togophonebook Chapter 207 Offline
Chapter 207 Offline
May 10th.
Shanghai.
In the new factory of Vilan Microelectronics, three core pieces of equipment have been installed and debugged.
The main body of the packaging line is a semi-automated MEMS chip packaging system—not the most advanced fully automated production line, but sufficient for Vilan's current production capacity needs. When Lin Wei decided to build the packaging line herself, she was very clear that the goal of the first line was not scale, but "to be able to run smoothly."
The successful testing means that Vilan no longer needs to rely on external packaging and testing services. It means that the withdrawal of Xingchen and Yongsheng is no longer a threat. It means that no matter how many other companies in the alliance are squeezed out by STMicroelectronics' supply chain pressure in the future, Vilan's core business will not be interrupted.
"Mr. Lin, all equipment is ready. The process parameters have been verified three times using the wafers from the previous batch of oscillators. The yield has stabilized at 92.3%."
Production supervisor Lao Zhao stood next to Lin Wei, holding a stack of printed verification reports in his hand.
"Ninety-two point three." Lin Wei repeated the number.
For a newly built production line, this yield is already quite good. A mature MEMS packaging line in the industry typically achieves a yield between 95% and 98%. 92.3% means there's still room for optimization, but it's ready for mass production.
Where are the main losses occurring?
"In the wire bonding process, a small number of solder joints deviated beyond the allowable range. We are adjusting the fixture's precision and expect to bring the yield rate to over 95% within two to three weeks."
"Two to three weeks." Lin Wei nodded. "Start production first. Optimize yield simultaneously; avoid stopping the line."
"clear."
Lin Wei glanced at the quietly operating equipment in the factory. The air conditioning system maintained the temperature at a constant 22 degrees Celsius, and the air underwent three-stage filtration, achieving a cleanliness level of 10,000. The equipment operated very quietly, with only a low hum.
It took four months from the decision to its implementation.
Lin Wei made the decision in January. Equipment procurement began in February. Factory renovations took place in March. Installation and commissioning were completed in April. Production commenced in May.
Every step was perfectly timed. There was no redundancy, no delay.
Lin Wei took out her phone from her pocket and sent a message to Su Chen:
"The packaging line officially went into production on May 15th. The first batch of 5,000 chips is expected to roll off the line on May 20th."
After sending the message, she opened the alliance's risk assessment document. The status in the "Self-built Packaging Capability" section was changed from "Under Construction" to "Coming Soon".
Then she turned to the next page—the problems with Ruiheng Precision.
High-precision testing services. This is currently the biggest hidden danger. Packaging can be built in-house, but MEMS testing equipment of the caliber of Ruiheng—submicron-level probe stations, nanometer-level displacement detection systems—cannot be purchased and debugged in the short term.
She added a line to the remarks column: "Q3 Evaluation Plan: ① Find alternative suppliers ② Assess the feasibility of building our own system ③ Negotiate with Zhenxin to share testing resources"
Then she closed the file.
Sunlight streamed through the industrial glass windows, casting long patches of light on the ground. Shanghai was already getting warm in May, but the temperature inside the factory remained consistently high.
……
the same day.
Beijing.
When Su Chen received Lin Wei's message, he was in the lab revising Chapter 5 of his second paper.
He glanced at the message, updated the timeline on his laptop, and then continued writing his paper.
Chapter 5 is about error analysis. He needs to systematically demonstrate why the prediction errors of the third-order model remain consistent across different platforms—not by coincidence, but because the mathematical structure of the model itself determines its robustness to platform differences.
This is the most difficult part to write in the entire paper. It requires not only data, but also a deep understanding of the physical mechanisms behind the data.
Su Chen wrote for two hours. During that time, he consulted the literature three times, revised two details in the formula derivation, deleted a paragraph that he felt was not logically rigorous, and then rewrote a version.
At 3 p.m., a new email popped up in his inbox.
Sender: NM Submission System.
Su Chen's fingers stopped on the keyboard.
He glanced at the sender field, checked it again, and then opened the email.
The email subject is:
"Decision on Manuscript NM-2020-12-25-00847"
His heart didn't race. His breathing remained unchanged. He simply read the entire email quietly.
Dear Dr. Su,
Thank you for submitting your revised manuscript to Nature Materials. Your paper has been re-evaluated by the original reviewers.
Based on the reviewers' assessments and our editorial evaluation, I am pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been accepted for publication, subject to minor revisions.
The minor points raised by the reviewers are listed below..."
Accept with Minor Revision.
In the context of academic publishing, this is almost equivalent to formal acceptance. Minor revisions typically involve only formatting, wording, or very minor supplementary notes, and do not require resubmission. As long as the authors revise and resubmit as required, the paper will be formally published.
From submitting the article on December 25th last year to today—May 10th.
Four months and fifteen days.
Su Chen read through the comments of the three reviewers.
R1—the same person who previously pointed out the lack of detail in the experimental methodology—this time wrote: "The authors have addressed all my concerns thoroughly. The expanded methodology section is exemplary. I recommend acceptance."
R2—the one who requested the analytical expression for the S-type transition—wrote: "The analytical expression for the S-type transition is elegant and well-validated. Minor typographical corrections are noted below."
R3—the one who was most strident in calling for independent platform verification—wrote: "The addition of multi-platform validation data significantly strengthens the manuscript. While I still believe that broader independent verification across more diverse MEMS architectures would be valuable, the current evidence is sufficient to support the authors' claims. I recommend acceptance with the caveat that future work should address this point."
Even R3 agreed.
Su Chen leaned back in his chair, looking at the ceiling.
He sat there for about thirty seconds.
Then he picked up his phone and sent a message to Zhou Zhiyuan:
"NM accepted. Minor Revision."
After sending that message, he sent another message to Lin Wei:
"NM received."
He then put his phone on the table and continued reading Chapter 5 of his thesis.
The cursor is blinking on the screen.
He didn't celebrate. He didn't even show any obvious change in expression.
This result was within his expectations. From the moment he submitted the revision on April 8th, he knew that the core concerns of the three reviewers had been addressed one by one. The methodological supplements in R1, the analytical expressions in R2, and the multi-platform validation data in R3—every requirement was exceeded.
The only thing he was uncertain about was the timing.
The date is now set: May 10th. At least two weeks earlier than his estimate of "late May to early June".
This means his timeline needs to be adjusted—the minor revision of the paper can be completed within a week. If all goes well, the formal publication could be brought forward to early June.
Published in early June. Vogt Conference in mid-June.
Perfect rhythm.
Su Chen continued typing in the document for Chapter 5.
……
Fifteen minutes later.
Zhou Zhiyuan saw Su Chen's message in the department office.
He put down his teacup and stared at the screen for a full five seconds.
Then he stood up, walked to the window, and took a deep breath.
Twenty-three years old. First author in Nature Materials.
He's mentored so many students. Some people don't even publish a decent paper in a second-rate journal until they're thirty. Some people complete their doctorates without ever independently publishing a single influential work.
Su Chen received an acceptance letter from Nature Materials at the age of 23.
Zhou Zhiyuan returned to his desk and sent Su Chen a message:
"Okay. Please compile the comments for the Minor Revision and send them to me. I will assist in the review. We'll try to submit it within a week."
Then he sent another message:
"I'll talk to Dean Chen."
He didn't offer any congratulations or words of praise. He knew Su Chen didn't need those. What Su Chen needed was a plan for the next steps.
Zhou Zhiyuan picked up the phone on his desk and dialed a number.
"Dean Chen, this is Zhiyuan. Su Chen's NM paper has been accepted. Accepted with Minor Revision."
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone. Then Dean Chen's voice came through, carrying a suppressed excitement:
"Good. Very good. I knew it."
"Do the materials recommended for Outstanding Young Scientists need to be updated?"
"Of course it's necessary. Include the letter of acceptance. That's the strongest supporting evidence."
"clear."
"Zhiyuan, please pass on a message to Su Chen for me—prepare well for the Vogt Conference in June. That conference is just as important as a research paper."
"I will pass it on."
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Zhiyuan sat for a while longer.
He recalled the first time Su Chen walked into his office last September. A quiet young man, holding a stack of handwritten formula derivations, said, "Professor Zhou, I feel the second-order correction is insufficient."
Eight months. From a stack of handwritten manuscripts to Nature Materials.
Zhou Zhiyuan shook his head, a slight smile appearing on his lips.
He then opened his email and began drafting an email to Vogt—informing him that NM had received the message and confirming the schedule for the June meeting.
……
On the same evening.
Shanghai.
When Lin Wei received Su Chen's message, she was reviewing the preparation materials for the Bosch technical exchange meeting.
After seeing the words "NM received," she sat quietly in her office for a full minute.
Then she picked up the phone.
"Su Chen."
"Sister Lin."
"Congratulations."
Thank you. Minor revision, to be submitted within a week.
"Hmm." Lin Wei paused for a moment. "You know what this means, right?"
"I know. The technical exchanges with Bosch have given us even more bargaining power."
Lin Wei chuckled softly. "I wasn't talking about Bosch. I was saying—the information received by NM will spread. In the MEMS industry, this kind of news travels faster than anything else."
Su Chen was silent for two seconds. "Mm."
"Once the news spreads—"
"Those discussions about 'the third-order model no longer working' have lost their final foundation," Su Chen said calmly.
"That's right. Acceptance by Nature Materials means the third-order model has passed the most rigorous peer review in the world. This is more convincing than any media report, any Zhihu answer, or even Bosch's solution. Because in academia, peer review is the only hard currency."
"Sister Lin, there's something I'd like to confirm."
"explain."
When will the information received by NM be released to the public?
Lin Wei thought for a few seconds.
"No rush. Let's wait until the Minor Revision is submitted. The later it's released, the more concentrated the effect. If we release it now, it'll be old news by the time of the Bosch presentation. If we release it a day or two before the Bosch presentation—"
"Bosch will be more proactive at the exchange meeting."
You're right.
There was a few seconds of silence on both ends of the phone.
"Okay. I'll handle the Minor Revision first."
"Okay. I'll continue preparing the materials for the exchange with Bosch."
After hanging up the phone, Lin Wei opened her schedule.
On the line for "May 10th", she wrote four words:
"NM received."
Then she drew a circle after those four words.
He Wentao mentioned three challenges: production capacity, standardization, and intellectual property rights.
Production capacity: The packaging line will be put into operation in five days.
Intellectual property rights: Three patents have been filed. A PCT international application is underway.
Standardization: Bertoli's IEC issue is still in the process. It will take at least another two or three years.
And now—NM has received it.
This is not any of the three challenges. This is the fundamental aspect itself. It's about ensuring the academic legitimacy of the third-order model is confirmed by the highest level of peer review globally.
With this foundation, production capacity can be expanded, intellectual property rights can be monetized, and standardized competition has the most powerful bargaining chips.
Lin Wei closed the timetable and opened the next document—the draft agenda for the Bosch technical exchange meeting.
……
May 11th.
Beijing.
The news spread faster than Lin Wei had anticipated.
It wasn't because someone leaked it—it was because the status on NM's submission system changed from "Under Review" to "Accepted with Minor Revision." Anyone following this paper could see this change simply by logging into the system and checking the status.
Within the MEMS academic community, quite a few people are paying attention to this paper.
The first public response came from the replication team at ETH Zurich. Their group leader tweeted:
"Congratulations to Su Chen and Zhou Zhiyuan — their third-order nonlinear MEMS model paper has been accepted by Nature Materials. Our replication study on 200mm wafers fully supports their theoretical framework. A well-deserved milestone."
The tweet included a comparative data chart showing their replication of the experiment. The chart with R²=0.991.
Within two hours, the tweet was retweeted 1,400 times.
The Purdue University team then posted a similar tweet. Next was National Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu.
In the afternoon, the MIT PhD student—who had previously verified the third-order model on nanoresonators—also posted a message:
"The acceptance of the Su-Zhou paper is not just a recognition of one model — it's a signal that the field is ready to move beyond second-order approximations. Excited to see what comes next."
The tweet used the phrase "the field is ready." It doesn't mean "Su Chen is amazing," but rather "the entire field is ready."
This distinction is important.
This means that the third-order model is no longer seen as the achievement of one person, but as progress for the entire field. When a theoretical framework is recognized by the academic community as "progress in the field," it becomes much harder for any commercial force to suppress it.
……
The news reached the Chinese internet that evening.
On Zhihu, a user named "Microsystems R&D Dog" posted a new question:
"What does it mean that Su Chen's third-order model paper has been accepted by Nature Materials?"
The answer "12 years of chip design experience" received 3,500 likes within an hour:
This means the following:
First, the third-order model passed the most rigorous peer review in the world. Three anonymous reviewers—at least one of whom is known for their stringent standards—unanimously agreed to accept it. This is not common in journals of the NM level.
Secondly, all previous claims that 'third-order models are no longer viable' can now be definitively put to rest. This is especially true of that preprint with a 12.7% bias—note that it was an uncalibrated preliminary result, not even peer-reviewed. In contrast, NM's acceptance process involved a full two-round peer review. The academic weight of the two is on completely different levels.
Third, and most importantly, Su Chen is twenty-three years old this year. He is the first author of Nature Materials. I have been in this industry for twelve years and have seen many geniuses, but those who have obtained first authorship in NM at the age of twenty-three can be counted on one hand.
This man and his model will change the course of the MEMS industry for the next decade. Remember that.
In the comments section, "Semiconductor Veteran 2003" left two words:
"remember."
It received 2,100 likes.
The discussion on Weibo was even more heated. "Third-order model accepted by Nature Materials" became a trending topic in the science and technology field. Although most ordinary netizens did not fully understand what this meant, the keywords "Nature," "23 years old," and "world's most stringent" were enough to generate widespread attention and discussion.
He Wentao published a quick commentary in *Semiconductor Industry Observer*. The title is:
"Third-order model passes Nature Materials peer review: a milestone"
The article's core argument is that NM's acceptance not only confirms the academic value of the third-order model, but also signifies a shift in the balance of standardization discussions. Any attempt to question the scientific validity of the third-order model on the standards committee must now confront the fact that the world's most authoritative materials science journal has endorsed it.
The last paragraph of the article reads:
"A month ago, I wrote an article titled 'The Industrialization Path of the Third-Order Model: A Sober Observation,' pointing out that production capacity, standardization, and intellectual property rights were the three major challenges. Now I need to update my assessment: intellectual property rights are being rapidly deployed, production capacity will soon be alleviated through self-built packaging lines, and standardization—in the context of NM acceptance—is facing rapidly shrinking resistance from opponents."
"The industrialization of the third-order model is not a question of 'whether', but rather 'how quickly'."
……
May 12th.
Milan.
Bertoli saw the message during his routine 8 a.m. briefing.
"Nature Materials took over?" He put down his coffee cup.
"Yes. The submission system status was updated yesterday. It says 'Accept with Minor Revision,'" his technical advisor said.
Bertoli remained silent for ten seconds.
This was earlier than he had expected. He had originally thought that the second round of peer review by NM wouldn't be until at least late May. Now it was two weeks earlier.
This means that the window of "academic controversy" he created through Kosuke Yamamoto's preprint was much shorter than expected.
"How's the progress on Yamamoto's side?"
"Parameter calibration is underway. Kosuke Yamamoto told us that Chen Su himself provided a general parameter calibration framework—which they call the 'Material Extension Protocol.' Preliminary results using this framework show that the deviation has decreased from 12.7% to 3.8%."
"3.8%." Bertoli repeated the figure.
From 12.7% to 3.8%. This means that the calibration method provided by Su Chen is effective. The argument that "third-order models are not applicable to non-silicon-based MEMS"—his carefully crafted argument—is about to be overturned by Kosuke Yamamoto's own complete paper.
When will the full version be released?
"Kosuke Yamamoto said around early June."
Early June. The full paper will likely conclude that the bias of the third-order model on PZT-MEMS has decreased to an acceptable range after parameter calibration. This is a completely different story from the previous 12.7%.
Bertolli picked up his coffee cup and found it was cold.
His three-step strategy—exploring the boundaries of academia, setting standards to set thresholds, and exerting pressure on the supply chain—is seeing the effectiveness of the first two steps rapidly diminish. Academic controversy is being crushed by NM's acceptance. The IEC standardization issue is still in process, but with NM's endorsement, the voices of opponents will be significantly reduced.
Only the third step—pressure on the supply chain—is still having an effect. Yongsheng has already withdrawn. Ruiheng has switched to negotiating prices per order. But these are all minor moves. If Weilan's self-built packaging line goes into production—which he knows is inevitable—even the effectiveness of this step will be weakened.
Bertolli put down his coffee cup.
"Contact Stein's office. I need to speak with him."
"About what?"
Bertoli thought for a moment.
Regarding the possibility of cooperation.
His technical advisor was taken aback.
"You mean—a collaboration with Vilan?"
"I mean coordinating our positions with Bosch. Stein is already in contact with Villand. If we don't get involved, Bosch might ultimately get exclusive terms, and we'll be excluded."
"But we've been trying—"
“I know what we’ve been doing,” Bertoli interrupted him. “But tactics must yield to reality. NM reception has changed the entire board. If we continue with our original strategy, the best outcome is a delay of two to three years in the third-order model. But delay doesn’t equal halt. And in those two to three years, Bosch may have already obtained the license and established cooperation. By then, Italy and France will be in an even more passive position.”
He paused for a moment.
Sometimes, the best strategy is not to stop the tide, but to make sure you're in the right place when it comes.
……
May 13th.
Stuttgart.
Stein received two messages at the morning meeting.
The first message from Mayer: Vilan has confirmed that the technical exchange will be held on May 20th via online video conference, lasting one hour.
The second message came from Bertoli's office: Bertoli wanted to have an informal dialogue on "industry collaboration trends".
After reading the second message, Stein made a judgment in his mind.
Bertoli is about to turn.
The NM reception, the anticipated "reversal" of Yamamoto's preprint, and the impending technical exchange between Bosch and Villeneuve—all these signals combined made Bertolli realize that his slowdown strategy was losing its effectiveness.
So he's here to talk about "cooperation".
Stein did not reply to Bertoli immediately. He dealt with Meyer's message first.
"The meeting on May 20th is confirmed. Attendees: myself, Mayer, and Dr. Graff, Chief Process Engineer of the Sensors Business Unit."
"Three people?" Meyer was somewhat surprised. "Usually, initial communication only requires two people."
"Graf needs to be present. He's the person who understands the process requirements of the 400mm production line best. If the technical framework Su Chen presents at the meeting matches our internal replication results, Graf can assess the technical feasibility of the collaboration on the spot. This way, the second meeting can directly proceed to substantive discussions."
"You're speeding up."
"NM accepted. We're not the only ones who want to cooperate with Vilan."
Stein paused for a moment.
"Reply to Bertolli. Tell him I'm available next week. Video call, fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen minutes?"
"Fifteen minutes."
The length of time itself is a signal—polite enough, but not deep enough. Stein is indicating that he is willing to listen to what Bertoli has to say, but will not make any commitments at this stage.
Because any coordination with Italy and France could limit Bosch's room for negotiation before the cooperation framework between Bosch and Villon is finalized.
Stein was well aware of this.
……
May 15th.
Shanghai.
2:17 PM.
The first batch of products from Vilan's self-built packaging line—5,032 MEMS sensor chips—has officially rolled off the production line.
Yield: 93.1%. This is an improvement of 0.8 percentage points compared to the validation batch ten days ago.
Production supervisor Lao Zhao signed the production line report. Then he handed the report to Lin Wei, who was standing next to the production line.
Lin Wei took the report and glanced at the data.
Five thousand and thirty-two. This number isn't large. Considering Vilan's current monthly shipment volume, this is less than a week's worth of production.
But the significance of these 5,032 is not in their quantity.
These are Vilan's first products packaged entirely on its own production lines. From chip manufacturing to packaging to initial testing, everything is completed in Vilan's own factory. It does not rely on any external suppliers and is unaffected by any supply chain pressures.
Lin Wei wrote a note on the report:
"First batch of products rolled off the production line. A landmark milestone. Notification to core alliance members."
Then she picked up her phone and sent a message to the core members of Wei Lan's alliance group:
"Attention everyone: Vilan's self-built packaging line officially commenced production today, and the first batch of products has rolled off the line. The yield rate is 93.1%, and we are continuously optimizing it. Subsequent packaging needs will be gradually transferred to our own production line."
Several replies appeared quickly after the message was sent.
Mr. Wang, General Manager of Jingce Microelectronics: "Congratulations, Mr. Lin. This is good news for the alliance."
Mr. Zhang, General Manager of Zhenxin Microelectronics: "The packaging line went into production faster than expected. Our previous concerns can now be put to rest."
Several other key members' leaders also sent similar messages, all with a positive tone.
Lin Wei understood the meaning behind these replies—the commissioning of the packaging line meant that STMicroelectronics' strategy of undermining the alliance through supply chain pressure had been fundamentally weakened. Even if more members left, Weilan's core business would not be fatally affected.
This is reassuring for those members of the alliance who are still hesitant.
Lin Wei put down her phone and walked to the window.
Outside the factory was a quiet industrial road. The canopies of several plane trees had grown quite thick, their green leaves swaying gently in the afternoon sun. In the distance, the sound of a truck passing by could be heard.
May 15th.
Packaging line goes into production. NM receiver. Bosch communication imminent.
The three lines converged this month.
Lin Wei silently calculated the upcoming schedule in her mind:
May 17: NM Minor Revision submitted.
May 20: Initial technical exchange with Bosch.
Early June: NM was officially published. Kosuke Yamamoto's complete paper was released.
Mid-June: Vogt Thematic Conference.
End of June: Tian Shu chip solution three deadline.
Every step is progressing according to plan.
But Lin Wei knew that a plan was just a plan. The real variables always lay outside the plan.
She turned back to the table and opened the preparation materials for the Bosch technical exchange.
Five days later, Vilan will sit at the same negotiating table with the world's largest MEMS manufacturer for the first time.
No. It wasn't a negotiating table. It was an "academic exchange."
Lin Wei's lips curled up slightly.
Then she began to review the materials.