United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) has announced a licensing agreement with imec, a research and innovation hub specializing in semiconductor technologies, for transfer of imec’s iSiPP300 silicon photonics process technology. UMC reports that this move aims to accelerate its silicon photonics roadmap, introducing a 12-inch photonics platform targeting next-generation connectivity applications.
According to UMC, the integration of imec’s iSiPP300 process will support a 12-inch silicon photonics platform designed for high-bandwidth, low-latency, and energy-efficient requirements in data centers, high-performance computing, and networking infrastructure. The technology features co-packaged optics compatibility and leverages UMC’s expertise in silicon-on-insulator wafer processing and prior experience in 8-inch silicon photonics production, with the goal of supplying a scalable photonic integrated circuit (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,” adding, “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.”
Imec’s iSiPP300 platform includes microring-based filters and modulators, GeSi electro-absorption modulators, low-loss fiber interfaces, and 3D packaging modules. According to Philippe Absil, Vice-President of IC-Link by imec, “Over the past decade, imec has shown that advanced CMOS processing on 12-inch wafers for silicon photonics can deliver significant performance gains,” and “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.”
UMC reports the new 12-inch photonics platform will focus on optical transceiver applications, with risk production targeted for 2026 and 2027.
