UMC Delivers Foundry Industry's Most Compact MTP IP Solution

Volume production on 0.18um expected 2H, 2011

HSINCHU, Taiwan, Sept. 13, 2011 -- United Microelectronics Corporation ("UMC"), a leading global semiconductor foundry, today announced the successful completion of a joint development project with Yield Microelectronics Corporation (YMC) to deliver the foundry industry's most compact multiple-time programmable (MTP) non-volatile memory (NVM) intellectual property (IP) solution. This solution will allow customers to embed more memory on an IC for increased versatility and lower overall cost.

Several customers utilizing this solution are expected to enter volume production at 0.18um in the second half of this year. Joint development with Taiwan-based YMC has been ongoing for several years to develop MTP NVM IP from 0.35um through more advanced nodes and specialty technologies. The two companies' MTP NVM IP solutions are already in volume production at the 0.35um/0.25um nodes, with future development for 0.11um nodes and below currently ongoing.

"Our successful collaboration with YMC on MTP IP solutions underscores UMC's commitment to specialty technologies that offer customers a full range of innovative, high-performance, and compact solutions," said Anchor Chen, senior director of Special Technology Development at UMC. "UMC once again demonstrates its technical innovation by delivering the foundry industry's most compact MTP solution to enable customers to meet the demanding requirements of today's applications."

Mr. Hsin-Chang Lin, vice president of YMC said: "We are delighted to collaborate with world-leading foundry UMC to provide our simple-structured, broadly capable, highly reliable, and cost-effective embedded MTP NVM IP technology to customers. Using UMC's proven 0.18 process enables customers to run core logic processes without the cost of additional masks and delivers optimum conditions and shorter production cycles."

MTP is suitable for low memory density and low endurance applications. The 0.18um MTP technology is widely applied in firmware programming, analog trimming applications such as small and medium-sized touchscreen controllers, touchpad controllers, and general microcontroller unit (MCU) and power management IC applications. MTP technologies are becoming increasingly significant due to their cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and endurance. To meet complex SoC integration needs, UMC also provides comprehensive eFlash & eE2PROM solutions on the same technology platform for a more flexible device design environment.

About UMC

UMC is a leading global semiconductor foundry that provides advanced technology and manufacturing services for applications spanning every major sector of the IC industry. UMC's customer-driven foundry solutions allow chip designers to leverage the strength of the company's leading-edge processes, which include production proven 65nm, 45/40nm, mixed signal/RFCMOS, and a wide range of specialty technologies. Production is supported through 10 wafer manufacturing facilities that include two advanced 300mm fabs; Fab 12A in Taiwan and Singapore-based Fab 12i are both in volume production for a variety of customer products. The company employs approximately 13,000 people worldwide and has offices in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Europe, and the United States. UMC can be found on the web at http://www.umc.com.