Chapter 512 Great People Fear No Platform (Bug Fix): You Have to Help Us

In the office, Lin Benjian listened to Zhang Rujing's account and smiled with delight: "She did it? That's great! Congratulations to her, congratulations to them."

Yes, it's congratulations to Miss Wang, congratulations to them, not congratulations to myself.

Because he never considered himself the pioneer of immersion lithography.

Strictly speaking, immersion lithography is not a particularly novel concept.

In 1984, Hitachi employees applied for a patent related to adding liquid between the lens and the photoresist. In 1985, Perkin-Elmer even applied for a patent for immersing the lens in water.

In 1987, while working at IBM, he proposed at a public academic conference a solution to apply this type of technology to a 249-nanometer lithographic depth of focus.

Yes, Miss Wang and her team claimed that they became interested in immersion lithography after reading his paper and emailed him hoping to get more guidance.

But Dr. Lin believes that the greatest significance of his article was that it served as a popular science article, essentially an introduction given by someone who had already entered the field to those who came after.

So now, hearing that the latecomer has surpassed the old one and has already produced an experimental immersion lithography machine with a wavelength of 193 nanometers, besides being happy for the other party, all he can think is, "Indeed, the theory of immersion lithography can move from paper to reality."

That's all. There really isn't any more.

Zhang Rujing was taking a bite of a biscuit and a sip of soda water.

He is also a model of sleeping on the plane and getting to work as soon as he gets off the plane.

For over 20 hours, apart from one meal on the plane, he hadn't eaten or drunk a single grain of rice. He hadn't felt it before because he was excited from the journey, but now he was truly starving.

Fortunately, Dr. Lin is a kind person who contributed his overtime rations.

So Dr. Zhang was finally able to speak after managing to swallow the biscuit: "It's too early to congratulate them now. They really are just experimental machines, experimental machines that can't even build a prototype of a dry 193-nanometer wavelength. So, Burn, you have to come with me, you have to help them."

Lin Benjian was stunned, and subconsciously asked, "Me, help them?"

Zhang Rujing nodded vigorously: "Yes! This is a great breakthrough, and its value is in no way inferior to that of ultraviolet lithography."

The reason he specifically brought up ultraviolet lithography is that in the late 1980s, about ten years ago, IBM, the blue giant, and even the global chip industry, put a lot of effort into the research and development of X-ray lithography.

Lin Benjian, who was working at IBM's Watson Research Center at the time, offered a different opinion, suggesting that ultraviolet lithography should be used instead.

Because the source of X-rays is difficult to solve, large particle accelerators are needed to provide a stable light source, which is very difficult to operate and will soon reach a ceiling, making it impossible to continue to improve the clarity.

Conversely, with ultraviolet lithography, the light source is readily available, the operation is simple, and there is a lot of room for improvement.

No matter how many times he applied to his boss, or even offered to contribute only 1/10 of the funding for the X-ray project team, he still couldn't get the support.

This was one of the reasons he ultimately chose to leave IBM.

More than a decade later, the development of lithography machines has proven that ultraviolet light is the right choice. Deep ultraviolet lithography machines have successively launched technologies with wavelengths such as 248 nanometers and 193 nanometers, which meet the needs of large-scale semiconductor production.

The industry is now pushing forward with the research and development of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography.

Meanwhile, the once-popular X-ray lithography machine has been rapidly marginalized.

Zhang Rujing's eyes gleamed: "I bet that in ten years, or even just five, immersion lithography will become the new mainstream, just as ultraviolet light defeated X-rays. Burn, you're about to make history again!"

That's so enviable!

However, the person being praised was still in a daze. He tried to digest the other person's enthusiastic words and had to remind his colleague with a calm and objective attitude: "Richard, it's not that I'm unwilling to participate in this work, but what can I do if I go? You overestimate my abilities. In fact, apart from helping to find some information, I don't think I've done anything for them."

He presented the facts and reasoned with the public: "The choice of deionized water as the liquid between the lens and the photoresist was initially made by Miss Wang herself, because chip factories already use deionized water. Later, because deionized water would react with the photoresist, they did send me an email to solve this problem. I believe it was because there were too many impurities in the water, and that all particles, organic matter, and microorganisms in the water should be removed and replaced with ultrapure water."

He frankly said, "This was probably the only constructive suggestion I gave them, and they adopted it. Apart from that, the idea of ​​keeping the ultrapure water flowing continuously was also their own, based on the reason that flowing water does not stagnate and a frequently used door hinge does not rust, and only flowing water can be clean."

This gave him a great shock, a feeling that the principles of all things are interconnected.

He had to admit that he was very willing to communicate with this team, and he could feel their fervent enthusiasm from the emails. This kind of enthusiasm is the fundamental driving force behind the development of everything.

But he didn't feel he had a compelling reason to join the team, nor did he think he could bring about any earth-shattering changes once he joined.

Zhang Rujing was quite surprised.

His trip to the lithography machine factory was so rushed that he didn't have time to ask about any details, so he naturally didn't know that the solution of using water as a liquid and using flowing water was actually proposed by Miss Wang herself.

How wondrous is the progress of science! Sometimes, laymen even develop a strange intuition that miraculously drives technological advancement.

Dr. Zhang shook his head: "Burn, you shouldn't underestimate yourself. Everyone knows how outstanding you are. You have worked for IBM for 22 years, you have won the IBM Outstanding Invention Award and Outstanding Excellence Award 10 times, you have created many world firsts for IBM, and you have applied for countless patents, with related materials filling up the filing cabinet."

He looked at the other person seriously and said, "You should know how excellent you are. IBM also knows how excellent you are, otherwise they wouldn't have told you not to work for a competitor when you left. You are a nuclear weapon; wherever you go, you can cause a massive explosion."

Lin Benjian was amused by his expression and shook his head, saying, "You're exaggerating. You're too kind."

Zhang Rujing would not allow him to back down.

He finished the last biscuit, drained the bottle of soda, and then made his request bluntly: "No matter what you think, I need you to come with me to Shanghai to see the immersion lithography machine in person. Let me tell you, when I saw the chips it produced, I felt a jolt all over my body, like I was electrified. I felt like the whole world was about to change dramatically, and I had to seize this opportunity; I couldn't let it slip away. Hurry up, I'll go home with you now to get the necessary documents, then apply for a visa, and we'll fly to Shanghai immediately."

Lin Benjian wasn't a slow worker, but he was more of an Athenian type, and when faced with this Spartan approach, he was completely bewildered: "Richard, I still have work to do. Even if I go to Shanghai, I have to get everything arranged."

"No, please postpone everything!" Zhang Rujing's expression was serious, even stern. As a well-known moderate patriarch, it was rare for him to have such an expression, but he still expressed his tough attitude: "Once the immersion lithography machine is fully developed and can be supplied stably, it will completely change the development of the entire semiconductor industry."

He muttered to himself, "I knew it was time for a breakthrough; the tools for making chips have achieved a breakthrough. This is the biggest breakthrough. Burn, since you believe it will succeed, then you should witness its success."

He actively persuaded them, “Come with me, Burn. They all have high expectations for you, but they don’t even dare to mention it. Because you used to work for IBM, a big company, they probably look down on newcomers like you. But I told them that great people are great because of themselves, and they are great wherever they go, not because of a particular platform. Burn, God told me that your true glory in your career and even your life has not yet begun, and now it must begin.”

Lin Benjian was both amused and exasperated: "Richard, would God tell you this?"

Zhang Rujing said seriously, "At least you have to go and see it, at least you have to see it before you make a decision. They are a group of students who are good at some subjects but not others, their weaknesses are very obvious, but once they make up for their weaknesses, God! God will applaud you."

As he spoke, he truly displayed a spirit of not giving up until he achieved his goal, forcing Lin Benjian to briefly explain his work to his colleagues before taking the car keys and driving him home.

Lin Benjian is known for his good temper, and he almost never argues with anyone except for technical disputes.

Now, Zhang Rujing, who is a few years older than him, is forcing him to go home to get his documents and apply for a visa at the Chinese Embassy in the United States. Although he feels very helpless, he doesn't strongly object.

After all, he had to admit that he was also very curious about how far his colleagues in Shanghai had come.

Good heavens, he must be genuinely curious about how they control the water layer. This will require the full attention of fluid dynamics experts.

When Dr. Lin went home to get his documents, his wife asked with some concern, "Are you really going to Shanghai? How long will you be gone?"

"It won't take long, at most a week." He sighed, as if talking to himself, or perhaps trying to convince himself, "I have to take a look."

When I went to the Chinese Embassy to pick up my visa, the embassy staff only glanced at the invitation letter: "Is it an L-type tourist visa? Is one month enough? The maximum is two months."

In 1999, there was no S2 visa.

Foreigners traveling to China for private matters such as visiting relatives generally apply for an L-type tourist visa, which allows a stay of 30 to 60 days.

Zhang Rujing, who had accompanied Lin Benjian, quickly nodded and replied, "That's enough, that's enough. He needs to go back to pay respects to his ancestors."

Without saying a word, the staff stamped and approved it.

Dr. Lin was somewhat helpless after receiving the visa. He really didn't know what to say. He had somehow ended up going back to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors. Even his ancestors would be cursing him.

This so-called invitation is most likely fake.

Okay, it's not just a high probability, it's a certainty!

Even after getting into the car, Zhang Rujing continued, "You need to be flexible; this is the fastest way. If you want to apply for an F visa, you have to submit a whole bunch of materials, such as an invitation letter from your partner and detailed travel itinerary, making the review process much more complicated. But that's not the main point; the main point is that you're more likely to be stopped."

He sighed, "Things are different now."

When he left the United States in 1997, the US government wasn't so sensitive about it. Of course, it's also possible that he was a factory construction expert, rather than a technical specialist.

In 1999, which is March of this year, Wen Ho Lee, a Chinese-American scientist working at Los Alamos National Laboratory, was fired by the U.S. Department of Energy for violating safety regulations.

The New York Times then reported on the incident, instantly causing a public outcry.

Just in the past few days, the Cox Report has been hyping up this case as "evidence" that China stole US nuclear secrets.

It's easy to imagine just how tense the atmosphere is right now.

If Dr. Lin Benjian were to visit China under the guise of a business trip, he would undoubtedly be subjected to repeated questioning and investigation. This is because semiconductors are a highly sensitive high-tech field, and from the US perspective, the fear of technology leakage is perfectly normal.

Zhang Rujing was in a hurry to bring the person back to China and didn't have time to keep arguing with the relevant departments.

If it weren't for the fact that Lin Benjian's ancestral home happened to be in Guangdong, China, and that he could be invited directly under the guise of ancestral worship, Dr. Zhang would have wanted to bring him back to China under the pretext of church activities.

As expected, when Dr. Lin went to the relevant department to complete the formalities, he was questioned repeatedly. Only after he repeatedly confirmed that he was indeed going to pay respects to his ancestors and that he was alone and that his wife and children would not be going with him, was he allowed to leave.

When they came out, Dr. Lin was surprised: "Has it gotten to this point?"

Zhang Rujing sighed: "That's how it is. I heard from an old friend that things are particularly sensitive now, almost like there's an anti-Chinese sentiment."

Actually, he hadn't thought about these things before he flew to the United States. Because at the time, he didn't realize that things were going too smoothly.

It was Boss Wang who reminded him to prepare an invitation to the ancestral worship ceremony and repeatedly emphasized that they could only travel to China under the guise of a private trip, otherwise it might cause unnecessary trouble.

As it turned out, her intuition was remarkably sharp. Or perhaps, influenced by her fiancé, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, she was exceptionally sensitive to international politics.

Dr. Lin is not one to talk about politics, and he did not offer his opinion upon hearing this.

Zhang Rujing also didn't intend to discuss politics with anyone. He only reminded him: "You'd better not bring any technical documents, so you won't be repeatedly questioned at security checkpoints."

Sure enough, after completing all the formalities and just as he was about to board the plane to leave the country, Lin Benjian's luggage was repeatedly searched, and the inspectors even asked him twice, "Where is your laptop?"

Dr. Lin told the truth: "I didn't bring my laptop."

The other party became aggressive: "Why didn't you bring your laptop?"

Dr. Lin had to emphasize: "I'm going back to my hometown to pay respects to my ancestors, not back to work. What would I do with my laptop?"

Even after the other party muttered to themselves for a while, they finally let them pass.

Even so, probably out of concern that they might be secretly planning something, Zhang Rujing's luggage was repeatedly checked. Fortunately, he had only brought a simple change of clothes and some personal items, such as toothpaste, toothbrush, and towels.

The inspectors couldn't find anything wrong with it, so they were allowed to board the plane.

Dr. Lin frowned slightly, clearly disliking the experience.

But he studied in the United States, he holds American citizenship, and he has worked in the United States for nearly 30 years, so he really couldn't bring himself to complain.

He just hoped the plane would land quickly so he could see the experimental immersion lithography machine and erase this unpleasant memory.

Both of them were pragmatists, so once on the plane they stopped discussing technical issues to avoid creating unnecessary trouble.

Why not just close your eyes and sleep all the way to Shanghai, then get to work as soon as you get off the plane?

Wang Xiao's heart was also burning with anxiety. Things that were originally not expected suddenly became hopeful, and this hope would burn like fire throughout your body, making every cell sink into deep longing and unease.

To prevent the boss from resorting to heavy drinking or eating pickled peppers to relieve her stress, the bodyguards unanimously decided to let her go see handsome men.

Where should I look for them? Should I go to a nightclub and pick up male models?

No, no, no, they still have to consider Mr. Ivanov's feelings.

So go see real male models!

The online store needs a large number of models to take pictures, and this business naturally stays within the company, so it is handled by Xiangdong's company.

Therefore, President Xiang recruited a large number of new models.

It turns out that handsome men can't stay 18 forever, but there will never be a shortage of 18-year-old handsome men.

Good heavens! These handsome guys have perfectly defined noses and eyes, and most importantly, they all have abs. They look slim in clothes but muscular when undressed, making them perfect for taking photos and a feast for the eyes.

Wang Xiao, along with Liu Ba, sat there seriously as judges, watching the handsome guys walking around in shorts.

Xiang Dong even joked with his boss, "You have high standards; whatever you choose must be excellent."

Wang Xiao has a sharp eye; she casually pointed to a handsome guy with dark blue eyes walking towards them and said, "His abs are contoured."

Xiang Dong was shocked. He quickly called the man over, touched the material, and immediately flew into a rage: "Didn't I tell you not to do this? Now we want to see the real deal."

The handsome young man next to him was so clever; he didn't miss a single opportunity to step on his competitors and rise to the top. He immediately ran up to Wang Xiao and enthusiastically promoted himself: "Boss, I really trained on my own. You can feel it if you don't believe me."

Wang Xiao touched it without hesitation, and sure enough, it was real.

Lyuba touched it too and nodded in affirmation.

But after the handsome young man was called away, she spoke the truth: "This is all just for show, it has no real power."

Wang Xiao smiled mischievously at her: "Tell me if you've got your eye on someone strong enough."

The two were laughing and joking when their assistant came running over: "It's confirmed, they're already on the plane."

Wang Xiao suddenly stood up, forgetting all about handsome men, and was in a hurry to leave for the airport.

The assistant had to stop his boss: "It will take more than ten hours to fly over, there's no rush now."

Then Wang Xiao became even more anxious. No matter how many handsome men walked towards her, she saw them as nothing more than beautiful women and white bones.

Xiang Dong sighed beside him, "Boss, the look in your eyes makes me feel like none of these people can make money for me."

Wang Xiao twitched his lips and nodded perfunctorily: "Mmm, not bad, not bad, all good. Remember, you need to edit the photos, so edit them well."

What do you sell online? Pictures, of course.

Wang Xiao didn't know how she survived the 15 hours that followed.

She managed to get some sleep on and off, and when she couldn't fall asleep, she called Ivan to bother him. Luckily, there was a time difference, so he wasn't asleep.

Otherwise, poor Ivan wouldn't even be able to get six hours of sleep a day.

She finally made it to the appointed time and quickly got into the car to pick up the person from the airport.

Lin Benjian subconsciously looked around as soon as he exited Hongqiao International Airport.

This was his first time in Shanghai, or more accurately, his first time in mainland China, driven entirely by his trust in Zhang Rujing's character and his own curiosity.

For him, Shanghai is more like a conceptual symbol, a historical entity.

But now that he has seen Shanghai with his own eyes, the vibrant atmosphere of the city is palpable and clearly tells him that this is a real city with countless real people.

Wang Xiao was waiting at the entrance of the passageway, waving to them from afar with a smile as bright as a sunflower.

As the person approached, she exclaimed dramatically, "Oh my god, Dr. Lin, I've finally met you!"

Dr. Lin was clearly not used to this flamboyant style, but Zhang Rujing was quick-witted and immediately finalized the next itinerary: "Boss Wang, let's hurry up and go to the factory first."

Wang Xiao was overjoyed: "Yes, yes, hurry up and go to the factory, Lin Bo, everyone is really looking forward to seeing you."

Having reached this point, the team was essentially in a dead end, and everyone was hoping that someone would come and offer some guidance.

A flight of more than ten hours is exhausting for anyone, let alone these two who are in their fifties or sixties.

But the two of them persevered and went straight to Pudong to see the lithography machine factory after leaving Hongqiao Airport.

Throughout the journey, Dr. Lin Benjian didn't even have a chance to properly look at Shanghai outside the window.

In the transition from spring to summer, a season of blooming flowers and the approaching summer harvest, he had no time to appreciate the beauty of nature and hurriedly followed the others into the lithography machine factory.

When he actually saw the immersion lithography machine with his own eyes, when he saw the machine working, he felt as if his heart was being squeezed.

Everything was God's arrangement, he vaguely thought.

Water is such a magical thing. At low temperatures, it turns into ice, which reduces its density and floats on the surface, thus protecting the water below.

Now, by utilizing the refraction of water, lithography machines can be advanced by two generations.

He slowly exhaled, filled with curiosity: "How did you do that?"

Professor Zheng felt he couldn't explain it clearly either: "May God protect us."

Honestly, looking back on the entire research and development process, he felt a bit confused. He kept encountering problems, all sorts of problems, and then constantly searching for solutions. And the solutions were incredibly varied, ranging from high-tech to makeshift methods—a real mess.

Dr. Lin listened with great interest, and now he believed what Dr. Zhang had told him on the way here.

Their thinking is very active. Because they start from scratch, they have no concept of framework and dare to do anything. For them, there is no such thing as "this is absolutely unacceptable".

Dr. Lin asked the question he was most curious about: "So how do you solve the problem of water layer stability?"

Professor Zheng stated frankly: "We are collaborating with laboratories in Russia and Belarus, and they have a very deep accumulation of expertise in fluid dynamics."

He grinned and said, "They come and stay for a few months when it's cold, and then go back when it gets warmer. They've been a huge help to us."

Although Dr. Lin was not influenced by Soviet-style education, everyone was aware of the advanced state of Soviet science and technology.

In particular, the magnetorheological polishing technology is enough to prove the incredible nature of Soviet technology.

He took a deep breath: "So, what about you now?"

"It's so unstable right now, so very unstable. There are so many problems to solve, Lin Bo, we hope to get your help. We've seen that light, we know it's the right one, but we can't get past it, we're very anxious."

Professor Zheng said solemnly, "Dr. Lin, please help us."

Lin Benjian remained silent.

If he were to invest in immersion lithography now, it would mean ending all his business in the United States.

His children have grown up and can no longer follow him.

This means that the couple will be separated from their child.

Moreover, he was unfamiliar with Shanghai and knew nothing about the red China.

The completely unfamiliar environment made it difficult for him to give up his entire life.

Fearing the atmosphere would become awkward, and adhering to the principle that even if there were no fish or shrimp, it would be fine, since people had already come, and we should make the most of them, we absolutely couldn't let them come for nothing, Wang Xiao took the initiative to suggest: "Lin Bo, would you like to visit our lithography machine factory? You could also give us some guidance, as we are indeed new to this field."

Zhang Rujing quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, take a look. Give us some pointers so that everyone can avoid making the same mistakes."

Dr. Lin immediately replied modestly, "You flatter me. It is my honor to visit your factory."

So the group went to see the lithography machine with the 0.35-micron process and also visited the workshop.

Suddenly, Dr. Lin asked curiously, "What is that?"

Professor Zheng explained: "This is the dual worktable we are working on. At the time, we were thinking that if we were to make an immersion lithography machine, although the water film could improve the exposure resolution, it would interfere with the accuracy of chip measurement. So, wouldn't it be more appropriate to have two stages? We happened to see a dual worktable at the shipyard, so we thought we would also make a dual worktable."

He laughed, "Later we found that even if we can't make an immersion lithography machine, a dual-stage machine can still be used. It can also greatly improve efficiency when used in a dry lithography machine. We certainly can't catch up with big companies like Nikon, Canon, and ASML in lithography machine technology, firstly because we have fewer patents. So the only thing we can focus on now, and the only thing that will show results after we put in the effort, is the process."

"Even with the same level of technology, which isn't the most advanced, our efficiency is high. When others use our machines to produce chips, their average cost is lower, giving us a competitive advantage and allowing us to compete with other manufacturers."

How humble those words are.

A manufacturer that has already developed the world's first experimental immersion lithography machine is still thinking about competing in the low-end market.

Even Dr. Lin couldn't clearly explain how he felt inside.

He walked out of the factory gate and said softly, "But I can't get away. I have my own job to do in the United States."

Wang Xiao said without hesitation, "How about this, Lin Bo, could you be our consultant? We'd like to hire you as our chief consultant. We need you, so please help us."

Forget it, we can't directly hire them, we can't buy their company, and we can't expect their company to invest in us. We can't just do it together as a joint venture—the US has very strict restrictions on this.

Then we'll have to settle for second best and hire another chief consultant.

Regardless of the consequences, the important thing is to get moving right now.

Otherwise, once major manufacturers like Canon and Nikon realize this and start investing in immersion lithography machines, their technological foundation will allow them to overtake us in no time.

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Note: In reality, Zhang Rujing and Lin Benjian would probably refer to lithography as micro-lithography, just like we usually say chip foundry, but in Taiwan it is called wafer foundry. I did not use this term in the novel to make it easier for everyone to understand. Otherwise, too many terms representing the same thing may be confusing.

Furthermore, regarding Dr. Lin Benjian's contributions to immersion lithography, at the 157nm lithography technology conference in December 2001, ASML's Jan Mulkens discussed with industry professionals the idea of ​​adding pure water under the lens to improve resolution. This idea originated from an old optical phenomenon in the field of microscopy, and IBM had described its application in lithography in the 1980s. Jan assembled a team after the conference to conduct basic tests, but at this time it was only at the early proof-of-concept stage. Lin Benjian, on the other hand, at the International Society for Photonics and Optics Symposium in 2002, first systematically and specifically proposed a practical solution for using a 193nm machine with high-purity water as a medium, and calculated that the equivalent wavelength could reach 134nm. This solution directly addressed the cost and technical bottlenecks of 157nm dry lithography at the time, and had clear commercialization value, which was fundamentally different from the broad concepts Jan had previously encountered.

After Lin Benjian proposed his plan, it was met with a cold reception because major manufacturers such as Nikon and Canon had already invested billions of dollars in 157-nanometer technology. He spent a year lobbying equipment manufacturers, during which time Morris Chang and Chiang Shang-yi of TSMC gave him their full support.

According to Lin Benjian's own account: Despite the initial buzz, persuading lithography machine manufacturers to develop and mass-produce immersion lithography machines proved extremely difficult. The problem lay in the fact that global research was focused on 157 nanometers. Not only were numerous manufacturers and research institutions investing in this wavelength, but global investment in 157 nanometers far exceeded $1 billion; one lithography machine manufacturer alone claimed to have invested over $700 million. They felt I was disrupting the process and tried to persuade my boss to stop me. Fortunately, my boss, Chiang Shang-yi, was very insightful and believed in my abilities, so he didn't take any action.

My colleagues and I had to write several papers to theoretically demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of immersion lithography and refute some erroneous negative views. We also applied for the necessary patents early and continued to present papers at international technical conferences. Most importantly, we had to persuade the manufacturers to provide the equipment.

Therefore, I frequently traveled to the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, and Japan for technical and business discussions. After more than a year of hard work, in October 2003, when we went to the Netherlands for technical discussions, ASMEM showed us the first image of a photoresist image produced using an immersion lithography machine. Everyone was naturally delighted. Subsequently, TSMC and ASMEM spent many years working hard to develop the equipment and processes to the point where they could easily use immersion lithography in mass production.

Furthermore, on June 9, 2015, Lin Benjian visited Peking University, where he was a guest speaker at the Information Technology and Informatization Distinguished Scholars Forum and delivered an academic report entitled "The Essence of Nanolithography Technology." This public academic exchange activity serves as direct evidence that he has set foot on the mainland, contrary to rumors that he has never had any contact with the mainland.

In addition, the Wen Ho Lee case was a very sensational event around the turn of the millennium.

According to online accounts, the Wen Ho Lee case was a racially biased and wrongful conviction launched by the United States in the late 1990s against Chinese-American scientist Wen Ho Lee on the grounds of "nuclear secret leaks." Ultimately, Wen Ho Lee was exonerated of espionage charges and received compensation. The specific process is as follows:

1. Target Identification and Initial Investigation: In 1996, the FBI investigated the alleged "Chinese theft of data on the W-88 miniature nuclear warhead" and identified Wen Ho Lee, a Chinese-American scientist working at Los Alamos National Laboratory, as a suspect. He passed a polygraph test administered by the FBI in 1998, but was still forced to leave the core research department.

2. Escalation of the Incident and Malicious Accusations: In March 1999, Wen Ho Lee was dismissed by the U.S. Department of Energy for violating safety regulations. The New York Times immediately reported on the incident, and related comments caused a public uproar. In May of the same year, the Cox Report hyped the case as "evidence" of China stealing U.S. nuclear secrets. However, in August of that year, a former counterintelligence director of the laboratory admitted that there was no substantial evidence of Wen Ho Lee leaking secrets during the investigation.

3. Prosecution and Imprisonment: In December 1999, the U.S. Department of Justice, lacking evidence to prosecute him for espionage, instead arrested Wen Ho Lee on 59 counts, including "illegally obtaining important secrets." He suffered harsh treatment during his solitary confinement and was not released on bail until August 2000. The Department of Justice later acknowledged that the materials Lee downloaded were for job hunting and unrelated to espionage.

4. Settlement and Compensation: In September 2001, Wen Ho Lee regained his freedom. In June 2006, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Department of Justice, and five mainstream media outlets reached a settlement with him, awarding him $1.6 million. The government payment was used to offset legal fees, while the media compensation went to him personally. This farce ended with Wen Ho Lee's successful fight for his rights.

In 1999, many things really happened in history.