Editor's note: Gu ge, formerly known as Gu Rongxiang, is currently the chairman and general manager of Xi'an Zhongxing Measurement and Control Co., Ltd. He continued to serialize the series of essays "Gu ge talks: Insights on sensor chips" on his personal WeChat public account, recording his own knowledge and insights about the sensor and Internet of Things industries. China exportsemi net authorized the reprinting of his articles for readers to Can look at the past, current situation and development of this industry from the perspective of a senior industry person. For the convenience of reading, the article has been changed during reprinting. If necessary, you can find the original text at the end of the article.
In this article, China Overseas Semiconductor Company saw Gu Ge’s love for the domestic sensor industry, and his sentiment of “hating iron but not steel” came to life. He said: The number of MEMS production lines in China has been seriously saturated at this stage . Let’s ask our country How many of the MEMS production lines that have been built can reach full production? Most of them are waiting for the rice to be cooked! It is hoped that more Chinese state-owned enterprises will cooperate with many high-tech private sensor companies to run China's sensor industry well, build China's own sensor ecosystem, and demonstrate the unity of China's sensor industry.
Today (November 23, 2023), I took the high-speed train from Xi'an West Railway Station to Chengdu to attend the Western (Chengdu) Intelligent Sensor Ecological Development Conference. There are indeed too few tourists at Xi'an High-speed Railway West Station. It is expected that the rapid development of Fengdong New District will also boost the popularity of Xi'an West Station.
The high-speed train passes through the Qinling Mountains. Due to too many tunnels, the wireless signal is sometimes fast and sometimes slow. Therefore, I have time to look through the news, information, WeChat and other fragments of sensor-related news, information, and WeChat that I have collected in the past. I have no free time to read. There are some feelings that I feel uncomfortable with, maybe too extreme.
MEMS , not a sensor, is a method or technology for processing micro-shaped sensors , although it is one of the most important technical means. But at this stage, many people in China's sensor industry, as well as many elites in the investment community, believe that MEMS is a sensor, and a sensor is MEMS.
MEMS production lines, according to relevant reports, there are already more than 50 production lines in China, including four-inch, six-inch, and eight-inch production lines. The East invested 500 million, the West invested 1 billion, the South invested 2 billion, and the North invested an additional 1 billion. They are blooming in all directions and striving to reach the top. You are chasing after each other. I really don’t know where their customers are? How is demand estimated?
As a person in the sensor industry, I am very happy that investors are optimistic about sensors. However, such an approach will cause serious involution. How much profit will there be? Maybe this is unfounded.
I think the number of MEMS production lines in China is seriously saturated at this stage. Before the epidemic, I called in a "Shen Tan Xi Liao" note that we already have enough MEMS production lines. If these production lines can reach 50% operation and a pass rate of 80%, it is estimated that they will be able to meet the world's demand in 2023. But many places are still under construction. I really don’t want our booming sensor industry to become “the TV industry in the 1980s, the communications industry in the 1990s, the Internet industry in the 2000s, and the photovoltaic industry in the 10s.”
Although the sensor industry is not as big as the above-mentioned industry tracks, it is relatively fragmented. In the next ten years, there may be M large companies in N tracks in the sensor industry, but now it is inevitable to waste financial resources and manpower. It’s a pity for those of us who really make sensors!
At this stage, sensors are indeed suitable for MEMS production lines, except for their relatively large usage in consumer electronics. For medical electronics and automotive electronics, there are several six-inch lines. It would be good if they could be fully produced. I would like to ask how many of the MEMS production lines that have been built in our country can produce at full capacity? Most of them are waiting for the rice to be cooked!
This morning, the Western (Chengdu) Intelligent Sensor Industry Ecological Development Conference was grandly held at the Tivoli Hotel of Chengdu Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum. Three sub-forums will be held simultaneously in the afternoon. They are the Intelligent Sensing and Aerospace Theme Forum, the Intelligent Sensing and Biological Health Theme Forum, and the Intelligent Sensing and Urban Security Theme Forum.
The opening of the conference is standardized and formatted across the country, with speeches from the main leaders and the signing of relevant intentions or agreements. The invited celebrities will give a keynote speech. Then the main leaders left.
Figure 1: Chengdu Kaitian Company wants to build a Chinese sensor ecosystem
But this time, the main leaders of airborne companies in the aviation industry participated, especially Secretary Chen Tianyan, the leader of AVIC Kaitian Company (a company focusing on the aviation sensor business), attended the meeting from beginning to end. This is why I have participated in so many sensor meetings, and it is very professional. of a sensor conference. At the same time, leaders of aviation industry airborne companies also released the development status of China's aviation airborne sensors, which was very helpful for the audience to understand the current situation of China's aviation industry sensors. Chengdu Kaitian Company, a state-owned enterprise, has such a big mind, courage and courage to build a Chinese sensor ecology . I think it’s quite impressive, it’s not easy. Gu Ge naturally praises Kaitian Company and hopes that the sensors in China’s aviation industry will become autonomous and controllable as soon as possible without relying on foreign technology.
Figure 2: It is hoped that the sensors in China’s aviation industry will become autonomous and controllable as soon as possible.
It is hoped that more Chinese state-owned enterprises, like Chengdu Kaitian Electronics Company, will cooperate with many high-tech private sensor companies to run the Chinese sensor industry well and demonstrate the unity of the Chinese sensor industry.
Figure 3: Sensor technology development trends in the eyes of Chengdu Kaitian Electronics
Li Gang, an old friend and chairman of Suzhou Minxin Micro Company, also shared his experience and thoughts of working in the field of MEMS sensors for more than ten years. Develop different ideas and insights into consumer electronics sensors and industrial sensors, and different approaches to mass production and low-volume production. How to move from mass production of consumer electronics to high-end, small-volume industrial and aerospace sensor production, as well as their company's many technologically advanced products.
Figure 4: Li Gang, Chairman of Suzhou Minxin Micro, shares his experience and thoughts on working in the field of MEMS sensors
In the afternoon forum, Gu Ge participated in the Intelligent Sensing and Aerospace Theme Forum. The content of the forum is both professional and rich, attracting many sensor professionals to participate.
The topics of the speeches given by the first three guests are very attractive, but the content is too conceptual. Maybe it can be a general understanding for those who are new to this industry. But the specific content is indeed not enough to attract more professional people. Maybe they have content restrictions that prevent them from speaking.
Professor Zhu Jianguo's speech from Sichuan University ranged from theory to practice, from scientific research to specific applications. In particular, the research on high-temperature piezoelectric materials was very in-depth, and it also pointed out the direction for the audience to understand the development of piezoelectric materials in the world.
Old friend Ke Youxin, as the general manager of Shanghai Yingsi Sensing Technology Co., Ltd., which has just started his business, has unleashed his more than 20 years of R&D, production and market potential in pressure sensors, and his development prospects are very good.
Today's speech analyzed the process structure and packaging technology of various MEMS pressure sensors at home and abroad, and demonstrated their company's domestic performance.
Figure 5: Gu Ge’s speech on China’s original MCS high-end pressure sensor
Gu Ge also gave a speech on China's original MCS high-end pressure sensor, hoping that MCS sensors will have more applications in the high-end aerospace field.
Figure 6: Application of China’s original MCS pressure sensor in aerospace
In the past 100 years, all pressure sensor principles or processes were created or discovered by foreigners. Whether it is strain gauge type, capacitive type, or MEMS, which has become quite popular in recent years, sputtered film, ceramic piezoresistive, glass micro-melting, sapphire, etc., all were invented by foreigners without exception. Can’t the Chinese people have their own inventions and discoveries in the new era?
Xi'an Zhongxing Measurement and Control Company will break this convention and hopes that the pressure sensors produced by MCS technology will be branded with the Chinese logo and go global. We Chinese must not only invent something, but the technology we invent must not lag behind existing technology. At the same time, we must expand more high-end applications so that MCS technology can blossom and bear fruit around the world.
Figure 7: Long-term stability measured data of Xi'an Zhongxing Measurement and Control MCS pressure sensor
To be honest, in China today, the products made by Chinese people who have learned foreign technology cannot be trusted in high-end application fields. It is even more difficult to promote products made with Chinese original technologies. But in this "stuck" era, we will get more opportunities, not only because of China's original technology, but also because of the higher cost performance of MCS pressure sensors.
Chengdu Kaitian Electronics Co., Ltd., as a professional company, has held a sensor conference of this scale for the first time. It hopes to truly form an industrial ecology and of course promote the development of the sensor industry in Sichuan Province. It is hoped that the development of China's sensor industry will usher in a new wave of climax.
Original text: God talks about sensors during leisure time on a business trip (102)
