Strategic thinking on the development of electronic ceramic technology in China

I. Preface
Electronic ceramics is the core material of passive electronic components, which is an important material basis for electronic information technology. In recent years, with the integration, thinness, intelligence and miniaturization of electronic information technology, active devices and integrated circuits based on semiconductor technology are developing rapidly, while passive electronic components are increasingly becoming a bottleneck in the development of electronic component technology. Therefore, electronic ceramic materials and their preparation and processing technology increasingly become one of the important core technologies that restrict the development of electronic information technology. China is a large country with passive electronic components. From the point of view of product output, the production of passive components accounted for more than 40% of the world; but not a strong country, the parts output value is less than a quarter of the global output value, high-end components rely heavily on imports. Electronic ceramic materials and technology is one of the important factors limiting the development of high-end components. From a strategic point of view to study the development status of electronic ceramic materials and components technology at home and abroad, and analyze the problems and countermeasures in related fields in China, is of great significance.
Second, the international electronic ceramics industry technology development status and trends
From the global electronic ceramics industry technology level, Japan and the United States in the world's leading position. Among them, Japan with its ultra-large-scale production and advanced preparation technology, in the world electronic ceramics market in the leading position, accounting for more than 50% of the world electronic ceramics market. The United States is strong in basic research and new materials development, focusing on the cutting-edge technology of the product and its application in the military field, such as hydroacoustic, electro-optical, photoelectric, infrared technology, semiconductor packaging, etc.. In addition, Korea is developing rapidly in the field of electronic ceramics, which has attracted attention.
(i) Semiconductor ceramics industry
Semiconductor ceramics is an information functional ceramic material that can convert physical quantities such as humidity, gas, force, heat, sound, light, and electricity into electrical signals. With a wide range of uses, they are the main basic materials for IoT technologies, such as positive temperature coefficient thermistors (PTC), negative temperature coefficient (NTC), varistors, and gas and humidity sensors. The production and production value of thermistors and piezoelectric ceramics are the highest among semiconductor ceramic materials. Internationally, the most technologically advanced thermistor ceramic materials and devices, the largest production, annual production accounts for about 60% ~ 80% of the world's total, such as Murata, Zipper Electronics Co., Mitsubishi Group, TDK-EPC, Ishizuka, the United States VISHAY, Germany EPCOS, etc. In recent years, foreign ceramic semiconductor devices are moving toward high performance, high reliability, high precision, multi-layer chip, scale The direction of development. At present, some large foreign enterprises have launched a number of multi-layer ceramic technology based on the chip semiconductor ceramic devices, become a high-end product in the field of sensitive devices.
(B) microwave dielectric ceramics industry
Microwave dielectric ceramics is the cornerstone of wireless communication equipment. Widely used in mobile communications, navigation, global positioning system, satellite communications, radar, telemetry, Bluetooth technology, wireless local area network (WLAN) and other fields. Filters, resonators, oscillators and other components made of microwave dielectric ceramics are widely used in 5G networks, and their quality largely determines the final performance, size limit and cost of microwave communication products. Low loss, high stability and high modulation of microwave electromagnetic dielectric materials is currently the core technology in the international arena. In the early stage of development, microwave dielectric ceramic materials in the United States, Japan, Europe and other countries and regions to form a fierce competition, but then Japan gradually occupied a clear advantage. With the rapid development of the third generation of mobile communications and data microwave communications, the United States, Japan and Europe on the development of this high-tech field of strategic adjustment. From the recent development trend, the United States to nonlinear microwave dielectric ceramics and high dielectric constant microwave dielectric ceramic technology as a strategic focus, Europe is to focus on fixed frequency resonators with materials, Japan is relying on its industrial advantages, and vigorously promote the standardization and high quality of microwave dielectric ceramics. At present, the production level of microwave dielectric materials and devices in Murata, Kyocera, TDK Engineering General Contractor, the United States Trans-Tech Corporation and other industries in the leading position.
(C) high-performance piezoelectric ceramic industry
Piezoelectric ceramics is an important transducer material with excellent electromechanical coupling performance, which is widely used in electronic information, electromechanical transducer, automatic control, microelectromechanical systems and biomedical instruments. To meet the new application requirements, piezoelectric devices are developing toward multilayer, chip-based and miniaturization. In recent years, some new piezoelectric devices, such as multilayer piezoelectric transformers, multilayer piezoelectric drivers and chip piezoelectric frequency devices, have been developed and widely used in electrical, electromechanical and electronic fields. Meanwhile, in terms of new materials, a major breakthrough has been made in the development of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, which has the potential to make lead-free piezoelectric ceramics replace lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-based piezoelectric ceramics in many fields and promote the upgrading of green electronic products. In addition, the application of piezoelectric materials in next-generation energy technologies is beginning to emerge. In the last decade, with the development of wireless and low-power electronic devices, the research and development of micro-energy harvesting technology using piezoelectric ceramics has received great attention from governments, institutions and enterprises.
(D) Chip Inductor Industry
Chip inductor is another large power consumption passive electronic components, is the most complex technology among the three types of passive chip components, its core material is magnetic ceramic (ferrite). Currently, the total global demand for chip inductors is about 1 trillion pieces, with an annual growth rate of more than 10%. In the development and production of chip inductors, Japan accounts for approximately 70% of the world's total production. Among them, TDK Engineering General Contracting, Murata, and Sun Temptation Co. have been holding the cutting-edge technology in this field. According to Industrial Intelligence Network (IEK), TDK-EPC, Sun Induction Power Co., Ltd. and Murata account for approximately 60% of the global inductor market. The main trends in chip inductors include small size, high inductance, high power, high frequency, high stability and high precision. The core of the technology is soft magnetic ferrite and dielectric materials with low temperature sintering characteristics.
(E) Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors (MLCC)
The main application area of electronic ceramics is passive electronic components.MLCC is one of the most widely used passive components, mainly used for oscillation, coupling and filtering fiber optic channels in various electronic machines, and its application areas involve automatic instruments, high-definition multimedia, automotive appliances, communications, computers and other industries.MLCC occupies an increasingly important position in the international electronics manufacturing industry, especially with the consumer increasing demand from electronics, communication, computer, networking, automotive, industrial, and defense end customers, the global market reaches tens of billions of dollars and is growing at a rate of 10% ~ 15% annually. Since 2017, MLCC products have experienced several price increases due to supply and demand. Japan is a major producer of MLCCs. Newelata, Kyocera, Taiyo Uden, and TDK Moritec in Japan, Samsung Automotive Co. in South Korea, and Hwashin Technology Co. and Kuo Giant Co. in Taiwan are the world's leading MLCC manufacturers.The mainstream trends of MLCC are miniaturization, high capacity, thin layer, substrate metallization, and high reliability. Among them, the technology related to the base metalization of the inner electrode is the fastest growing in recent years. The use of base metal inner electrodes is the most effective way to reduce the cost of MLCCs, and the key technology to achieve base metalization is the development of high-performance reduction-resistant barium titanate ceramics. Japan has completed the development of this technology in the early 21st century and has been a world leader. Currently, all of its high-capacity MLCCs have been base metalized. Miniaturization has been the main trend in the development of MLCCs. With the development of electronic devices towards miniaturization and portability, products are being updated rapidly and demand for miniaturized products is strong, as shown in Figure 1. The basic material technology to realize the miniaturization of components is the thinning technology of ceramic dielectric layer. At present, Japanese companies are leading in the world, they produce MLCC thickness has reached 1 million. Among them, the leading Murata and Sun Induction Electric Co., Ltd.'s research and development level reached 0.3 m. The basis of dielectric thinning is the thinning of dielectric materials. In the high-capacity thin MLCC element single layer thickness gradually reduced at the same time, in order to ensure the reliability of the component, as the MLCC ceramic dielectric main crystal phase of barium titanate need to further refinement, from 200 ~ 300 nm refinement to 80 ~ 150 nm particle size. The future development trend is to prepare barium titanate with particle size ≤ 150 nm as the main crystalline phase material of MLCC dielectric layer.
Third, the current situation of China's electronic ceramics and components development
China is a large country of electronic components, the production of a variety of electronic ceramic products ranked first in the world, has formed a number of internationally competitive production base of components, while having the world's largest application market. However, at present, the high-end electronic ceramic materials market is mainly monopolized by Japanese enterprises, the domestic production of materials used in a small part of high-end component products, most of the low-end component products; domestic high-level scientific research achievements in the transformation process encountered from raw materials, production equipment, stability and other aspects of the bottleneck, the market share is relatively low.
In terms of industrial technology, China's electronic ceramics and its components products production base has formed a considerable scale, and has the international advanced production level. Ltd. is one of the few international electronic components, electronic materials, electronic special equipment "trinity" of the industrial system of comprehensive enterprises; Shunluo Electronics Co. Ltd. and Shenzhen Yuyang Technology Development Co., Ltd. and other leading backbone enterprises in the ceramic electronic components industry also have a certain influence in the international arena and have received the support of a series of national research and development programs. Led by Tsinghua University and Fenghua High-Tech Co., Ltd, the Electronic Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance formed by 20 large and medium-sized enterprises, research institutions and universities has played an important role in promoting the combination of functional ceramic chip components and passive integrated industry ceramic materials research and development and industry.
(A) MLCC industry
China's MLCC industry is large in scale and has formed a number of large enterprises with international competitiveness represented by Fenghua High-Tech Co. However, as the world's top MLCC manufacturers such as Japan's TAIYO YUDEN Corporation, Murata, Kyocera Corporation, TDK-EPC and Korea's Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. have established manufacturing bases in mainland China one after another and transferred their production capacity to mainland China, more than half of the domestic MLCC production is currently occupied by foreign investors and joint ventures. Meanwhile, high-end MLCC products in the domestic market mainly rely on imports. Due to the lack of independent intellectual property rights and advanced process equipment, high-performance ceramic powders, electrode pastes, and advanced production equipment are heavily dependent on foreign manufacturers. From the market situation, MLCC consumption is mainly concentrated in Asia, accounting for 75% of global MLCC consumption, and China accounts for more than half. With the continuous expansion of mobile communication products and other machine manufacturing, China's MLCC product demand is still growing rapidly.
(B) Chip Inductor Industry
China began to develop and produce chip inductors and related materials from the early 1990s. Now has basically established a traditional and new products, with a considerable economic scale, occupying a certain position in the international market inductor industry, production accounted for about 20% of the world's total output. Ltd. has taken a place in the international competition by virtue of its technical advantages in materials and processes. However, domestic chip inductor manufacturers still have some problems, most of the products for consumer electronics, applied in the field of communications and automotive electronics, such basic components are mainly monopolized by Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese companies. At the same time, the price war in the low-end market has caused the shrinking profit margin of domestic chip inductor manufacturers. At present, the global market demand for chip inductors is growing and the market structure is changing, especially in the field of mobile wireless communication, which is growing at an alarming rate. Most of the manufacturers of mobile communication products, represented by cell phones, are in China, and most of the chip inductor parts used in mobile communication are currently supplied from abroad. Computer and automotive electronics is also the domestic demand for high-end chip inductor products growing faster in the field. For a period of time in the future, China's market gap in high-end chip inductors will be quite large.
(C) high-performance piezoelectric ceramic industry
In terms of high-performance piezoelectric ceramics and components, China's mainland piezoelectric ceramics enterprises are large in number, but most enterprises are small and medium-sized enterprises, the product structure to low-end products. Although in the past few decades China's piezoelectric ceramics research and development has achieved a number of independent intellectual property rights of technical achievements. But from the current overall situation of the industry, its market competitiveness, industrial technology level needs to be improved, the product structure to be upgraded. With the rapid development of information technology, new energy technology, biomedicine and aerospace technology, some new piezoelectric ceramic devices will rapidly rise in the application market, becoming the main market of piezoelectric ceramic devices.
(D) microwave dielectric ceramic industry
In the microwave dielectric ceramic materials, China's microwave electromagnetic dielectric research started early, basically synchronized with the developed countries, early mainly around the national defense industry on the key microwave device needs to carry out research and development and production. In recent decades, the formation of a number of enterprises of a certain scale, such as Wuhan Vanguard Electronics Co. But these enterprises and the international well-known large enterprises, compared to the level of technology, product variety and production scale still has a large gap. To the fifth generation of mobile communications (5G), wireless Internet, wireless sensor networks and satellite communications and positioning systems as the representative of the rapid rise of wireless information technology, high-performance microwave devices put forward higher requirements, its development space is large.
(E) semiconductor ceramics industry
At present, most of the domestic semiconductor ceramics and related sensitive device manufacturers were established in the 1990s, with foreign-funded enterprises and private enterprises as the mainstay. Foreign enterprises to wholly-owned or joint venture in the domestic market quickly established a production base, its technical advantages are significant, excellent product performance, export volume is large, in the domestic high-end market dominant position. From the technical side, private enterprises production process is backward, in raw materials, production equipment, testing equipment, quality control and other strategic thinking about the development of China's electronic ceramics technology is still a large deficiency, resulting in a single domestic product line, product structure to low-end, can not meet the needs of the high-end market. From the future demand side, the rapid development of the Internet of things and sensor networks will bring China's semiconductor ceramic sensor demand for explosive growth, the future will also face greater space for development.
Fourth, electronic ceramic materials, major technology demand analysis
With the further development of electronic information products to broadband, miniaturization, integration, wireless / mobile and green direction, electronic ceramic components of multi-function, multi-layer, multi-layer chip and chip component integration has become the mainstream of development. These new trends on electronic ceramic materials put forward a series of new requirements, such as fine grain microstructure of materials, diversification of material functions, electromagnetic properties of high frequency low loss. Related materials technology is increasingly becoming a bottleneck technology that restricts the development of information technology. In the next few years, the development of electronic ceramic materials in the urgent need to solve the key technical issues include the following aspects. 
Meet the miniaturization of electronic components / miniaturization of electronic information systems with new electronic ceramic materials and their key technologies. Such as nanocrystalline material preparation technology, ultra-thin ceramic film molding technology. Ultra-low loss dielectric ceramic materials for key microwave components in low-energy wireless/mobile information systems. 
New electronic ceramic materials adapted to the characteristic frequency of the new generation of mobile communication technology. With the development of 5G and 6G technologies, communication frequency bands are gradually advancing from microwave to millimeter wave, and the demand for new electronic ceramics, especially ceramic dielectric materials, adapted to higher frequency bands will increase dramatically, so there is an urgent need to develop related materials and devices.
New electronic ceramic materials for passive component integration and passive-active integration and modularity. The passive integration technology based on LTCC technology will have more room for development, and the various functional ceramic materials compatible with this technology and its co-fired technology is an urgent technical bottleneck to be overcome. 
Electronic information system multi-functional new functional electronic ceramic materials. With electric, magnetic, optical, thermal coupling behavior and extraordinary electromagnetic properties of the new multifunctional ceramic material system, as well as in the complex external field or extreme environmental conditions when working with stability and excellent performance of the new information functional ceramic materials. Other technical fields also put forward new requirements for electronic ceramic materials. In the energy materials, solid fuel cells, solar cells, semiconductor lighting technology for further development, depends on electronic ceramic materials and their preparation technology breakthroughs, with the rise of the Internet of Things and sensor networks, a variety of different functions of the sensor requires the emergence of new sensitive ceramic materials with increasingly high performance.
Five, China's electronic ceramics industry development obstacles faced
At present, China's electronic ceramics and its components in the development of industry is facing the main problems include the following points.
(A) the domestic industry chain for independent innovation support is not perfect
Electronic ceramic materials in the upstream of the industry chain, its front end is raw materials, the back end is the components. As components process equipment, technical standards, etc., mainly from abroad, while domestic raw materials products in the stability, consistency and foreign products compared to the gap still exists, restricting the domestic electronic ceramic materials in the scale of application of components. Especially some original materials, due to the lack of compatibility with existing component technology, it is difficult to obtain the application, making it difficult for domestic electronic ceramic materials and components in the industry into the leading position.
(B) research results into the mechanism to be improved
Domestic electronic ceramic materials research and development work scattered in a few universities, research institutes and a small number of large enterprises, in universities and research institutes, belong to different areas of materials and components, their focus on the big difference, disconnected from each other, the lack of materials, processes, components integrated systemic research. The transformation of R&D results to industrialization is not timely and sufficient. Universities, research institutes and enterprises are separated in the system, and the communication and collaboration are not sufficient, and there is a lack of an effective mechanism that can timely and effectively transform the results and specifically realize the combination of "industry-university-research". The research results of universities and research institutes often stay in the laboratory work stage, without product trials, mass production verification, while the research and development in enterprises often due to the lack of experimental analysis equipment and not deep enough.
(C) the scale of production process equipment level to be improved
At present, the domestic high-end electronic ceramic materials and components of the process equipment is still dominated by imports. Due to the rapid technological change, advanced technology is difficult to enter the domestic, resulting in large-scale production level is difficult to be in a leading position in the world. Take the leading enterprises in the domestic ceramic passive components industry as an example, Fenghua High-Tech Co., Ltd., Shunluo Electronics Co., Ltd. and Yuyang Technology Development Co., Ltd. are all domestic backbone enterprises mainly engaged in the production of chip components, but there is a big gap between the technical level of their high-end products and the international famous enterprises such as TDK-EPC and Sun Inductor Co.
(D) The degree of social importance is seriously insufficient
The importance of electronic ceramic materials in electronic information technology is second only to that of semiconductors. However, compared with semiconductor technology, the degree of importance attached by the community is seriously insufficient. As pointed out by Eiji Maruyama, president of Murata (China): China's national policy for chips and semiconductors is supported, but for components, there is no major support, so Chinese component companies are more self-development. Due to the lack of social investment, enterprises lack the mechanism to attract high-level talent, weak R & D forces, lack of R & D funds, it is difficult to adapt to the ever-changing R & D needs.Six, the development of electronic ceramics industry strategic goals and paths
(A) the general idea
Further increase R & D investment in electronic ceramic materials and related components, focusing on breakthroughs in high-end electronic ceramic materials, advanced processing technology and equipment key technologies, accelerate the localization of electronic ceramic materials and components of the whole industry chain and independent innovation, the formation of independent intellectual property rights system and technical advantages of related technologies; improve the mechanism of industrialization of electronic ceramic materials achievements, the establishment of an internationally advanced level of Electronic ceramic materials research and development system and production base, as well as international first-class components process manufacturing base. To make our country in the ultra-thin metal inner electrode MLCC and its ferroelectric ceramic materials industrialization technology, low temperature sintering high-performance chip inductor (MLCI) and its ferrite materials industrialization technology, high-performance piezoelectric ceramics and its new components industrialization technology, high energy storage density dielectric ceramic materials and its engineering preparation technology, microwave dielectric ceramics industrialization technology and semiconductor ceramics and sensitive components industrialization Technology and other areas to reach the international leading level.
(II) Strategic objectives
Facing the urgent needs of information technology and other fields, further increase the research and development of electronic ceramic technology and its industrial upgrading support efforts to break through the key technologies that plague the technological progress of the industry, so that China's technical level in this field into the forefront of the world. Strive in 2025 most of the level and the United States, Japan is close to, 2035 to become the world's high-end electronic ceramic materials and components of the main source (see Figure 2).
(C) the key development direction
1. A new generation of electronic ceramic components and materials focus on breakthroughs in a large number of passive electronic components, such as MLCC, chip inductors, ceramic filter devices required for high-end electronic ceramic materials technology, the development of material formulations with independent intellectual property rights and large-scale production technology, the formation of a stable production scale. Focus on breaking through the key technology and equipment for precision molding and processing of materials in high-end electronic ceramic components, ensuring the independent and stable supply of key nano-ceramic materials required for thin multilayer ceramic technology, and forming the independent R&D and production capacity of key equipment for passive integration.
High-performance, low-cost MLCC materials and components. Strengthen the high-performance reduction-resistant ceramic dielectric powder materials and large-scale production; focus on research and development of thin functional ceramic molding technology and equipment, nanocrystalline ceramic sintering technology, ultra-thin multilayer ceramic structure inside the electrode technology, etc.
New type of chip inductive components and key materials. Strengthen high-performance low-temperature sintered ferrite and low-loss ceramic dielectric powder materials and large-scale production, research and development of multilayer ceramic precision interconnection technology and its equipment, miniaturized microwave segment chip inductor wiring design technology, etc.
High-performance multilayer chip sensitive components and materials. Focus on the study of high-performance chip thermal, gas, moisture, pressure, photosensitive ceramic scale production technology, micro and nano-scale multi-layer chip sensitive ceramic sensor preparation process technology and characterization technology.
High-performance piezoelectric ceramic materials. Focus on the study of piezoelectric ceramic materials net size molding and processing and its industrialization technology, piezoelectric micro power applications of high-performance multi-layer piezoelectric material preparation and industrialization technology, high-performance multi-layer lead-free piezoelectric ceramic materials and new components can be engineered and industrialized advanced preparation technology.
New generation of electromagnetic wave dielectric ceramic materials. For 5G, 6G communication technology of new electromagnetic wave dielectric materials, focusing on the study of chip-type high-frequency low-loss microwave dielectric ceramics and its scale production technology, chip-type high-performance low-cost composite electromagnetic wave dielectric ceramics and its basic materials scale production technology and equipment, artificial chip-type electromagnetic wave dielectric design, preparation and scale production technology.
2. Passive integration module and key materials and technologies
Passive integration technology can enter the practical and industrialization stage, largely depends on the breakthrough of LTCC technology. At present, although a number of passive integration technologies with their own advantages have been developed, the mainstream technology is still dominated by LTCC. On the one hand, optimize the material LTCC performance and preparation methods to increase the share in international high-end applications; on the other hand, take into account several other types of passive integration technologies, research and development of the corresponding key materials, key technologies and important modules.
(1) the research of series LTCC with electromagnetic dielectric materials. Focus on research with a series of dielectric constant and permeability, to meet the LTCC performance and process requirements of ceramic material powder and production belt, the formation of China's independent intellectual property rights in the field of LTCC materials.
(2) Passive integration module of key preparation process research. Focus on the research of passive integrated module preparation of several key processes, such as thick film and thin film preparation process, micro-hole hole formation and injection process, precision conductor paste printing process, ceramic co-fire process, etc.
(3) Passive integrated module design and testing methods. Research includes the development of passive integrated module design software, the simulation of new passive integrated structure characteristics and simulation, the design of high-integrity passive integrated modules, and passive integrated module testing technology.
Seven, policy recommendations
China has formed a good industrial technology base in the field of electronic ceramic materials and components. However, as an important strategic new materials, electronic ceramics in the field of high-end electronic ceramics strong development is still subject to some key materials technology, process technology and equipment technology constraints. In order to achieve the dominant development of China's high-end electronic ceramics industry, there is an urgent need to strengthen the top-level master plan. 
(a) Passive components, key electronic ceramic materials and passive electronic components into the national semiconductor industry development strategic layout of integrated consideration, in the national support for the microelectronics industry in the major R & D program to set up passive components special, the national support for the development of the chip industry, the various preferential policies extended to electronic ceramics and passive electronic components industry. 
(B) increase investment in scientific research personnel and funds, overall enhance the strength of R&D, strengthen direct contact between research units, exchanges and cooperation, to create a new materials research-based, comprehensive research and development institutions with strong research background and device application research capabilities; establish an effective mechanism that can effectively transform the results in a timely manner to achieve the combination of industry, academia and research. 
(C) the electronic ceramic materials and components industry chain upstream and downstream enterprises for integrated planning, strengthen the supply chain of raw materials to ensure high purity, high stability electronic ceramic raw wire supply, vigorously carry out high-end process equipment research and development, strengthen passive components independent innovation and whole industry design, strengthen the construction of relevant standards.
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