The current situation, advantages, disadvantages and the future trend of Homemade SCM

1. What is SCM?
MCU is an integrated circuit chip, which uses very large scale technology to process data (such as arithmetic operation, logic operation, data transmission, interrupt processing), such as CPU, RAM, ROM, I/O port, and possibly timing counter. Serial Communication Interface (SCI), Display Drive Circuit (LCD or LED Drive Circuit), Pulse Width Modulation Circuit (PWM), Analog Multiplexer and A/D Converter are integrated into a single chip to form a minimal but perfect computer system. These circuits can accurately, rapidly and efficiently accomplish the tasks specified by the programmer in advance under the control of software.

2. The introduction of Manufacturing Technology of SCM in China
2.1. Silicon
Silicon is distilled after chlorination to obtain high purity silicon, which is sliced into silicon chips.
2.2.Wafer
When silicon is purified, it needs to be rotated and then cut into wafers.

First, a layer of photosensitive material is coated on the wafer (see light melting). The lithography machine provides precise light, carves patterns on the photosensitive material, and exposes the wafer underneath. Then, when a plasma or something like this is used, the bare wafer will be carved into many grooves. This equipment is called an etcher. When phosphorus is added into the groove, a pile of N-type semiconductors is obtained. After finishing, clean, re-coats the photosensitive material, etch with lithography machine, etch grooves with etching machine, and then spray boron, there is a P-type semiconductor.

The small square on this wafer is the chip. When the chip is enlarged, it means stacks of circuits. The bottom layer is simple door circuit. Only by using more devices to form a larger circuit, the operation performance will naturally be improved.
2.3.Sealing test
When the chip is ready, it is cut off from the wafer, connected with wires, fitted with a shell, and then tested.

3. Advantages of homemade SCM
3.1.The domestic MCU has the advantages of high performance CPU, OTP or FLASH technology, simplified instruction structure, and price advantage.
3.2.Domestic SCM companies provide SCM development and corresponding technical support, and provide the company’s internal development tools, including burners, making the use of relevant personnel more convenient.

4. Disadvantages of homemade SCM
4.1.material
The purity requirement of solar grade silicon is 99.9999%, while that of electronic grade silicon is 99.999999%. Almost rely on imports, know that in 2018 domestic microcontroller chips have also been developed, and now has achieved mass production. The traditional hegemony of high-purity silicon is still Wacker of Germany and Hemlock of the United States (joint venture between the United States and Japan). There is a long way to go for domestic single chip microchip chips.
4.2.Design and manufacture
With hundreds of millions of devices constituting huge circuits, the design of chips is extremely important, which is comparable to material technology. The design of microcontroller chip not only needs to burn money, but also needs time to precipitate, which belongs to the core technology of “burning money and burning time”. Foreign countries, Taiwan and the mainland, the most backward is the mainland, products are mostly concentrated in low-end areas such as home appliances remote control, mobile phones, computers, these high-end microcontroller chips are almost blank.
4.3.core devices
The quality rate of single chip microchip chips depends on the overall level of wafer factory, but the processing accuracy depends entirely on the core equipment. Lithography machine, ASML of the Netherlands sweeps the world. Whoever buys ASML lithography machine first will be able to take the lead with 7Nm technology. So our country is still in the dominant position.

5. the future trend of homemade SCM
5.1.low power consumption
The power consumption of 8031 of MCS-51 series reached 630 mW when it was launched, but now single-chip microcontrollers are generally around 100 mW. With the requirement for power consumption of single-chip microcontrollers getting lower and lower, the current manufacturers of single-chip microcontrollers basically adopt CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology). Like 80C51, HMOS (High Density Metal Oxide Semiconductor) and CHMOS (Complementary High Density Metal Oxide Semiconductor) are used. CMOS has low power consumption, but its working speed is not high enough because of its physical characteristics, while CHMOS has the characteristics of high speed and low power consumption. These characteristics are more suitable for applications requiring low power consumption battery power supply. So this technology will be the main way for the development of MCU in the future
5.2.Micro monolithic
Nowadays, conventional microcontrollers generally integrate the central processing unit (CPU), random access data storage (RAM), read-only program memory (ROM), parallel and serial communication interface, interrupt system, timing circuit and clock circuit on a single chip. Enhanced microcontrollers integrate such as A/D converter, PMW (pulse width modulation electrical). The circuit, WDT (watchdog), and some microcontrollers integrate LCD (liquid crystal) drive circuits into a single chip, so that the microcontrollers contain more unit circuits and have more powerful functions. Even single-chip manufacturers can tailor-made according to the requirements of users to produce their own characteristics of single-chip computer chips.
In addition, the current products generally require small size and lightweight, which requires the single-chip computer in addition to its strong function and low power consumption, but also requires its small size. Nowadays, many microcontrollers have many kinds of encapsulation forms, among which SMD (surface encapsulation) is becoming more and more popular, which makes the system composed of microcontrollers develop towards miniaturization.
5.3. Mainstream and Variety Coexistence
Nowadays, although there are many kinds of single-chip computers with their own characteristics, they still take 80C51 as the core of the mainstream. Compatible with their structure and instruction system, they are PHILIPS products, ATMEL products and Win bond series single-chip computers in Taiwan, China. So the single-chip computer with C8051 as the core occupies half of the country. Microchip’s PIC Reduced Instruction Set (RISC) also has a strong momentum of development. In recent years, Taiwan’s HOLTTEK Company’s output of microcontrollers is increasing day by day. With its advantages of low price and high quality, it occupies a certain market share. In addition, there are products of MOTOROLA Company, the special microcontrollers of several major Japanese companies. In a certain period of time, this situation will be continued. There will be no monopoly situation in which a single-chip computer unifies the whole world. It will follow the path of dependence and complementarity, complementarity and common development.