UMC Increasing Capacity Despite Chip Glut

Just what the semi industry doesn’t need... more capacity. Yet, it's exactly what Taiwan's United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) is doing.

UMC breaks ground on $5 billion 300mm fab

UMC has started construction of its third 300mm fab at an estimated cost of $5 billion US Dollars, the company has said in a press statement. The new fab will be located in Taiwan’s Tainan Science Park, adjacent to its existing 300mm facility, Fab 12A. UMC has another 300mm facility in Singapore. The new fab is expected to have a capacity of 50,000 wafer starts per month and is expected to be completed by the end of 2007. First phase tool install is expected in the first quarter of 2008.

There is plenty of that already.