United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) has revealed it will hold a ceremony to officially kick off operations of the phase-three and phase-four production facilities at its 12-inch Fab 12A at the Southern Taiwan Science Park (STSP) on May 20.

Industry sources believe UMC's plan to move forward its 12-inch fab expansion is mainly to cope with growing demand from handset IC clients. The foundry was originally set to complete phase-three equipment installation at its STSP facility by the third quarter, with new capacity expected to come online in the fourth quarter.

UMC's third-phase expansion at its Fab 12A will have an initial output of 5,000 wafers, and the monthly output is expected to reach 15,000 units in the first half of 2011, the sources estimate. The new production line will be mainly for 65nm products, with plans for 40nm and 45nm nodes.

UMC's Fab 12A now has total capacity of 30,000 wafers a month, and its 12-inch fab in Singapore (UMCi) also has the same level as the Taiwan fab, the sources indicated.

By: DocMemory
Copyright © 2023 CST, Inc. All Rights Reserved