United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) will collaborate with others companies in the DRAM sector, with company chairman Jackson Hu saying the foundry could choose to enter production of commodity DRAM if prices rises in the future.

Hu made the remarks while addressing an investors conference Wednesday against a backdrop where Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) are taking a more cautious view toward memory.

Hu said UMC's collaboration with Elpida Memory for the memory segment is running smoothly.

But UMC maintained that its investment in ProMOS Technologies is purely for investment sake, and when ProMOS' share prices rebound to good levels, UMC will sell them off. UMC, which holds 7.61% of ProMOS, has recognized NT$599 million (US$19.67 million) in losses from the ProMOS investment for the first quarter because of declining share prices.

UMC reported NT$24 billion in sales for the first quarter, with a net profit of NT$200 million.

By: DocMemory
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