ARM and UMC Extend 28nm IP Partnership to Target Cost-Effective Mobile and Consumer Applications

Latest platform solutions join UMC’s 28HLP process, ARM Artisan physical IP and POP IP for ARM Cortex-A7 processors

Cambridge, UK and Hsinchu, Taiwan – 14 January 2014 –ARM and UMC (NYSE: UMC; TWSE: 2303), a leading global semiconductor foundry, today announced an agreement to offer the ARM^® Artisan^® physical IP platform along with POP™ IP for UMC’s 28nm high-performance low-power (HLP) process technology.

To support customers targeting a wide range of consumer applications such as smartphone, tablet, wireless and digital home, UMC and ARM will provide an advanced process technology and comprehensive physical IP platform under this agreement.

“UMC’s ‘United for Excellence’ approach includes unified collaboration with our IP suppliers to deliver high-value design support solutions to our foundry customer,” said S. C. Chien, vice president, IP and Design Support Division, UMC. “UMC’s 28nm dual process roadmap includes both poly SiON and High-K/Metal Gate based technologies. 28HLP is the foundry industry’s most competitive Poly SiON 28nm technology in terms of power consumption, performance and area, with a robust design platform to help expedite our mobile and communication customers’ time-to-market. We are excited to broaden our collaboration with ARM to further strengthen our 28HLP platform with ARM’s highly popular POP IP core-hardening acceleration technology.“

The energy-efficient ARM Cortex^®-A7 processor has seen broad adoption in smartphones, tablets, DTV and other consumer products. The ARM POP IP for the Cortex-A7 processor is targeted for 1.2GHz on UMC’s 28HLP platform, and delivery began in December 2013.

UMC’s 28HLP process is the foundry’s enhanced 28nm Poly-SiON technology that provides an optimal balance of size, speed and power leakage. These process characteristics makes the process the optimal choice for a variety of applications that require low power consumption without compromising performance, including portable, wireless LAN, and both wired and handheld consumer products. The foundry is currently in pilot production for customer products on 28HLP, with volume production expected in early 2014.

“Through our close collaboration with UMC, ARM’s physical IP and POP IP enable optimal SoC implementation and streamline the design flow so that our mutual customers can achieve world-class implementation and get to market in the shortest time possible,” said Dipesh Patel, executive vice president and general manager, Physical Design Group, ARM. “Our standard cells, next-generation memory compilers and POP IP deliver the features, quality, and rigorous silicon validation that UMC’s customers demand, and help ARM deliver on our commitment to provide the best physical IP platforms at leading foundries.”

ARM Physical IP Platform
The ARM Artisan physical IP platform for UMC’s 28nm poly SiON process provides the building blocks to implement high-performance, low-power SoC designs. ARM’s silicon-proven IP platform offers a comprehensive set of memory compilers, standard cells and logic, and general-purpose interface products that meet the most demanding performance and power requirements for mobile communications and computing.

ARM’s standard cell libraries and memory compilers incorporate multi-channel and mixed Vt features to enable a wide performance and power spectrum which utilizes the performance and power range of UMC’s leading-edge poly SiON process. These features ensure that power budgets for performance-critical SoC designs can be met.

About POP IP
POP IP technology comprises three key elements necessary for optimized ARM processor implementation. These include Artisan physical IP logic libraries and memory instances tuned for a given ARM core and process technology, comprehensive benchmarking reports pinpointing conditions and results ARM achieved for core implementation, and detailed POP implementation knowledge and methodologies used to reach positive results that enable end customers to achieve successful implementation quickly with minimized risk. POP IP products are available from 40nm to 28nm with roadmap down to FinFET process technology for a wide range of Cortex-A series CPU and Mali™ GPU products.

About UMC
UMC (NYSE: UMC, TWSE: 2303) is a leading global semiconductor foundry that provides advanced technology and manufacturing for applications spanning every major sector of the IC industry. UMC’s robust foundry solutions allow chip designers to leverage the company’s leading-edge processes, which include 28nm poly-SiON and gate-last High-K/Metal Gate technology, 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. Fab 12A consists of Phases 1-4 which are in production for customer products down to 28nm. Construction is underway for Phases 5&6, with future plans for Phases 7&8. The company employs over 15,000 people worldwide and has offices in Taiwan, mainland China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the United States. UMC can be found on the web at http://www.umc.com.

About ARM
ARM designs the technology that is at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM’s comprehensive product offering includes RISC microprocessors, graphics processors, video engines, enabling software, cell libraries, embedded memories, high-speed connectivity products, peripherals and development tools. Combined with comprehensive design services, training, support and maintenance, and the company’s broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies.