ebonymovies Chapter 208 Letter
Chapter 208 Letter
Chapter 242 Letter
May 14th.
Beijing.
Su Chen completed the Minor Revision of NM in two days.
The changes are few—three spelling corrections suggested in R2, one reference formatting issue, and a section on "future work directions" to be added to the Discussion section as suggested in R3.
Su Chen wrote in that passage:
"While the current framework has been validated primarily in silicon-based MEMS systems, preliminary work suggests that the model can be extended to non-silicon substrates through material-specific parameter calibration. A generalized calibration protocol is currently under development and will be presented in forthcoming publications."
This statement has two layers of meaning.
On the surface, it is a response to R3’s suggestion of “broader independent verification”—acknowledging that current verification is mainly focused on silicon-based systems, but pointing out that work to expand this is underway.
On a deeper level, it laid the groundwork for the second paper and the extended material protocol. When the second paper was published, readers would discover—ah, the first paper had already foreshadowed this direction.
Academic continuity. This is one of the most important factors in building an academic reputation.
Su Chen sent the revised document to Zhou Zhiyuan for review. After Zhou Zhiyuan spent half a day confirming that there were no problems, Su Chen officially submitted the revised draft at 3 pm on May 14th.
The submission system status changed from "Accepted with Minor Revision" to "Minor Revision Submitted".
According to NM's process, the status will change to "Accepted" after the editor confirms it. This process usually takes three to five business days.
In other words, NM will officially confirm acceptance as early as May 19th.
May 20th is Bosch's technical exchange day.
The timing was perfect.
……
May 15th.
Su Chen received a message from Lin Wei—the packaging line had started production and the first batch of products had rolled off the line.
He glanced at it, made a note in his notebook, and then continued revising Chapter Six of his second paper.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, a new email popped up in his inbox.
The sender is Kosuke Yamamoto.
Mr. Su Chen:
The material extension protocol you provided is very effective. After parameter calibration, the prediction bias of the third-order model on PZT-MEMS has decreased from 12.7% to 3.2%. We are currently conducting a second round of validation and expect to complete the full paper and submit it for formal publication in early June.
I have an additional question: Can the three material-specific coefficients in the material extension protocol be determined through theoretical derivation rather than experimental calibration? If so, this would greatly lower the barrier to extending the model to new material systems.
Furthermore, I noticed that your NM paper has been accepted. Congratulations. It's a remarkable piece of work.
Yamamoto Kosuke"
After reading it, Su Chen noticed two key figures.
3.2%. This is a decrease of 0.6 percentage points from the previously reported 3.8%. This indicates that the calibration method is being continuously optimized through iteration.
More importantly, Kosuke Yamamoto raised a new question: can the material specificity coefficient be determined through theoretical derivation?
This question touches upon the core direction of the future development of the third-order model.
If material specificity coefficients can be derived from first principles without requiring experimental calibration each time, then the third-order model is no longer a tool that "requires a large amount of experimental data to use," but a general framework that "can be directly applied as long as the basic physical parameters of the material are known."
This is a completely new research direction. It is also a completely new point of view on intellectual property rights.
Su Chen thought for twenty minutes.
Then he replied to Kosuke Yamamoto's email. This time, instead of answering the question immediately, he wrote:
"Mr. Yamamoto:
This is an excellent question. I am currently exploring this direction, but have not yet reached definitive conclusions. Preliminary analysis suggests that for groups of materials with similar crystal structures, there may be a derivable correlation between material-specific coefficients. However, this requires further theoretical work and experimental verification.
If you are interested, we can conduct collaborative research in this direction.
Su Chen
He didn't reveal all of his existing ideas. But he did extend a collaboration invitation.
If Kosuke Yamamoto accepts, then future research on the "theoretical derivation of material specificity coefficients" will be a joint effort between Su Chen and Kosuke Yamamoto—rather than Kosuke Yamamoto's work alone.
In academia, the person who first proposes a collaboration usually gains the lead in subsequent work.
Su Chen added a new record to the laptop's IP page:
7. First-principles derivation of material specificity coefficients—a potential research direction. Collaboration with Kosuke Yamamoto?
Then he continued writing his paper.
……
May 16th.
Shanghai.
While preparing materials for a Bosch technical exchange, Lin Wei received an unexpected email.
The sender was Weber from Infineon.
The email was very restrained in its wording:
Ms. Lin Wei:
On behalf of Infineon's Sensors division, I would like to express our interest in your technological advancements in the field of MEMS thermoelastic coupling.
Infineon is currently evaluating the process roadmap for its next-generation MEMS product line. We note that the third-order nonlinear correction model has demonstrated excellent prediction accuracy in multiple independent validations, and we also note that this model has been acquired by Nature Materials.
We would like to understand your overall framework for technical cooperation. If a convenient time arises, we would like to arrange an initial discussion.
Sincerely,
Marcus Weber
Infineon Technologies Sensors Division
After reading the email, Lin Wei forwarded it to Su Chen, adding a note:
"Infineon is here too."
Su Chen replied with three words: "As expected."
Lin Wei thought for a moment and replied to Weber with a polite but cautious email: Thank you for your attention. I am currently handling several academic exchange matters and suggest that the initial communication be arranged after mid-June.
After mid-June.
At that time, NM had been officially published, the Vogt conference had been held, and Bosch's initial communication had been completed.
Vilan's bargaining power will reach a new peak.
The conditions would be much better if we talked to Infineon again then than they are now.
Lin Wei added a new section to the draft authorization plan:
Infineon withdraws its offer (May 16).
Weber initiated the collaboration. His wording was restrained but clearly expressed his interest in cooperation.
Strategy: Postpone until mid-June. Resume negotiations after the Bosch framework is finalized. Avoid pursuing two parallel paths, which would dilute bargaining power.
Note: Infineon's entry means that two of the three giants have officially expressed their intentions—Bosch proactively contacted them, and Infineon actively sought their input. Only ST-France is still implementing a 'slowdown' strategy. However, Bertolli's shift may have already begun.
……
the same day.
Beijing.
Su Chen completed the first draft of Chapter Six of his second paper in the afternoon.
Five and a half of the six chapters are complete. Only the seventh chapter—Conclusion and Outlook—remains. The entire first draft is expected to be completed within three to four days.
He stood up and stretched.
The sky outside the window was still bright. In mid-May in Beijing, the sun sets after seven o'clock. Sunlight shone on the white walls of the laboratory, making the entire space bright and airy.
Su Chen walked to the window and looked at the scenery outside for a while.
A few students were running on the playground. The library lights were already on—students preparing for exams had probably gone in early to reserve seats. A few pigeons perched on the rooftops of the distant teaching buildings, appearing quite peaceful in the setting sun.
He thought about his next steps.
May 17th to 19th: Completed the first draft of Chapter 7.
May 20: Bosch technical exchange.
Late May: The first draft of the second paper was submitted to Zhou Zhiyuan for review.
Early June: NM was officially published. Kosuke Yamamoto's complete paper was released.
Mid-June: Vogt Thematic Conference.
Every line is converging.
April is for sowing. May is for growth. June—
Su Chen's phone rang. It was a message from Zhou Zhiyuan.
"Vogt confirmed. June 15th. Half a day. Mixed online and offline. Seven reenactment presentations. You and I will each give a 30-minute keynote speech. You go first, I go second."
Su Chen glanced at it and replied with two words: "Received."
Then he returned to the table.
He opened a new document. The title was:
Vogt Thematic Conference - Keynote Address Outline
He thought for a minute. Then he started making an outline.
Part 1: Theoretical Foundations of the Third-Order Model (10 minutes)
Part Two: Multi-Platform Validation – From Lab to Commercial Production Line (10 minutes)
Part Three: Future Directions – Materials Expansion, Digital Twins, Production Line Design Simulation (10 minutes)
The third part was added after careful consideration.
In typical academic reports, the "future directions" usually only take up the last two or three minutes. But Su Chen decided to dedicate a full ten minutes to it.
Because what he wants to do at this conference is not just to present existing results. He wants to show the future of the third-order model.
Material extension—parameter calibration for non-silicon-based systems has been preliminarily verified through Kosuke Yamamoto's research.
He has already included research prospects in his second paper regarding the possibility of a third-order model as a basic model for digital twins.
Production line design simulation—this is the fourth item marked with an asterisk on his patent list. Once the reproduction data is perfected, this will become the most important industrial application of the third-order model.
These three directions together form a complete roadmap: from theory to verification, from verification to standardization, and from standardization to industrial application.
Su Chen plans to present this roadmap to the entire MEMS academic community at the Vogt conference.
Let them see that the third-order model is not just a more accurate computational tool. It is a fundamental framework that can reshape the entire MEMS design and manufacturing paradigm.
Su Chen spent about an hour writing the outline.
Then he saved the file and turned off the computer.
The lab was quiet now. The other students had probably all gone to have dinner.
Su Chen stood up and picked up the kettle on the table. It was empty.
He went to the water dispenser, filled his glass, and drank two cups.
Then he picked up his bag and walked out of the laboratory.
The corridor was quiet. The last rays of the setting sun shone through the window at the end of the corridor, casting a long, golden band of light on the floor.
Su Chen walked in the middle of the band of light.
He recalled this time a year ago. Back then, he was in his final year of master's studies, just beginning to explore Zhou Zhiyuan's research on MEMS thermoelastic coupling. He had no idea that a third-order model would emerge. He knew nothing of Nature Materials. He knew nothing of Bosch. He knew nothing of the alliance. He knew nothing of Lin Wei.
One year.
From nothing.
Su Chen walked out of the laboratory building. The air was warm and fresh in the May evening. The lilacs on campus were almost finished blooming, but a faint fragrance still lingered in the air.
He walked towards the cafeteria.
My steps were steady. My breathing was calm.
Just like any ordinary Sunday evening.