single country or company can solve all the challenges alone. On the chessboard of chips, only by working together can we play a new chapter of win-win. In the future of the semiconductor industry, we look forward to writing a new chapter of peace and development.
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