TAIPEI: United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), Taiwan’s second-largest contract chipmaker, has inaugurated a new 22-nanometer semiconductor fabrication plant in Singapore. The facility aims to address rising demand and enhance supply chain resilience.
Located in Pasir Ris Wafer Fab Park, adjacent to UMC’s existing plant, the new fab has commenced pilot production and is expected to scale up to mass production by 2026, UMC President S.C. Chien stated during the opening ceremony.
UMC plans to invest up to US$5 billion in the initial phase, expanding the plant’s monthly production capacity to 30,000 wafers and generating 700 new jobs. Once fully operational, UMC’s total output in Singapore will exceed 1 million wafers annually, catering to industries ranging from smartphones and automobiles to data centers.
“Singapore’s strategic position reinforces supply chain resilience for our customers,” Chien remarked. He added that the facility is equipped for 22 nm and 28 nm processes, which remain state-of-the-art for various applications. The 22 nm node, for instance, is currently the most advanced process used for display driver chips, which enhance smartphone battery life and visual performance.
Meanwhile, UMC dismissed a recent Nikkei Asia report suggesting it was considering a merger with U.S.-based GlobalFoundries Inc.
As of 2024, UMC held a 4.7 percent share of the global pure-play wafer foundry market, ranking fourth worldwide, according to TrendForce. In comparison, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) led the industry with a 67.1 percent market share, followed by Samsung Electronics (8.1 percent) and China’s Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (5.5 percent).
