Chapter 118: Photoresist

"Quirrell... so it's him."

"Do you know him?" Haldane asked.

"Yes, he is a senior three years ahead of me, in the same house, very smart, and was very famous when he was in school." Murphy said.

Even before he left school, Quirrell had already become a professor at Hogwarts, but he taught Muggle Studies, and Murphy hadn't taken this course since his third year, so they didn't have much interaction.

Come to think of it, there is still more than a year until 1991, and Harry Potter is about to go to school.

Poor senior Quirrell, not much time left to live.

Speaking of time, Christmas is coming again.

This year's Christmas, PuluRongRong suddenly became the most popular gift in the research institute.

In just a few days, almost every researcher in the research institute had a PuluRongRong pet.

And Murphy also received more than a dozen PuluRongRong of various colors from female researchers. He had to specially buy a glass scenic box with an Undetectable Extension Charm to house them, and entrusted Laura Kruger to help take care of them.

This seemed to cause dissatisfaction from the female assistant, saying something like "I am your work assistant, not a life assistant," but in the end, after Murphy increased her salary, she took it over reluctantly.

On the other side, the Chip Research Group progressed rapidly after wizards joined, and the five-fold photolithography technology was basically cleared.

Before New Year's Day, they produced 0.3-micron process chip samples through five-fold photolithography technology, which made Murphy very happy for a few days.

However, the ultra-large photolithography machine required for five-fold photolithography technology was still under construction, and more advanced instruction sets and circuit designs had not been completed, so the money burning had to continue.

At the same time, another problem emerged.

"You mean the photoresist is too expensive?"

In the Chip Research Group, Derrick Preston talked endlessly in front of Murphy for more than ten minutes, and was finally interrupted by the latter.

"No, for the value of the chip, the photoresist itself is not too expensive, but we use the method of enlarging the wafer to produce chips. The wafer size is enlarged five times, and its area is expanded by a full 25 times! During the photolithography process, the amount of photoresist used to protect the parts that don't need to be etched or to mark the parts to be etched will also increase by 25 times."

"In this way, the cost allocated to each chip is too high!"

Photoresist is a consumable. In the chip manufacturing process, it often requires several times of coating and cleaning. Without improvement in the manufacturing process, the larger the wafer area, the more photoresist is naturally used.

Generally speaking, photoresist costs account for about one-tenth of the chip manufacturing cost. If it increases by 25 times, the cost of the chip simply cannot be suppressed.

The progress from just 1 micron to 0.3 micron process is not enough for him to sell the chip at a premium of more than 20 times.

That is far beyond the market's affordability, and no one will buy such an expensive chip.

In other words, just manufacturing a chip is useless; it must be manufactured in a cost-effective way.

"Do you have any ideas?" Murphy asked.

"There are a few ideas. We are developing new photoresist, but our technical strength in material chemistry is not enough..."

Murphy held his forehead with his hand. "Okay, I'll continue to recruit people."

Chip development is really too exhausting. Problems come one after another, and there will always be new difficulties waiting ahead. This is not the first time he has encountered new problems.

Murphy had no other choice but to continue to expand the scale of research and development, recruit more people, absorb more talents, and invest more money.

"I'm such a big sucker..."

At Patrick's lakeside villa, Murphy suddenly sighed deeply, not having much confidence in his stubborn decision to develop chips.

"This industry is like this. The technical barriers are high. Starting research and development from scratch is simply a bottomless pit." Patrick also said. "Why, regret it?"

Regret, not quite.

After all, Murphy is not afraid of losing money.

He established Umbrella, not to make money in the first place. Even if it all loses, it...

Hiss...

It hurts so much.

Damn it, it really hurts so much.

Even though Murphy basically hadn't used Muggle money to enjoy any life, the only time he drove a luxury car to pick up girls was before the establishment of Umbrella. But, money, who would think it's too much?

Watching the numbers on the account rise bit by bit, and then flow away, Murphy's teeth were almost crushed.

But, the money that should be spent must be spent. This matter of technological leap, if I don't do it, no one can do it for me.

It's just that the waiting process is too agonizing.

"If you regret it, why don't you pay me my pension first..." Patrick said.

"..."

"You old man, thinking beautifully, want to retire now?" Murphy laughed angrily. "If I lose everything, you'll have to go move bricks too!"

"I have a wife and children, don't drag me into the water."

Not long ago, his partner just had a son, and Murphy specially came to congratulate him.

"You really don't say, I think that kid of yours has a good physique, he'll be a good material for moving bricks in the future."

"Get out!"

They joked with each other a few times, and Murphy felt much better. "Forget it, it's just money, I'll find a way to earn it."

"What company?!" A few days later, at the dinner party at Patrick's house, the latter looked at Murphy in astonishment, not noticing the steak on his fork falling onto the table.

"Media." Murphy said.

"You want to make newspapers?"

"No, mainly movies and the like. Newspapers are too slow, movies harvest faster."

"Why?" Patrick couldn't keep up with the train of thought. "Products like movies can occasionally make money, but many will lose money. Two or three months ago, Columbia Pictures was acquired by Sony. That's Columbia! One of the premier film companies in the United States! Why should we be able to make money?"

"How should I put it..." Murphy thought for a while and said, "Because... I understand movies."

Murphy doesn't understand movies, but he really knows what kind of movies will be popular in the future. He has basically watched the top fifty at the box office.

This is a way to make money he thought of recently.

There are not many magic potions with commercial value left, so he can only look for opportunities in the original industries of Muggle society. The technology industry that will make the most money in the future is a bottomless pit, and he doesn't have much advantage in the remaining traditional industries. But he, who came from the future, is very clear about literary works that have been verified by the market.

Moreover, compared to other industries, media doesn't require much investment, but as long as you find the right path, the return rate is very considerable.

More importantly, the realization efficiency is relatively high. You have to wait for the wind to speculate in real estate. Movies just need to find the right subject matter and shoot it, and then wait to collect money.

However, special effects blockbusters cannot be touched for the time being. On one hand, the investment is too much, and on the other hand, the cycle is too long. Besides, the current visual effects technology is not enough, and it will look very fake.

But there are many movies that don't require high visual effects technology but have good box office, such as some American comedies, some animated movies, etc.

Although Murphy only remembers the general plot and highlights, and basically has no impression of the details, it is not difficult to find some screenwriters to fill them in. And as a producer, he grasps the overall direction. Even if it doesn't reach the level of the original film, having eight or nine percent is enough to sell for money.

A movie earns him one or two hundred million. Shooting seven or eight movies will be enough to continue building chips.

The cost of plagiarism is very low, which is why many rebirth novel protagonists take copying literary works as their main early career.

"Don't worry, I have a plan." Murphy said.

"..."

Patrick looked at the confident Murphy for a while, and suddenly felt that he should indeed seriously consider the issue of selling his shares.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 119 =====