UMC opens new 12-inch wafer fab in China

The new fab has realised volume production for customer products merely 20 months after groundbreaking in March of 2015. Pilot production yields for communication ICs at the fab have already exceeded 99% on the company's 40nm process. Po-Wen Yen, CEO of UMC, said “Owing to the tireless teamwork of our suppliers, facilities management and engineering teams, we have realised successive, noteworthy milestones since United Semi broke ground in March, 2015. We achieved cleanroom readiness and equipment move-in within a year, and pilot run verification to mass production in only 8 months.” “With United Semi being able to leverage UMC's technology expertise and over 35 years of proven manufacturing experience, we believe this new fab is the best choice for IC designers in China and worldwide who wish to manufacture their products locally in order to serve China's vast electronics market, while also mitigating geographic risk. We are excited for the future of United Semi as today's grand opening kicks off the next growth stage for UMC,” Po-Wen Yen continued. United Semi is a 3-way joint venture foundry company between UMC, Xiamen Municipal People's Government and Fujian Electronics & Information Group. Its fab, Fab 12X, is southern China's first 300mm foundry facility. The fab will utilise UMC’s mass production 55nm and 40nm technologies, with a maximum design capacity of 50’000 wafers per month.