Cambridge, UK, – ARM and UMC, a leading global semiconductor foundry, today announced a new strategic partnership to develop multiple physical IP platforms, enabling UMC customers to easily implement ARM® Artisan® physical IP into SoC designs and reduce time-to-market. The agreement spans from a 55ULP platform for Internet of Things (IoT) applications to a 14nm FinFET test chip for leading-edge mobile applications. The agreement further enhances ARM’s position as the leading provider of logic and memory IP to the semiconductor industry, with 9.8 billion chips based on Artisan foundation physical IP shipping in 2015.

“Design complexity is increasing as the connected world places greater demand on the mobile, IoT and embedded markets,” said Will Abbey, general manager, physical design group, ARM. “As the industry’s leading provider of physical IP libraries, ARM enables the best SoC implementations on process technologies that address a diverse range of applications. UMC’s selection of Artisan as its foremost physical IP provider gives our mutual silicon partners a robust set of tools and platforms to deliver optimized SoC implementations and accelerate time-to-market.”

The partnership will include the development of several new platforms that take advantage of Artisan Physical IP solutions to address applications in automotive, IoT and mobile, based on tehnologies ranging from 55nm to 14nm FinFET. 

With an unmatched range of advanced and specialty techologies, UMC is well positioned to meet the needs of our customers across broad applications,” said SC Chien, senior vice president and head of IP Development and Design Support division at UMC. “The extension of our partnership with ARM will enable us to continue to offer comprehensive design platforms that improve integration and drive further performance and power benefits as new opportunities emerge for our customers.” 

About ARM

ARM (LSE: ARM, NASDAQ: ARMH) designs technology at the heart of the world's most advanced digital products. We are enabling the development of new markets and transformation of industries and society, invisibly creating opportunity for a globally connected population. Our scalable, energy-efficient processor designs and related technologies deliver intelligence wherever computing happens, ranging from sensors to servers, including smartphones, tablets, digital TVs, enterprise infrastructure and the Internet of Things. 

Our innovative technology is licensed by ARM Partners who have shipped more than 75 billion System on Chip (SoCs) containing our intellectual property. Together with our Connected Community, we are breaking down barriers to innovation for developers, designers and engineers, ensuring a fast, reliable route to market for leading electronics companies. Learn more and join the conversation at  http://community.arm.com. 

About UMC

UMC (NYSE: UMC, TWSE: 2303) is a leading global semiconductor foundry that provides advanced IC production for applications spanning every major sector of the electronics industry. UMC’s robust foundry solutions enable chip designers to leverage the company’s sophisticated technology and manufacturing, which include volume production 28nm gate-last High-K/Metal Gate technology, ultra-low power platform processes specifically engineered for Internet of Things (IoT) applications and the automotive industry’s highest-rated AEC-Q100 Grade-0 manufacturing capabilities for production of ICs found in cars. UMC’s 10 wafer fabs are strategically located throughout Asia and are able to produce over 500,000 wafers per month. The company employs more than 17,000 people worldwide, with offices in Taiwan, mainland China, Europe, Japan, Korea, Singapore, and the United States. UMC can be found on the web at  http://www.umc.com. 

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UMC
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ARM
Director of Product PR & Analyst Relations, ARM
Phil Hughes
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