UMC & imec Launch 12-Inch Silicon Photonics
According to UMC's December 8 announcement, the company has signed a technology licensing agreement with Belgium's research hub imec to bring in its iSiPP300 silicon photonics process, laying the groundwork for a 12-inch silicon photonics platform that supports co-packaged optics (CPO) and targets next-generation high-speed interconnects.
As AI workloads surge, traditional copper links are increasingly running into limits on bandwidth and power. Silicon photonics—moving data with light instead of electricity—is emerging as a practical way for data centers, HPC systems, and network gear to reach much higher bandwidth with lower latency and better energy efficiency.
UMC said it will combine imec's proven 12-inch silicon photonics process with its own strengths in SOI wafer manufacturing to accelerate development of a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) platform. The foundry has already achieved volume production on 8-inch silicon photonics, and this partnership is expected to fast-track its move to 12-inch. The company also revealed it is working with multiple customers and is planning risk production for photonics chips used in optical transceivers in 2026 and 2027.
Looking ahead, system designs are shifting toward tighter integration, including CPO and optical I/O, to deliver high-bandwidth, low-power optical links both within and between data centers. imec's IC-Link team noted that the iSiPP300 platform integrates microring modulators, GeSi electro-absorption modulators, low-loss fiber interfaces, and 3D packaging, all validated on 12-inch wafers using advanced CMOS processes.
UMC has also been expanding its collaboration network. Beyond its work with Intel, the company recently signed an MOU with U.S. fab operator Polar Semiconductor to evaluate projects at Polar's 8-inch facility in Minnesota. The move is aimed at strengthening domestic 8-inch wafer capacity in the U.S. and supporting stable supply for power semiconductors used in autos, power grids, robotics, and data centers.
