United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) made a strategic move. UMC secured a licensing agreement with imec this week. Imec is a world-leading research and innovation hub. The agreement transfers imec’s iSiPP300 silicon photonics process technology. This license enables UMC to enter a high-growth market. Therefore, UMC will soon bring a 12-inch UMC Silicon Photonics Platform to market. This new platform targets next-generation connectivity solutions. Copper interconnects are facing significant limitations today. This is happening amid soaring AI data workloads globally. Silicon photonics is developing rapidly as a solution. It uses light to transmit data efficiently. This supports ultra-high bandwidth and low-latency needs.
Powering Future Data Centers and AI
Furthermore, UMC will integrate the imec technology. They will use their own expertise in wafer processing. This builds on prior experience in 8-inch silicon photonics production. GC Hung is UMC Senior Vice President. Hung expressed pleasure about licensing the state-of-the-art technology. He confirms this accelerates the readiness of their photonic platform. UMC is actively working with several new customers now. They will deliver Photonic IC (PIC) chips on this platform. Risk production is slated for 2026 and 2027.
In addition, imec’s iSiPP300 platform offers energy-efficient devices. These include microring-based filters and modulators. UMC is well-positioned to expand its offerings. System architectures are evolving toward greater integration. This includes technologies like co-packaged optics (CPO). The UMC Silicon Photonics Platform supports key requirements. It meets the needs for data centers and High Performance Computing. The collaboration between UMC and imec is crucial. In short, it helps bring cutting-edge silicon photonics solutions quickly. This new UMC Silicon Photonics Platform will support a broader global market.
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News Source: Businesswire.com