When we talk about semiconductor manufacturers it’s most often TSMC that comes up. It was fast to move on to the 40nm node, but unfortunately it has brought a lot of negative publicity as the production volumes have been rather meager. It looks like competitor UMC (United Microelectronics Corporation) is well on its way to start its own mass production of 40nm chips. UMC is focusing on a low-leakage version of the 40nm technology with 300mm wafers.
Exactly when it will start production of 40nm circuits is uncertain, but it should be very soon. Customers are also uncertain, but its partner Magma Design Automation and Xilinx have been a part of the development. UMC used to be a close partner with graphics card maker NVIDIA.
In 2009 it has invested 4.76 billion NTD (145.2 million USD) on equipment for upgrading its fabs, and more will be spent in the months coming.
