The news of the mega-contract signed on May 24, 2018 as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum stirred the waves of my memory.
Even on the website of the company "Angstrom-T" appeared
this news .
And I decided to write everything sore about the project, and in general ...
It would seem, hooray hooray, an order for two years, 36 million dollars, every month up to 10 thousand. plates.
But if you cover all the major milestones of the project, but this news seems to me to be just ... well, let's say, not exactly good news.
Below I will display only the basic facts on the project, in order to recall youth, and how young we were ... So, let's go. Facts, and no rumors, with obligatory references.
1. Beginning ... Far and generous year 2007.The company takes a loan from VEB in the amount of 815 million euros (a little more than 1 billion dollars) ... Let me remind you that VEB is a state corporation. and money - from the budget.
A 130nm AMD company (Dresden) line is being purchased. Capacity - up to 15 thousand. plates per month. Business model - foundation. Markets - Southeast Asia.
Plans were optimistic:
“Currently, the equipment is at AMD, says the general director of Angstrom-T, but the task is to start the plant in 18 months, starting in April 2008”
Link2. Jump in 2009, and here ...VEB suspends the loan. The equipment has not physically arrived yet, and is located abroad. Apparently, VEB began to suspect that something was wrong with the project ... Well, the crisis, again.
3. In 2012, funding continues.The start date of payments on the loan is transferred.
In the same year, the company bought 90nm technology from IBM.
LinkPreviously it was planned that the company would make the first payment in the amount of 400 thousand euros at the end of December 2014, and then pay out 35 million euros every six months until the end of 2027. Now the first payment of 35.4 million euros is it was expected to be made at the end of June 2015, and the remaining payments will be made on the previous schedule.
This, by the way, is the key project payment schedule.
LinkIt was expected that the production will be ready by summer 2015 ...
4. Finally, at the end of 2015, the company launched a two-fuel power station.Plans changed again.
“In 2016, produce and export chips with a topology of 90 nanometers, start paying multi-billion loans in 2017, and by 2018 receive samples of 65 nm chips — the future management of the Zelenograd Angstrom-T plant drew it at the ceremonial launch of its own power plant.”
Link5. With pomp, the arrival of distinguished guests and other ribbons in August 2016, the factory was put into commercial operation. Technologies 90 and 130nm are ready. Hooray.
"This means that from August this year, the company can produce, sell products and conduct full-fledged commercial activities."
Link6. Literally one month before the “commissioning”, the company submitted an application to VEB for one more loan, for 65nm technology.
“Now the plant has the production of microelectronic components with a 130 and 90 nm topology, and the application deals with the modernization of production to a more modern 65 nm technology. It will cost from 300 million to 350 million euros (from 21.6 billion to 25.2 billion rubles. At the current rate of the Central Bank), says Reiman. "
But the application was not approved. And well, I think.
Link7. In mid-2017, Angstem-T becomes a resident of the Zelenograd SEZ.At the same time, new plans were announced: The pilot project in the framework of the SEZ should be the launch of microchip production using the built-in super-flash memory (Super Flash) using 90 nm technology.
“By the end of 2018, we will start production of 2 thousand plates per month, each of which contains several thousand chips. This is about 120 million microchips per year, ”said Anatoly Sukhoparov, Angstrem-T General Director, during the ceremonial presentation of the certificate of an SEZ resident at the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia.”
Link
8. At the same time, Angstrom-T announced the start of accepting orders for contract manufacturing.Non-disclosure agreements (NDA) have already been signed with a number of Russian and foreign companies, and design rules are being issued taking into account the capabilities of the factory (PDK).
The Angstrem-T factory offers a wide range of services for contract manufacturing using the 90–130 nm technology on plates with a diameter of 200 mm.
LinkIt would seem that everything is great. But…
9. In the late spring of 2017, VEB published a tender to assess readiness for the production of 130 nm chips (two thousand wafers per month by the end of 2017), the necessary investments in upgrading production to the level of 90 nm and bringing the output to planned targets (15 thousand wafers per month ). From the job current readiness level
“The company’s production of 2000 plates per month on the pilot line (December 2017 - plan).
The task has the status and plans for the "launch" of previously launched production -
The plant’s production of 2000 plates per month on a pilot line (December 2017 - plan).
VEB also needs to assess the feasibility of investments and its financial and economic parameters - namely, financial production models with the release of 15 thousand plates per month (by design capacity) and 2 thousand plates per month (current capacity) - and the determination of the amount of upcoming investments in achieving the project production capacity.
It turns out that despite the “commissioning” of the factory in 2016, at the time of the planned audit, the company is still in the “launch” stage, and there is no question of any 15 thousand plates.
An unexpected turn ... Let's face it.
Link10. At the same time, in May 2017, information appeared in the press about the planned project to create a 28nm factory. And one of the options for the site marked "Angstrom-T".
This is a kind of sign that the project did not take place very much, and so that the factory would not disappear, apply it to the new 28 nm project.
Link11. Despite the demonstrated optimism and news, things are not going very well at Angstrom-T in 2017 and the beginning of 2018. A part of the equipment is put up for sale (with all the same declared volumes of 15 thousand plates / month).
The first call for the sale was 08 \ 2017, for three pieces of equipment (photolithography).
LinkAt the beginning of 2018 - already 29 units are exposed.Yes, yes, 15 thousand \ month, we remember ...
12. In 2017 -2018, the company changes leadership. Already three CEOs.
From March 2018 - Anikin Andrey Vladimirovich.
13. In 2017-2018 in the database of Moscow arbitration opened about 30 lawsuits in the company.
Below are the largest (a trifle for a couple of three million rubles did not count), according to which the court decided to pay Angstrom-T.
Lawsuit from "CLEANER GUARANTOR", about 13 million rublesThe lawsuit from AtlasMash, together in the amount of about 13 million rubles (along with a penalty)The lawsuit from the “Group of Companies main”, almost 30 million rubles.The lawsuit from Fat Russland LLC, about 800 thousand euros.For reference, the revenue from sales of products for 2016 of Angstrem-T amounted to
about 56 million rubles There is no publicly available data for 2017.
Link14. March 2018. The company announces the next launch of the production line ... according to a certain technology of 250 nm.
The 130 nm technology previously launched in 2016 disappears without a trace from the company's website. The presentation was presented "presented a graph of technological development of the company with the launch of technological options: HV, CIS, MOSFET, SOI, FLASH for the period 2018 - 2020", where 90 nm technology, "launched" in 2016, flows again.
Link15. And finally, May 2018.Signed a mega-contract. 36 million dollars by 2020, up to 10 thousand plates per month.
But everything is strange. 36 million dollars for "up to 10 thousand plates" per month for two years.
We get a supply of 240 thousand plates in two years.
But the cost per plate is amazing - 150 dollars.
This is despite the fact that the typical cost of the plate for thick technical processes starts from $ 300.
A bare starting plate costs (with a question about the quality of the substrate), from $ 35 (with a mass order). Judging by the price of $ 150, either only a few ft / l will be made on the plates, or this news from the category of other news.
So what do we have?
10 years (and this is not the end, as we see).
1 billion dollars.
Mysterious 0.25 microns. And again plans.
No 15 thousand plates.
This is a victory, I think. Complete and final.
Do not see VEB any payment of the loan - do not go to the grandmother (this is my private IMHO).
The next news will be - “Angstrom-T” needs more money to fulfill the order. Vanguyu. I personally have already stopped not only to believe, but even to hope.
It was hoped that the factory could be used under the planned 28 nm, but after this “mega-contract” they should not be touched. Export order!
We will continue to follow the amazing news.