World's first 55nm display driver IC process enables Full-HD smartphone resolutions

HSINCHU, Taiwan, Dec. 18, 2012 — (PRNewswire) — �United Microelectronics Corporation (NYSE: UMC; TWSE: 2303) ("UMC"), a leading global semiconductor foundry, today announced that it has taped out the foundry industry's first customer product utilizing 55nm small display driver IC (SDDI) process technology. UMC, the world's leading SDDI foundry in both process technology and shipping volume, is now the first foundry to offer a 55nm version of the process to enable Full-HD resolutions for today's smartphones.   

Yau Kae Sheu, senior director of UMC's 12-inch Specialty Technology Development division, said, "This world-leading 55nm SDDI process nicely complements our comprehensive display driver technology portfolio. With our volume production 0.13um and our recently introduced new generation 80nm SDDI technologies, customers now have the flexibility to design into a full range of smartphone resolutions depending on their application, including WVGA, qHD, HD720/WXGA, and now Full-HD, fully covering smartphone display requirements from 3.5-inch to larger than 5-inch."

The 55nm SDDI process features an ultra small SRAM size (0.4um2) and provides an ideal balance of power consumption, performance, and chip size for integration into high-end Full-HD smartphones that demand low power and a slim profile. 55nm SDDI customer products will be manufactured using advanced 300mm wafer technology, with fast manufacturing cycle to fit customer time-to-market needs. The 55nm process leverages UMC's world-leading position in SDDI, with over 300 million SDDI chips shipped for today's mainstream smartphones.

About UMC

UMC (NYSE: UMC, TWSE: 2303) is a leading global semiconductor foundry that provides advanced technology and manufacturing for applications spanning every major sector of the IC industry. UMC's customer-driven foundry solutions allow chip designers to leverage the company's leading-edge processes, which include 28nm poly-SiON and gate-last High-K/Metal Gate technology, mixed signal/RFCMOS, and a wide range of specialty technologies. Production is supported through 10 wafer manufacturing facilities that include two advanced 300mm fabs; Fab 12A in Taiwan and Singapore-based Fab 12i. Fab 12A consists of Phases 1-4 which are in production for customer products down to 28nm. Construction is underway for Phases 5&6, with future plans for Phases 7&8. The company employs over 13,000 people worldwide and has offices in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Europe, and the United States. UMC can be found on the web at 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 future outsourcing, wafer capacity, technologies, 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 concerning these risks is included in UMC's filings with the U.S. SEC, including on Form F-1, F-3, F-6 and 20-F, each as amended.

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