On the way to the lab, Chen Mo was filled with anticipation.
Chip design—including IC layout, simulation, architecture, and algorithm optimization—had all been independently completed by Mo Nu. This was the first time that an artificial intelligence had fully designed a chip without human intervention. If word got out, it would cause a global sensation.
And today was the first test of her results.
Mo Nu had designed a total of four different superconducting chips: one for intelligent robots, one for mobile phones, one for computers, and the most critical—one for supercomputers. The current test was for the intelligent robot chip.
These superconducting chips would first be installed on intelligent robots to greatly boost their operational efficiency. Chen Mo had promised Mo Nu that once the robot chip design was complete, he would start working on building her a beautiful physical body. Now that the chip was ready, it was time to fulfill that promise.
When he entered the lab, Chen Mo saw over a dozen square chips, each about two centimeters in size, neatly arranged on the bench.
The intelligent robot chip was significantly larger than a typical computer chip due to its complex, high-speed, non-logical operations.
Chen Mo carefully examined one of the chips. These were unpackaged samples and looked different from standard ones. Unlike traditional chips, which had a metallic copper-gold finish, these had a crystalline, radiant sheen.
All of the chips on the bench were defective—test samples only.
The chip's substrate was still made of high-purity polysilicon, but instead of traditional copper wiring, the internal circuits used silicon carbide—a room-temperature superconducting material.
Each of these tiny chips had gone through over 260 stages and more than 1,000 process steps—true marvels of advanced information technology.
A robot walked over, holding three plastic cases.
"The wafer yield rate is 74%. These are the packaged samples. The first box contains the best batch, the third is the worst," the robot reported.
Each box held a different quantity. The first-tier processors were few—only twenty. The third-tier ones were most numerous, though Chen Mo didn't take the time to count.
They were classified similarly to how Intel names processors: i3, i5, i7. Here, the chips were divided into three tiers.
The "i3"-type had one or two cores damaged but still functioned. The "i5" worked normally but had lower clock speeds. The "i7" class—flawless chips—were the best of the best.
Each chip was packaged in a 4 cm square case, slightly larger than a typical computer CPU. Despite their size, they looked sleek and high-tech.
"These can all operate normally, and the circuit design passed inspection. This is the test report with detailed performance metrics," another robot said, handing Chen Mo a folder.
Chen Mo studied the data carefully.
Power consumption was just one-eighth that of conventional chips. Processing speed was nearly 90 times faster. It was no wonder so many countries and labs were obsessed with researching room-temperature superconducting materials.
Even the lowest-grade chips here outperformed current commercial processors by several dozen times.
For computing, this was a technological revolution.
If these chips were released to the public, it would confirm that room-temperature superconducting chips had arrived. The impact would be even more earthshaking than the release of the seismograph.
A standard mid-range computer currently consumes about 10 kilowatts per hour. In contrast, a superconducting computer built entirely from these materials could run on a single AA battery.
That was the power of superconductivity.
With such low energy consumption, robots wouldn't need to worry about rapid battery drain either.
Too many implications. Too much risk. Apart from himself, no one knew about the existence of this material. For now, Chen Mo wouldn't make it public.
"Let's run two more batches of the robot chips. After that, we'll move on to testing the supercomputer chips," Chen Mo said as he set the report aside.
The superconducting computer was his top priority.
There were far too many technologies waiting to be unlocked in the Science and Technology Library, and this was a critical foundation. But these superconducting chips weren't ready for mass market yet. For now, they were only being produced for internal use—to upgrade the intelligent robots.
In the lab's testing area, one robot lay on the bench, connected to various instruments.
It resembled the original Enchantress Robot, but looked far more refined—this was Version 2.0.
It was specially designed to accommodate the new superconducting chips.
After installing the chip and powering it on, the robot's eyes lit up. It remained still for about ten seconds before sitting up straight on the bench.
"Brother Mo," came a familiar voice. It was Mo Nu, speaking through the robot.
"How's it performing?" Chen Mo asked.
"The processing speed is much faster than before. My algorithms can barely run on this chip now without burning the processor. But the motherboard itself starts overheating in under thirty minutes. The robot can currently only handle command-based operations," Mo Nu replied while guiding the robot into a walking circuit around the lab.
"The motherboard isn't made of superconducting material. I'll use fully superconducting parts when I build your new body," Chen Mo said.
Compared to when she was first created, Mo Nu had evolved drastically.
Aside from her original smart framework, nearly every other aspect had been upgraded. Like a growing child, she continuously learned and improved through machine learning.
Now, her program was too complex for conventional processors. Only superconducting chips could handle her workload—even then, just barely.
On the first floor, room-temperature superconducting materials were now being synthesized continuously. Small-batch production had begun. Components for the superconducting computer were also in the pipeline, and Chen Mo was finalizing the designs.
Once the supercomputer chip passed testing, they could start assembling the full system.
Meanwhile, the second-generation robot was ready. The first generation was already on the verge of release.
Zhao Min closed her files and stepped out of her office. With the company's reorganization still settling, her workload had been hectic lately.
So when Chen Mo called her over, she was a little surprised.
The moment she stepped into his office, the newly painted robot on the side immediately caught her attention.
This one looked distinctly different from the previous models.
Sitting down on the sofa across from Chen Mo, she asked, "Is this a new robot model?"
"Yes, freshly baked. This is the second-generation robot," Chen Mo nodded.
"You called me with such urgency—there must be important news." Zhao Min's eyes sparkled with curiosity as she studied the sleek machine.
"What's the status of the robot product launch?" Chen Mo asked.
Zhao Min instantly perked up. "All procedures are complete. We've secured the production license and registration. We can begin mass production at any time. Are we going ahead with the launch?"
"Launch it," Chen Mo confirmed.
Zhao Min's eyes lit up with excitement.
Ever since the robot project had been completed, she had been eagerly waiting for this day—and now, finally, the first product launch of the new year was about to begin.