英特爾(Intel)投資設(shè)備商 ASML 公司 41億美元的舉動(dòng)，跟在餐廳侍者上菜前就先付賬的做法沒有什么不同。但 ASML 有理由這樣做。10年前，當(dāng)半導(dǎo)體產(chǎn)業(yè)開始從200mm晶圓過(guò)渡到300mm晶圓時(shí)，芯片制造商們便說(shuō)服工具供貨商來(lái)為新制程的研發(fā)買單，并承諾他們將憑 借著強(qiáng)勁的芯片銷售來(lái)回饋給新系統(tǒng)。然而，當(dāng)網(wǎng)絡(luò)泡沫來(lái)臨時(shí)，他們卻溜之大吉，更大的意外是──芯片制造商決定推遲部署300mm產(chǎn)能。 可想而知許多設(shè)備界的高層有多痛苦了。特別是幾年前，芯片制造商又談?wù)摮?50mm晶圓轉(zhuǎn)移的談話之際。 許多人打從一開始就對(duì)450mm能否成真抱持懷疑態(tài)度。現(xiàn)在看來(lái)，450mm是不可避免的，盡管傳統(tǒng)的看法都認(rèn)為只有少數(shù)幾家芯片制造商──特別是英特爾(Intel)、三星電子(Samsung Electronics)、臺(tái)積電(TSMC)和 Globalfoundries 等公司有能力建造450mm生產(chǎn)線。 而 且，從提出450mm開始，業(yè)界就充斥著許多辯論，包括工具供貨商和他們的客戶將如何分配轉(zhuǎn)移到新晶圓尺寸的相關(guān)研發(fā)成本。市調(diào)機(jī)構(gòu) Gartner 的分析師Bob Johnson本周說(shuō)，450mm的累計(jì)研發(fā)成本將達(dá)170億美元，而今年度大約占20億美元。而其它機(jī)構(gòu)則有各式各樣不同的預(yù)估數(shù)字。 一 些剛萌芽的研究項(xiàng)目正在努力進(jìn)行研發(fā)，其中包括由英特爾(Intel)、三星電子(Samsung Electronics)、臺(tái)積電(TSMC)和 Globalfoundries等芯片巨擘共同組成，耗資48億美元的「全球450聯(lián)盟(Global 450 Consortium)」在內(nèi)。 但 對(duì)部份工具制造商來(lái)說(shuō)，這些遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)不夠。微影設(shè)備供貨商 ASML Holding NV公司眼見450mm一再延宕的困境。要轉(zhuǎn)移到450mm，將會(huì)需要全新的微影設(shè)備，以及可支持更大尺寸、重量更重的晶圓，而不會(huì)發(fā)生震動(dòng)的載臺(tái)，以避 免因震動(dòng)而導(dǎo)致無(wú)法作出精確的微影曝光。 ASML 公司已經(jīng)預(yù)見到，僅有少數(shù)芯片制造商會(huì)購(gòu)買新工具，投資報(bào)酬率將非常有限。 當(dāng)然，ASML早已投入450mm晶圓的研發(fā)，但這是在該公司激活一個(gè)創(chuàng)新的客戶合作計(jì)劃，要求希望轉(zhuǎn)移到450mm晶圓，以及獲得超紫外光(EUV)微影技術(shù)的芯片制造商，也共同投入新技術(shù)的研發(fā)。 本 周一(7月9日)，英特爾宣布以41億美元收購(gòu)ASML公司15%股份，加快450mm和EUV技術(shù)發(fā)展。其中除了超過(guò)30億美元是用在收購(gòu)ASML股份 外，英特爾也針對(duì)新技術(shù)的開發(fā)挹注10億美元。當(dāng)然，英特爾也承諾將進(jìn)一步采購(gòu)450mm和EUV技術(shù)的開發(fā)和生產(chǎn)工具。 三星、臺(tái)積電必須買單 ASML 還將再出售另外10%的股份給其它希望發(fā)展450mm晶圓和EUV微影工具的芯片制造商。該公司目前正在和三星、臺(tái)積電討論。若這些公司拒絕或同意參與， 但并未買下10%股份，ASML公司仍愿意出售剩余部份，并將邀請(qǐng)其它公司加入。 (由于ASML訂定的條款，英特爾的股份收購(gòu)上限為15%。) 整件事看起來(lái)，確實(shí)像上餐前就先把賬給付掉。但ASML有理由這樣做。 ASML不會(huì)在錢沒到位以前就先投資450mm。由于ASML在微影市場(chǎng)舉足輕重，因此沒有ASML投入，450mm就很難發(fā)展。 在 朝450mm 轉(zhuǎn)移的過(guò)程中，英特爾將獲得最大利益。該公司財(cái)務(wù)長(zhǎng)Stacy Smith表示，預(yù)計(jì)轉(zhuǎn)移到450mm將為英特爾節(jié)省超過(guò)100億美元的制造成本。因此，英特爾只要求ASML報(bào)出價(jià)錢，毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)，財(cái)大氣粗的英特爾也將 讓想轉(zhuǎn)移到450mm和EUV微影技術(shù)的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手獲益，因?yàn)樽罱K他們也能獲得相關(guān)工具。 英特爾已經(jīng)買下15%股份了。即使英 特爾是唯一一家入股ASML，直接支持其技術(shù)發(fā)展的芯片公司，這家全球最大的芯片制造商也將在每一次競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手掏出支票簿來(lái)準(zhǔn)備購(gòu)買新工具時(shí)，搶先一步贏得 先機(jī)。ASML公司發(fā)言人表示，英特爾態(tài)度非常堅(jiān)定，因?yàn)樗麄兛吹搅碎_發(fā)這些技術(shù)的利益所在。 無(wú)論是三星、臺(tái)積電，或是任何 其它的芯片供貨商會(huì)入股ASML公司都有待觀察。入股ASML確實(shí)有些好處，特別是在英特爾也投下鉅資之際，毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)，ASML必然會(huì)開發(fā)450mm工具 (還有EUV，盡管該技術(shù)距離成熟還很遙遠(yuǎn))。一旦ASML的工具準(zhǔn)備就緒，包括三星、臺(tái)積電和其它任何想跟進(jìn)的廠商，都得付錢購(gòu)買新工具。 但三星和臺(tái)積電將做出明智抉擇，并將參與其中。當(dāng)450mm工具就緒時(shí)，領(lǐng)先的芯片制造商將會(huì)立即需要它們。如果三星和臺(tái)積電放棄這個(gè)機(jī)會(huì)，他們獲得新工具的順序就會(huì)排在英特爾之后了。 英 特爾已經(jīng)獲得15%的ASML股權(quán)，三星和臺(tái)積電也都有可能出資買下其它可出售股份，不過(guò)這些都是無(wú)投票權(quán)股份。依常理來(lái)看，當(dāng)客戶真的決定對(duì)設(shè)備商挹注 研發(fā)資金共同開發(fā)新技術(shù)時(shí)，他們通常會(huì)大加宣揚(yáng)。三星、臺(tái)積電和任何其它可能投資的公司若再不展開行動(dòng)，屆時(shí)就可能會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)自己被拒于新技術(shù)的門外。 編譯： Joy Teng 參考英文原文：ASML won't get fooled again，by Dylan McGrath

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{pagination} ASML won't get fooled again Dylan McGrath When the semiconductor industry began the transition from 200-mm wafers to 300-mm wafers more than a decade ago, chip makers convinced tool suppliers to foot the bill for the R&D required to make the move with the promise that they would be justly and richly rewarded with robust sales of the new systems, which much of the industry appeared anxious to adopt. But they were left holding the bag when the dot come bubble burst and—surprise—chip makers decided to delay deployment of 300-mm capacity. Many equipment industry executives were understandably bitter about this. This was in large part the reason that, when chip makers first began making noise about moving to 450-mm wafers a few years ago, the sound you heard was mostly echos and crickets chirping. A lot of people were skeptical right from the beginning that 450-mm would happen at all. Now it appears that 450-mm is inevitable, though the conventional wisdom holds that only a handful of chip makers—notably Intel Corp., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC) and Globalfoundries Inc.—will ever build 450-mm manufacturing lines. Samsung, TSMC must pony up ASML is willing to sell another 10 percent of the company to other chip makers who are willing to kick in for the development of 450-mm litho tools and EUV. The firm is currently in discussions with both Samsung and TSMC on taking a piece of the action. If those firms decline to participate, or agree to participate but don't collectively buy the entire 10 percent remaining that ASML is willing to sell, ASML will invite others to participate. (As a condition imposed by ASML, Intel's stake in the company is limited to a maximum of 15 percent.) The whole thing is not unlike a waiter bringing the check before serving the meal. But it had to be this way. ASML was not going to put out the investment required on 450-mm without money up front. And owing to its dominant market share in leading-edge lithography tools, there will be no 450-mm chip production without ASML. Intel has the most to gain from the move to 450-mm. Stacy Smith, the company's chief financial officer, said this week that it expects the move to 450-mm to save the company more than $10 billion in manufacturing costs. Still, Intel alone takes ASML up on its offer, its deep pockets will no doubt also benefit rivals who will then get access to 450-mm and EUV lithography tools. That's where the 15 percent stake comes in. Even if Intel is the only chip firm to directly support ASML's development of these technologies, the world's biggest chip maker will get a piece of the action every time a rival pulls out its checkbook to buy one of the new tools. In the words of a spokesman for ASML, Intel now has real skin in the game and even more interest in seeing the development of these technologies succeed. Whether Samsung, TSMC or any other chip vendor takes ASML up on its offer remains to be seen. On one hand, it can be argued, there is little incentive for them to do so at this point. Especially now that Intel has put its money where its mouth is, there is little doubt that ASML will develop 450-mm tools (though for EUV, the case is far from closed). Once ASML has the tools available, they will presumably be happy to sell them to Samsung, TSMC and anyone else who wants them and has the means to pay. But Samsung and TSMC would be wise to pony up and get involved. When 450-mm tools become available, the leading-edge chip makers will want them ASAP. While there is no publicly disclosed intent to give Intel right of first refusal on new tools—other than those Intel has already committed to buying—come sense dictates that you take care of any part owners of your company before shopping them to the general public. If Samsung and TSMC don't get in on the ground floor, they may end up waiting until Intel is pretty sure it has all of the tools it wants before they get their hands on any. Also, Intel's 15 percent stake in ASML—as well as any stake Samsung and TSMC may take—is in non-voting shares. But again, common sense dictates that the customer who is helping to foot the bill for the development of the technology will have a louder voice when it's time to make development decisions. Samsung, TSMC and any other firm that does not get in on the action may find itself outside looking in.