Chapter 1630 It’s finally my turn to show off

Zhang Runing's words were like pouring cold water into boiling oil, and the conference room instantly exploded.

Fan Hongjie and several laboratory directors looked at each other, and they could see the confusion in each other's eyes.

Apparently, the same question flashed through everyone's mind -

"What happened?"

One minute of silence seemed to freeze the air.

Finally, Fan Hongjie spoke as a representative:

"Team Leader, what does this 'new objective system' mean?"

He just felt that his thinking could not keep up with the pace at all.

Zhang Runing glanced at the confused faces of the crowd, and in addition to excitement, he also felt a little secretly happy.

He recalled that when he first arrived at the Torch Laboratory a few months ago, his performance was probably similar to that of everyone in front of him.

Now the situation has changed, and it's finally my turn to show off!

So, instead of giving a direct answer, he asked a question:

"Everyone, have you read the recent official statements, as well as the statements from Chrysanthemum Factory and Huaxing Technology?"

Everyone nodded.

But because no one could figure out the deeper meaning behind this question, no one spoke rashly.

Only the relatively young Kong Xuewu was outspoken:

"Of course I watched it!"

Zhang Runing thought that finally someone was cooperating with him, and quickly asked:

"Have you ever thought about why they dare to publicly promise that they can continue to deliver products to global customers on schedule and stably?"

This question also hits upon everyone’s previous confusion.

"I have thought about it..." Kong Xuewu said hesitantly, "but according to our previous evaluation of ArF-1800, the possibility of mass-producing qualified 7nm chips with it alone is too low."

He paused, a little helpless:

"So I guess... it might be a delaying tactic, or there might be some chips in stock from some special channel..."

"..."

In the absence of key information, this idea actually makes a lot of common sense.

It just doesn't tally with the facts.

"A delaying tactic?" Zhang Runing finally showed a smug smile on his face, which was a kind of confidence that came from holding the key secret.

He looked around at everyone and finally revealed the answer:

"In fact, some people have foreseen the situation we are facing today, so they made arrangements in advance and set up a new research and development route outside the framework of the ArF-1800 project... and during the time I led the team on a business trip, I was fortunate to participate in the development of this new objective lens module!"

"However, for confidentiality reasons, it still uses the model name of 'ArF-1800', and the original design work within the group is still carried out simultaneously. On the one hand, it is used as a backup, and on the other hand, it is also to keep a low profile and try not to attract attention from the outside world..."

"..."

This explosive explanation livened up the atmosphere in the room.

Even the wildest guesses before were less than one ten-thousandth of the actual situation.

The conference room, which was dead silent a second ago, exploded almost instantly.

"what?!"

"There's another plan?!"

"This level of confidentiality..."

"No wonder Team Zhang disappeared mysteriously for so long!"

"..."

More than a dozen people talked at once, with shock, excitement, disbelief, sudden enlightenment...all kinds of emotions intertwined.

Some people think that the time is too short to be true: "In less than a year, a new set of photolithography lenses was developed? This... this is incredibly fast!"

Some people are curious about the source of the technology: "Besides Changguang, which other domestic company can produce more advanced objective lenses?"

This slightly chaotic, market-like scene made Fan Hongjie, the temporary person in charge, feel a little embarrassed.

"Silence! Silence!" He knocked on the table several times. "Everyone, pay attention to the meeting discipline! What a scene!"

Zhang Runing didn't seem to care much, he just waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet.

"I know you all have a lot of questions in your mind," he said calmly, "and I don't want you to go to work confused with a lot of questions in your mind... So if you have any questions, you can raise them now. As long as I can answer them, I will definitely answer them."

As soon as he finished speaking, the engineer who was curious about the source of the technology immediately raised his hand.

"Team leader, the 'new objective lens system' you just mentioned...besides Changguang, which other domestic company has the capability to lead the research and development?"

One can tell from his words that he feels a bit resentful of being kept in the dark.

And dissatisfaction.

Although it was concealed very well, Zhang Runing himself had also experienced such a process of change in thinking, so he saw through it at a glance.

"Of course it's the Torch Laboratory." He gestured to Li Yabo, who was standing next to him, and said, "Professor Li, in addition to assisting with the work, another important task this time is to select capable personnel to participate in the subsequent final assembly and integration."

When he said this, there was a hint of "disappointment" in his tone.

It is for myself and the project team of Changguang Group——

Why can't we come up with a negative refractive material?

How could I let someone else get there first?

The Changguang elites present also felt a burning sensation on their faces.

They have always claimed to be the top force in the field of optics in China, but the core breakthrough came from elsewhere...

Instead, Li Yabo, whose name was suddenly called, was startled, as if he was pulled from the crowd of spectators into the spotlight.

At the same time, he also noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere on the scene.

This is what Chang Haonan specifically reminded me of before setting off on this trip.

We are all human, and as human beings we will have fluctuations in our mentality, so it is important to pay attention to the emotional issues of your partners.

So he immediately stood up with a sincere expression on his face:

“Thank you for the compliment. Our Torch Lab only provided some core components and some design ideas… The real research and development, especially the engineering implementation of the optical system, is still led by Researcher Zhang and the Changguang team…”

"..."

He cleverly gave a helping hand to the hosts on the scene.

“Moreover,” Li Yabo added, “the fact that we were able to transform a brand-new design concept into a physical system that can be applied in engineering within just a few months proves Changguang Group’s profound accumulation and strong strength in the field of optical imaging! We are the first in China and we deserve it!”

These words were very well measured.

It not only highlights the key contribution of Torch, but also timely elevates the status and capabilities of the Changguang team.

The originally tense atmosphere suddenly eased a lot.

The discomfort on Fan Hongjie and others' faces also eased a lot.

At this time, another voice sounded, with strong expectations:

"Team Zhang, Professor Li! Since the Chrysanthemum Factory is confident that they can deliver 7nm chips, does that mean... that they have figured out the EUV light source?!"

This question was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing bigger ripples!

Especially since Li Yabo mentioned "some core components" mysteriously just now, it seemed to further confirm this person's guess.

"Yes! EUV!"

“EUV’s objective lens is indeed simpler than DUV’s!”

“If EUV can be developed in a few months, it is really possible!”

Everyone's eyes lit up and they looked at Zhang Runing and Li Yabo with anticipation.

If it is really EUV, it would be a groundbreaking breakthrough.

But Zhang Runing slowly shook his head, breaking everyone's fantasy.

"The light source is still DUV, 193nm wavelength."

The light in his eyes dimmed.

"Or DUV?"

"Then...how do we achieve 7nm in a single exposure?"

"..."

Although due to Zhang Runing's identity and authority, no one directly questioned it.

But the words "not quite believe" were written all over everyone's face.

They are all experts who have been immersed in optical system design for many years.

They know exactly where the physical limits of DUV are.

Beyond this limit?

Unheard of!

Zhang Runing felt so relieved when he saw everyone's expressions that said "are you kidding me?"

In fact, according to Chang Haonan's idea, although the specific details cannot be announced in Changguang Group, the general technical route is not so sensitive and can be revealed to these core backbones in advance.

Instead, it was Zhang Runing himself who proposed to "strictly keep confidentiality and set an example", and took the initiative to ask to wait until Shanghai Microelectronics to make a unified announcement...