Chandler, Ariz., and Hsinchu, Taiwan, Feb. 23, 2015 - Microchip Technology Inc. [NASDAQ: MCHP], a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions, through its Silicon Storage Technology (SST) subsidiary, and United Microelectronics Corporation (NYSE: UMC; TWSE: 2303) (“UMC”), a leading global semiconductor foundry, today announced the full qualification and availability of SST's 55 nm embedded SuperFlash® non-volatile memory on UMC's 55 nm platform. Additionally, UMC extended its licensing agreement to include SST's 40 nm embedded Flash intellectual property (IP). The qualification of UMC's 55 nm, split-gate-cell SuperFlash technology-based process was performed according to JEDEC standards, and showed 100k endurance with more than 10 years of data retention at 85C and an operating-temperature range of -40C to 125C.

Today, the value of an average car's semiconductor content has grown to about $350, with more than 60% of that content comprising microcontrollers (MCUs) and analog. Embedded Flash is a key component in the majority of those automotive MCUs. Moreover, Gartner predicts that there will be 25 billion connected things in use by 2020, and many of those Internet of Things (IoT) products will contain at least one MCU with Embedded Flash. To date, more than 50 billion devices have shipped with SST's SuperFlash technology, and the explosively growing automotive and IoT markets are just two examples of the continued need for this IP.

“Our latest agreement underscores UMC's strong commitment to technology leadership,” said Mark Reiten, vice president of Technology Licensing for SST, a wholly owned subsidiary of Microchip. “Additionally, this expanded partnership further strengthens our market leadership in embedded, Flash-based devices for automotive, industrial, consumer and IoT applications.”

“UMC is pleased with the results of SST's 55 nm SuperFlash technology, having successfully engaged with multiple customers,” said S.C. Chien, UMC's vice president of Specialty Technology Development. “UMC continues to grow customer deployments of our 55 nm SuperFlash technology-based platform in broad markets such as automotive, industrial, consumer and IoT, and we are committed to continuing that success by extending our partnership to include SST's 40 nm technology.”

SST's SuperFlash technology complements UMC's embedded memory portfolio, by enabling high-density and performance-driven IC designs. UMC's ample capacity and high yield maturity for 55 nm/40 nm helps its foundry realize more than 30% of its revenue contribution from these mainstream nodes. Several variations of UMC's 55 nm and 40 nm processes are available, including the ultra-low-power 55 uLP and 40 uLP processes, which were developed for today's portable applications that demand longer battery life.

UMC (NYSE: UMC, TWSE: 2303) is a leading global semiconductor foundry that provides advanced technology and manufacturing for applications spanning every major sector of the IC industry. UMC's robust foundry solutions allow chip designers to leverage the company's leading-edge processes, which include 28nm poly-SiON and gate-last High-K/Metal Gate technology, mixed signal/RFCMOS, and a wide range of specialty technologies. Production is supported through 10 wafer manufacturing facilities that include two advanced 300mm fabs; Fab 12A in Taiwan and Singapore-based Fab 12i. Fab 12A consists of Phases 1-4 which are in production for customer products down to 28nm. Construction has been completed for Phases 5&6, with future plans for Phases 7&8. The company employs over 15,000 people worldwide and has 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.

Microchip Technology's SST subsidiary is a leading provider of embedded Flash technology. SST develops, designs, licenses and markets a diversified range of proprietary and patented SuperFlash memory technology solutions for the consumer, industrial, automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) markets. SST was founded in 1989, went public in 1995 (NASDAQ: SSTI), and was acquired by Microchip in April 2010. SST is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Microchip, and is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. For more information, visit the SST Web site at http://www.microchip.com/SST-022315a.

Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MCHP) is a leading provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions, providing low-risk product development, lower total system cost and faster time to market for thousands of diverse customer applications worldwide. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website at http://www.microchip.com/Microchip-022315a.