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On the 20th, United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), a leading global wafer foundry, announced that Etron Technology, an IC design firm, has successfully integrated its one-time programmable (OTP) memory silicon intellectual property (SiP) NeoFuse into UMC’s 28nm high-voltage (HV) process. This collaboration aims to tap into the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) market, with key customers having completed tape-out (design finalization) and preparing for mass production.

UMC stated that equipping high-end smartphones with OLED displays has become an industry trend, driving higher performance requirements for small-sized display driver integrated circuits (SDDIs). This demand is also reflected in the choice of process platforms: key OLED customers are gradually shifting from 55nm or 40nm processes to the more advanced 28nm HV process.

The 28nm HV process maximizes the complex computing capabilities of high-performance display engines, providing OLED display driver chips with faster data access speeds, higher-capacity static random-access memory (SRAM), and improved power efficiency—simultaneously achieving high image quality and energy savings.

In 2019, UMC ranked first globally in terms of mass-produced wafer shipments for small-sized display driver ICs (SDDIs). Its 28nm gate-last high-k metal gate (HKMG) process offers superior leakage power management and dynamic power performance, which can extend the battery life of mobile devices. Building on this foundation, UMC’s 28nm HV process provides the industry’s smallest SRAM bit-cell, reducing the overall chip area.

Etron Technology, meanwhile, is a world-leading provider of logic non-volatile memory silicon IP. Its NeoFuse SiP delivers low-power, high-reliability, and high-security solutions for various applications, and has been widely deployed across major global wafer foundries—spanning processes from 0.15μm to advanced nodes. Going forward, Etron will continue to collaborate closely with foundries to create maximum profits and value for its customers.

In fact, UMC has recently benefited from the acquisition and commissioning of a new 12-inch fab in Japan. Coupled with the launch of new products in the communications and computing markets and demand for inventory replenishment, shipments of 5G smartphone RF chips, OLED driver chips, and power management chips (used in computer peripherals and solid-state drives) have driven growth. In the fourth quarter of 2019, UMC’s consolidated revenue reached NT$41.849 billion, representing a 10.89% quarter-on-quarter increase and a 17.17% year-on-year rise—setting a new record. For the full year 2019, UMC’s cumulative consolidated revenue stood at NT$148.202 billion, a 2.02% decrease compared to 2018.

Source: Global Semiconductor Observer Official Website (www.dramx.com)