Zeus technology: IDM model is the only way for RF front-end chip companies to develop

【Editor's Note】In 2021, the semiconductor industry is still moving forward in challenges. Factors such as the post-epidemic era, production capacity tension, and geopolitics still profoundly affect the global semiconductor industry chain and ecology. How will the global semiconductor industry develop in 2022? Where will new challenges come from? In order to clarify these problems, Jiwei Network specially launched the [2021-2022 Special Topic], focusing on hot topics, hot technologies and applications, major events and other multi-dimensional combing, providing reference mirrors for upstream and downstream enterprises.

The enterprise perspective of this issue comes from: Nanjing Zeus microelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as: Zeusan Technology)

Set micro-network messaging, RF front-end is the core component of the wireless communication module, with the continuous development of 5G, its market size continues to rise. According to QYR Electronics Research Center, the global RF front-end market will grow from $14.91 billion in 2018 to $31.310 billion in 2023.

At present, the RF front-end market is almost monopolized by several major international giants, and the share of domestic manufacturers is small. With the impact of multiple factors such as the impact of the epidemic, Sino-US trade frictions, and lack of cores, the domestic substitution process in the field of RF front-end is also continuing to load, and many "hard power" RF front-end manufacturers have emerged, such as Zeus Technology.

In 2021, Zeus Technology has achieved good results. He Yinjuan, director of operations of Zeus Technology, said, "Many of the company's products have been tested by well-known enterprises in the industry and have been shipped in batches. Customer reports show that our products have superior performance, close to the international advanced level, and are leading in China. ”

Interpreting the 2021 "Keywords"

He Yinjuan pointed out that the core technology of Zeus technology fills the gap of domestic high-performance RF filters, and the product performance is close to that of foreign first-class manufacturers, which is the first enterprise in China to have a full set of surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters and bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filter design and mass production capabilities. The company is positioned in the design + manufacturing + sales of IDM model, with cost-effective advantages to enter the market, has established a complete industrial system and sales channels, a variety of products have been recognized by the market, popularity and influence rapidly climbed.

"Lack of core" has become one of the keywords of the semiconductor industry in 2021. In the view of Zeus technology, behind the "lack of core", the impact of the epidemic is secondary, the main reason is that the complex international situation has led to the large-scale hoarding of downstream application enterprises upward transmission, driving the entire industrial chain to strengthen inventory, and the sudden enlargement of market demand has led to the inability of production capacity to meet the huge demand for hoarding, and there is a "lack of core".

In this context, Zeus Technology actively takes action to resolve it.

He Yinjuan said: "Zeus technology has developed a number of suppliers to do demand decomposition to ensure the timely supply of wafers, substrates and other materials required for production. At the same time, the deployment arranges the production of white and night shifts to ensure 24-hour production uninterrupted. “

In 2021, the semiconductor industry "gold absorption" is strong. How to look at the current investment fever, how long will the heat of China's semiconductor industry continue?

He Yinjuan believes that the chip industry is globally hot, not just China's overheating. Any leapfrog development of the industry depends on a large amount of capital to drive. China's market space is huge, and the semiconductor industry still needs a lot of funds to promote it, so as to have the opportunity to achieve import substitution. Semiconductors are a long and deep industrial chain, interlocking, need to be seamless docking. The investment in the whole industry chain will greatly promote the coordinated development of the upstream and downstream industrial chain of semiconductors and lay a solid foundation for the future.

Looking ahead to 2022

In view of the overall development trend of the industry in 2022, He Yinjuan said: "At present, saw and BAW filter fields are monopolized by a few commercial oligopolies, and there is still a long way to go for domestic substitution, and it is expected that most domestic filter manufacturers will accelerate the development and layout of BAW filters in 2022." ”

At the same time, He Yinjuan stressed that the IDM model is the only way for the development of RF front-end chip companies. At present, Zeus technology has a complete SAW/BAW filter wafer manufacturing line and CSP chip packaging and testing production line; SAW filter and duplexer products, has been shipped in large quantities, it is expected that in 2022 the product will enter more domestic well-known manufacturers and ODM manufacturers. In addition, the company has high concentration of aluminum scandium-doped (AIScN) thin film deposition technology and equipment, laying a solid foundation for the production of 5G high-performance BAW filters. In terms of RF module products, GaAs PA and SOI Switch products have formed a team, and in the future, they will become the leading supplier of the strongest RF front-end chip with fully integrated modular capabilities: PA+ switch + filter.

(Proofreading/Winfred)