UMC Licenses imec’s iSiPP300 Technology to Extend Silicon Photonics Capabilities for Next-Generation Connectivity
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silicon photonicstechnical
Silicon photonics is the technology that uses tiny structures etched into silicon chips to generate, control and detect light for moving data and sensing, essentially putting optical fiber functions onto a computer chip. For investors, it matters because it can dramatically increase data speed and energy efficiency in data centers, telecom networks and advanced sensors, potentially lowering costs and enabling new products much like replacing many metal wires with faster, low-power optical highways.
co-packaged opticstechnical
Co-packaged optics are optical components—lasers and fiber interfaces—physically packaged together with a network switch’s main processing chip so light-based data links sit much closer to the chip instead of traveling over long electrical traces. For investors, this matters because it can dramatically cut power use, boost data speed and density, and lower system costs in large data centers and telecom equipment, much like moving a power outlet next to a heavy appliance to avoid long, inefficient extension cords.
photonic IC (PIC)technical
A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) is a chip that uses light instead of electricity to create, route and process signals, similar to how a computer processor uses electrons to perform tasks. For investors, PICs matter because they can deliver much faster data transmission, lower power use and new capabilities for telecommunications, data centers and sensors, which can change cost structures and open markets much like the move from bulky radios to compact silicon chips did.
optical transceivertechnical
An optical transceiver is a small hardware module that converts electrical signals from computers or network equipment into pulses of light for fiber-optic cables, and then converts incoming light back into electrical signals — like a translator that lets electronics talk over glass wiring. Investors care because these modules are essential for high-speed internet, data centers and telecom networks; their performance, cost and availability directly affect network capacity, upgrade cycles and the revenues and margins of hardware and service providers.
optical interconnectstechnical
Optical interconnects are systems that use light instead of electrical signals to move data between parts of computers, data centers, or telecom equipment, like replacing copper wires with tiny light pipes. They matter to investors because they can greatly increase speed and capacity while lowering power use and heat, making digital networks faster and cheaper to scale; think of swapping a crowded city road for a high-speed rail line that carries much more traffic efficiently.
microring-based filterstechnical
Microring-based filters are tiny ring-shaped components on a chip that trap and pass specific colors (wavelengths) of light while blocking others, acting like piano tuners for optical signals. Investors care because these miniature optical filters enable faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient data transmission and sensing in products such as telecom equipment, data-center interconnects, and photonic sensors, affecting a company’s ability to scale performance and reduce costs.
electro-absorption modulators (EAMs)technical
Electro-absorption modulators are tiny devices that use an electric signal to change how much light passes through an optical link, functioning like an ultra-fast dimmer switch for beams of light. They matter to investors because they enable higher-speed, lower-power data transmission in fiber-optic networks and data centers, so demand and improvements can boost makers of optical components and influence the cost and performance of telecom, cloud and high-performance computing services.
3d packaging modulestechnical
3D packaging modules are electronic assemblies where multiple semiconductor chips or circuit layers are stacked and connected vertically instead of spread out side by side, like a layered cake of microchips. For investors, they matter because this design can make devices faster, smaller and more energy efficient while changing manufacturing costs and supply-chain needs; adoption levels influence which suppliers and products gain market share and margins.
HSINCHU, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
United Microelectronics Corporation (NYSE: UMC; TWSE: 2303)(“UMC”), a leading global semiconductor foundry, today announced a licensing agreement with imec, a world-leading research and innovation hub in advanced semiconductor technologies, for the transfer of imec’s iSiPP300 silicon photonics process, featuring co-packaged optics (CPO) compatibility, to accelerate UMC’s silicon photonics roadmap. The licensed technology will enable UMC to bring a 12-inch silicon photonics platform to market targeting next-generation connectivity.
With copper interconnects facing limitations amid growing AI data workloads, silicon photonics – using light to transmit data - is developing rapidly to support the ultra-high bandwidth, low latency, and energy-efficient requirements for data centers, high performance computing, and networking infrastructure. Tapping into this high-growth market, UMC will integrate imec’s proven 12-inch silicon photonics process technology with its own expertise in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer processing and leverage prior experience in 8-inch silicon photonics production to provide customers with a highly scalable photonic IC (PIC) platform.
GC Hung, UMC Senior Vice President, said: “We are pleased to license state-of-the-art silicon photonics process technology from imec, which will enable UMC to accelerate the readiness of our photonic platform on 12-inch wafers. UMC is working with several new customers to deliver PIC chips on this new platform for optical transceiver applications, with risk production slated for 2026 and 2027. Furthermore, combined with our diverse advanced packaging technologies, UMC is well positioned to extend our offerings going forward as system architectures evolve toward greater integration – such as co-packaged optics and optical I/O - to achieve high-bandwidth, energy-efficient, and highly scalable optical interconnects for both intra- and inter-data center communications.”
Philippe Absil, Vice-President of IC-Link by imec, said: “Over the past decade, imec has shown that advanced CMOS processing on 12-inch wafers for silicon photonics can deliver significant performance gains. Our iSiPP300 platform features very compact and energy-efficient devices, including microring-based filters and modulators, as well as GeSi electro-absorption modulators (EAMs), complemented with diverse low-loss fiber interfaces and 3D packaging modules. IC-Link by imec works closely with the semiconductor industry to ensure that the most advanced technologies are available for product manufacturing, and this agreement with UMC is a demonstration of our collaborative approach, enabling us to bring cutting-edge silicon photonics solutions to a broader market and accelerate adoption in next-generation compute systems.”
About UMC
UMC (NYSE: UMC, TWSE: 2303) is a leading global semiconductor foundry company. The company provides high-quality IC fabrication services, focusing on logic and various specialty technologies to serve all major sectors of the electronics industry. UMC’s comprehensive IC processing technologies and manufacturing solutions include Logic/Mixed-Signal, embedded High-Voltage, embedded Non-Volatile-Memory, RFSOI, BCD etc. Most of UMC's 12-in and 8-in fabs with its core R&D are located in Taiwan, with additional ones throughout Asia. UMC has a total of 12 fabs in production with combined capacity of more than 400,000 wafers per month (12-in equivalent), and all of them are certified with IATF 16949 automotive quality standard. UMC is headquartered in Hsinchu, Taiwan, plus local offices in United States, Europe, China, Japan, Korea & Singapore, with a worldwide total of 20,000 employees. For more information, please visit: http://www.umc.com.
Note from UMC Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Some of the statements in the foregoing announcement are forward-looking within the meaning of the U.S. Federal Securities laws, including statements about introduction of new services and technologies, future outsourcing, competition, wafer capacity, business relationships and market conditions. Investors are cautioned that actual events and results could differ materially from these statements as a result of a variety of factors, including conditions in the overall semiconductor market and economy; acceptance and demand for products from UMC; and technological and development risks. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in UMC’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. UMC does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable law.
