ebonymovies Chapter 187 The Undercurrent is Intercepted
Chapter 187 The Undercurrent is Intercepted
December 27th.
Stuttgart, Germany, Bosch Group headquarters.
Albrecht's office is on the top floor of the headquarters building. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, one can see the winter city of Stuttgart, with the spires of several churches appearing and disappearing in the mist under the gray sky.
But Albrecht was not in the mood to appreciate the view outside the window.
A thick, twenty-three-page analysis report lay before him, its cover bearing the words in German:
"Technical Analysis of Third-Order Nonlinear Model for Vilan Microsystems - An Evaluation from the Suzhou Base"
Sender: Stein.
This report was compiled by Stein over two weeks. Starting with the 300mm data publicly presented by Su Chen at an industry forum, combined with Bosch's internal 250mm experimental data, and reverse analysis of publicly available information from Stein's team's third-order model—a conclusion was ultimately reached.
Albrecht turned to page nineteen, where Stein's core judgment was highlighted in red:
"Based on our analysis, we are unable to reconstruct the third-order model from publicly available data. The theoretical framework appears to contain at least two non-trivial mathematical innovations that cannot be derived from existing literature. Our 250mm process achieves ±0.030°, while Weilan's 300mm process reportedly achieves ±0.018°—a result that our current models predict to be impossible at that scale."
In simpler terms: We cannot reconstruct the third-order model from publicly available data. This theoretical framework involves at least two nontrivial mathematical innovations that cannot be derived in existing literature. Our 250mm process achieves ±0.030°, while Villon's 300mm reportedly achieves ±0.018°—a result considered impossible in our existing models.
After reading this passage, Albrecht put down the report, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples.
He is 61 years old this year and has worked at Bosch for 37 years, rising from an ordinary materials engineer to the global president of the MEMS business unit. Over the past 37 years, he has witnessed countless technological competitions—the competition with STMicroelectronics over MEMS gyroscopes, the competition with Texas Instruments over DLP chips, and the competition with Infineon over automotive sensors.
Every time, Bosch ultimately won.
It's not about speed, but depth—Bosch's accumulation in materials science is the result of thirty years of experience. This kind of accumulation cannot be matched by one or two papers.
But this time is different.
A passage in Stein's report is particularly striking, on page twenty-one:
"The third-order model is not merely an incremental improvement. It represents a fundamental theoretical advance that redefines the relationship between scale and precision in MEMS fabrication. If the model is correct—and the 300mm experimental data suggests it is—then all existing empirical models, including our own, become special cases of a more general framework."
All existing empirical models, including Bosch's own, have become special cases of a more universal framework.
Albrecht put his glasses back on and turned to the last page of the report—Stein's recommendation:
"Recommendation: Pursue differentiation through materials science. The theoretical barrier posed by the third-order model cannot be overcome through engineering alone. However, Bosch's 30-year expertise in novel silicon-based materials represents a genuine competitive advantage. The model predicts precision; materials determine cost and reliability. This is where we can compete."
Theory cannot constitute a barrier that we can overcome, but materials can.
Albrecht pondered for a long time.
Then he picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Stein's number.
"Stein."
"Yes, Mr. Albrecht."
"I've read your report," Albrecht said in a low, steady voice. "I have two decisions to make."
"Please speak."
"First, I've approved the differentiated materials approach. An additional three million euros will be allocated to the budget for the first quarter of next year for the research and development of new silicon-based materials. Your team can draw two senior researchers from headquarters; I will coordinate the personnel."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Stein's voice rang out, tinged with suppressed excitement: "Thank you, Mr. Albrecht."
"Secondly," Albrecht paused, "I plan to fly to Suzhou in January."
This time the silence lasted even longer.
"You...you're coming in person?" Stein's tone was clearly surprised.
"Yes." Albrecht's gaze drifted through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the distance. "I want to see your 250mm production line with my own eyes, to see just how big the gap really is between you and Vilan."
He paused, then added:
"Also, I'm considering another possibility."
What's the possibility?
"If Vilan's paper has indeed been published in Nature Materials..." Albrecht said slowly, "then perhaps we should consider—talking to them, rather than arguing with them."
Stein remained silent.
He hadn't expected this suggestion.
In his view, Bosch and Vilan are competitors—one is the global leader in the MEMS industry, and the other is an emerging force in the Chinese market. Competition is natural, while cooperation is counterintuitive.
But Albrecht, having worked at Bosch for thirty-seven years, knew one thing better than anyone:
When a technological paradigm undergoes a fundamental shift, it is better to cooperate with the new paradigm than to compete against the old one.
"Of course, this is only a possibility," Albrecht's tone returned to calm. "Everything depends on the quality of the paper. Until the peer review results are available, we will continue to proceed with the differentiated approach."
"Understood."
"See you in January, Stein."
"See you in January, Mr. Albrecht."
The phone hangs up.
Albrecht leaned back in his chair, looking out at the gray sky.
Thirty-seven years.
He never imagined that one day he would seriously consider collaborating with a 22-year-old doctoral student from a Chinese company on a theoretical project.
But the data doesn't lie.
If the ±0.018° of 300mm is true, and if the ±0.015° of 400mm is also correct—then what this 22-year-old has mastered goes further than Bosch's 30 years of accumulation.
It's not faster, it's farther.
This distinction is important.
……
the same day.
Suzhou, headquarters of MicroPort Sensors.
Zhou Haidong sat at the head of the long table in the conference room, with a tablet computer in front of him displaying a screenshot on the screen.
The screenshot shows a chat log from an industry WeChat group, with one message highlighted in red:
"To be honest, those in the industry know how much of Vilan's 300mm measurement is inflated. ±0.018°? Without independent third-party verification, this figure can only be taken with a grain of salt. — Li Xuefang"
Li Xuefang, Marketing Director of MicroPort Sensors.
This message was sent on December 24th, which is two days ago. At that time, the group was discussing the rumors about Wei Lan submitting her work to NM, and Li Xuefang "casually" posted this message.
Then this message was screenshotted.
Then the screenshot appeared on Zhihu.
Then, a "calm analyst" quoted this in the comments section, adding the sentence: "MicroPort Sensors just resumed supply in January, and the marketing director publicly questioned the authenticity of the partner's data. This is business credibility."
This quoted comment received over six hundred likes.
Zhou Haidong put down his tablet and looked at Li Xuefang, who was sitting at the other end of the long table.
Li Xuefang, 34, is the youngest director-level manager at MicroPort Sensing. Her business acumen is unquestionable—she played a crucial role in MicroPort Sensing's market share in the consumer electronics sector increasing from 12% to 17% last year.
But there's something wrong with her mouth.
"How many people are in that group?" Zhou Haidong asked.
"More than 120 people," Li Xuefang's voice was slightly weak, "all from the industry..."
"More than 120 people." Zhou Haidong repeated the number. "You publicly questioned the authenticity of data about our largest customer, with whom we had just resumed supply relations, in front of more than 120 industry professionals."
Li Xuefang lowered her head.
"Mr. Zhou, I was just..."
"You were just venting your emotions," Zhou Haidong said calmly, his tone not harsh, but rather unsettling. "You felt that Weilan had stolen our market share, that their rise was achieved at the cost of our failed supply reduction strategy, and that it was unfair. So you wanted to say a few sarcastic things in the industry to make yourself feel better."
Li Xuefang fell silent.
Because every word Zhou Haidong said was correct.
"From today onwards," Zhou Haidong stood up, "all external communications involving Vilan will be handled by the Public Relations Department. The Marketing Department will remain silent, the Technology Department will remain silent, and you yourself will remain silent. The unified external statement will be: 'MicroPort Sensing has always respected the technological achievements of its partners, and we look forward to developing together with the industry.'"
"Understood."
"Also," Zhou Haidong said, walking to the door and glancing back at Li Xuefang, "don't respond to those discussions on Zhihu. The more you respond, the more passive you'll become. A few days of quiet will make this all the more peaceful."
Li Xuefang nodded.
Zhou Haidong walked out of the conference room.
But he knew this wouldn't be so easy to get over.
MicroPort Sensors resumed supplying four million units in January, a signal of goodwill towards Weilan. However, Li Xuefang's message poured cold water on this goodwill.
Who is Lin Wei? Will she notice this message?
Zhou Haidong was almost certain: she had noticed.
Moreover, she will not respond, will not pursue the matter, and will not cause any public trouble for Minimally Invasive Sensing.
She would only remember it in her heart.
Then at some point in the future—such as when reassessing the level of cooperation or deciding on the boundaries of core technology sharing—this record will subtly influence her judgment.
This is the most terrible.
……
at the same time.
The Weilan Microsystem, Lin Wei's office.
Lin Wei did see the screenshot.
Zhao Guoping forwarded it to her at 3 PM, with a brief message: "Need a response?"
Lin Wei only replied with two words: "No need."
She then saved the screenshots to a folder called "Supplier Evaluation" and placed it together with other materials from MicroPort Sensing.
The contents of this folder will be used in the annual supplier rating in the future. But that's next year.
Now, Lin Wei has more important things to do.
She turned on her computer, created a new document, and titled it:
"Vilan Microsystems 2020 Annual Review and 2021 Strategic Plan"
December 28th was the deadline she set for her year-end summary. With only one day left, she needed to organize everything that had happened in the past four months into a structured document.
She started typing.
I. 2020 Annual Review (September-December)
1.1 Technical aspects
The third-order nonlinear thermoelastic coupling model was proposed independently by Su Chen, and the theoretical framework was completed in October.
300mm wafer-level MEMS process verification: completed in November, with an accuracy of ±0.018°, a first in the industry.
Theoretical prediction for 400mm: Completed in December, with a prediction accuracy of ±0.015°, but no experimental verification yet.
论文投稿：12月25日投Nature Materials，编号NM-2020-12-25-00847。
1.2 Supply Chain
Alliance members: 29 (8 core members / 14 standard members / 7 members under observation).
Packaging capacity: The alliance's packaging capacity is already at a redundant level. Contracts have been signed with three new packaging companies.
Hongyuan Precision Equipment: Arrived on January 8th.
CR Micro's yield rate: 93.1%.
MicroPort Sensing: Resumed supply of 4 million units in January, treated as a standard member, but without core privileges.
Self-built packaging line: expected to go into production in May.
1.3 Competition
Bosch Suzhou plant: Production started at the end of Q1, 250mm solution, accuracy ±0.030°.
TianShu Chip: MEMS project downgraded in priority, 3 core members retained, and other papers pending.
Minimally Invasive Sensing: Supply resumed but negative publicity spread covertly – recorded, no action taken at this time.
Lin Wei stopped writing here and looked at the content on the screen.
Four months.
From September to December, four months.
She remembered that back in September, Vilan Microsystems was just an unknown small company in Suzhou. At that time, Lin Wei's biggest worry was whether the sensor orders for the next quarter would be enough to cover operating costs.
Then Su Chen arrived.
Then the third-order model appeared.
Then everything changed.
She continued writing:
II. Strategic Plan for 2021
2.1 Academic Cutoff Line (Q1-Q2)
Early January: The paper enters the peer review process (expected in 6-8 weeks).
Most optimistic scenario: Receive peer review comments in March.
Expected: Paper accepted/revised/published around April.
Risk: Major revision requires additional experiments → may be delayed until Q3.
2.2 Product Line (Q1-Q2)
January: Hongyuan equipment arrives + MicroPort resumes supply → production capacity inflection point.
February-March: The first batch of 300mm commercial sensors was shipped (target customers: 8 core alliance members).
April: The convergence of academic and product lines – simultaneous publication of papers and product launches.
May: Self-built packaging line goes into production → Supply chain is completely self-reliant.
2.3 Key Assumptions
The paper was accepted by NM (probability assessment: over 70% - based on data quality and theoretical originality).
Bosch will not initiate direct competition in Q1 (probability assessment: 85% - Stein's 250mm solution is not on the same level as ours).
Minimally invasive sensors will not reduce supply again (probability assessment: 90% - the supply reduction strategy has been proven to be a failure).
Key takeaway: April is a crucial month. Both the academic and product lines must be in place simultaneously by April.
Lin Wei looked at the word "April" and tapped the table.
April.
There are still more than three months to go.
In just over three months, the thesis needed to pass review, the product needed to be launched, the supply chain needed to be in place, and the alliance needed to be solidified. Any problem in any link would affect the whole situation.
But she wasn't anxious.
Because the third-order model has already been validated. The ±0.018° within 300mm is not a theoretical prediction, but an experimental result. The paper is not a theoretical construct, but a 68-page empirical study.
When you hold proven truth in your hands, waiting is not torture, but a luxurious ease.
She saved the document, shut down her computer, and glanced out the window.
In Suzhou, it gets dark very early in winter. By 5:30, it's already dark.
……
December 28th.
Shenzhen, TianShu Chip Headquarters.
He Zhiqiang had just hung up a phone call.
The person making the call was Chen Zheming, a partner at a Shenzhen-based industrial fund, the largest external investor in TianShu Chip.
The phone call contained only one question:
"If Wei Lan's paper is published, will you still continue with your MEMS project?"
This question was very direct, even somewhat blunt. But He Zhiqiang understood Chen Zheming's logic—investors weren't concerned with technical details, but rather with the market landscape.
If Vilan's paper is published in Nature Materials, it means that the third-order model has been certified by a top international journal. At that time, Vilan will no longer be just a Chinese company, but a global benchmark in the field of MEMS theory.
Any company wanting to conduct technological research and development in the MEMS field cannot avoid the third-order model. To use this model, one either needs to derive it oneself—but Stein's report has proven that this path is not feasible—or collaborate with Vilan.
In this context, what significance does TianShu Chip's MEMS project still hold?
He Zhiqiang's answer was cautious: "Wait for the paper. It's too early to make any judgments before the peer review results are available."
Chen Zheming was clearly dissatisfied with this answer: "Zhiqiang, investment waits for no one. If the paper is published, the market will reprice it within a month. By then, it will be too late for you to make a decision."
"So we've downgraded the MEMS project to a 'maintain' status," He Zhiqiang said. "The core three people have been retained, and the remaining resources have been shifted to automotive-grade MCUs. This adjustment was made two months ago."
"That's good." Chen Zheming's tone softened somewhat. "We support the MCU direction. But regarding MEMS, if the paper is actually published... you need to give me a clear answer."
"From the end of Q1 to the beginning of Q2," He Zhiqiang said, "I will make the final decision after the peer review results are released."
After hanging up the phone, He Zhiqiang leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.
He recalled what Liu Feng had said two months ago: "Su Chen isn't making engineering improvements, he's building a theoretical system. Engineering improvements can be followed, but theoretical systems cannot."
At the time, he thought Liu Feng was somewhat pessimistic.
Now he thinks Liu Feng was right.
……
On the evening of December 28th.
Akira Ishikawa's office in Kyoto, Japan.
The A3 sheet of paper on the desk was still pasted on the wall—it was a technical roadmap hand-drawn by Akira Ishikawa, with the words "thermoelastic coupling" written in red marker in the center, connecting "DRIE etching" on the left and "gyroscope temperature drift" on the right.
But today, Akira Ishikawa's attention is not on the roadmap.
On the computer screen in front of him was an Excel spreadsheet—three years of gyroscope temperature drift data, from 2018 to 2020, one set per quarter, for a total of twelve sets of data.
He spent two weeks compiling this data from the lab's archive system. Each set of data includes four dimensions: temperature, time, drift angle, and base stress, totaling more than 20,000 data points.
He finished formatting the last set of data, saved the file, and then leaned back in his chair.
The data has been processed.
The analysis requires a complete theoretical derivation—that is, the complete mathematical framework of Su Chen's third-order model. This framework currently only exists in the paper Wei Lan submitted to Nature Materials.
Once the paper is published and the complete derivation is made public, he can use the data from these three years for independent verification.
If the predictions of the third-order model match his gyroscope data, it means that the thermoelastic coupling theory applies not only to MEMS manufacturing but also to the long-term performance degradation analysis of MEMS devices.
This will be a completely new application area.
And he, Akira Ishikawa, will be the first person in the world to validate this direction with independent data.
He closed Excel and opened Su Chen's reply to him last month—an email with only three sentences. Now he finally fully understood the "third meaning" Su Chen had mentioned.
First layer: The 300mm data is accurate.
The second level: The scope of application of the theory is wider than you think.
The third level: You already have the data needed for verification, you just don't know how to use it yet.
Now he knows.
Akira Ishikawa shut down his computer, backed up the organized data to an encrypted USB drive, then opened the drawer and put the USB drive and a reduced-size copy of the A3 route map inside.
Close the drawer.
Papers, etc.
The data processing for three months is finally complete; what follows is an unknown amount of waiting.
But Akira Ishikawa wasn't in a hurry.
He's waited three years in this field, so a few more months won't hurt.
……
Late at night on December 28th.
Su Chen returned to his dormitory at 11 o'clock.
After taking a shower, he sat down at his desk, opened his phone, and saw a message from Lin Wei.
The message was sent at 9:17 PM and contained the following text:
"The year-end review is finished. There's a statistic I want to share: from September to December, in just four months, Vilan's supply chain self-sufficiency rate increased from 31% to 80%. Don't worry about the paper; leave the product line and supply chain to me. You only need to do one thing—wait for the review results."
Su Chen looked at the message and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
He replied with:
"Received. See you in April."
Lin Wei immediately replied with an "OK" emoji.
Su Chen put down his phone and turned off the desk lamp.
In the darkness, he closed his eyes, and the number on the submission system appeared in his mind: NM-2020-12-25-00847.
Six to eight weeks.
The paper has already left his hands.
What happens next is beyond his control—who the reviewers are, what questions they will ask, what revisions are needed, and whether the manuscript will ultimately be accepted or rejected.
But there was one thing he was certain of.
The third-order model is correct.
The 250mm and 300mm measurements were verified, and the theoretical extrapolation of 400mm is a natural extension of the model.
It wasn't luck, it wasn't coincidence, it was mathematics.
Mathematics doesn't lie.
As Zhou Zhiyuan said, if 147 formulas and 48 charts are not enough to support the term "paradigm shift," then he doesn't know what would be enough.
Su Chen turned over and quickly fell asleep.
Outside the window, the winter night in Suzhou was so quiet that not a sound could be heard.
But beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were already stirring.
Bosch's differentiation strategy is progressing rapidly, and Albrecht's trip to Suzhou is being planned.
The public relations crisis at Minimally Invasive Sensing is escalating, and Zhou Haidong's follow-up measures are being implemented.
The investors of TianShu Chip are putting pressure on He Zhiqiang, and his final decision remains undecided.
Akira Ishikawa's three years of data are waiting in the drawer, waiting for a paper to give them meaning.
The debate between the two sides on Zhihu continues, with the battle between "Calm Analyst" and "Semiconductor Veteran 2003" spreading from one post to three.
At the heart of all this—the paper numbered NM-2020-12-25-00847—is waiting to be assigned to a reviewer on a server in an editorial office across the ocean.
Six to eight weeks.
Everything will be revealed in six to eight weeks.
2020 is coming to an end.
2021 is coming.
The story of the Weilan Micro System has only just begun.