半導體供應鍊協會組織 -- X initiative，8 日宣佈：聯電為第一家加入半導體供應鍊協會組織之純晶圓專工公司。聯電現已可在 180、150 及 130 奈米製程上，接受 X Architecture 架構設計。聯電開始使用 X Architecture 設計架構製作量產產品為一個關鍵性的階段，並使 X Architecture 設計在商業上獲廣泛運用。

X Architecture 設計架構除了傳統直角或 Manhattan 結構連線方式，更可提供新的 45 度對角方式互連。因新設計明顯地減少繞線及 via 通孔數目 (在各繞線層內之互連孔)，所以 X Architecture 設計架構可提供更顯著的效益，同時又可改良晶片的執行效能、降低功率耗損及節省成本。

聯電系統單晶片設計總工程師林子聲表示：聯電致力於提供創新的解決方案，而 X Architecture 設計架構提供了重大效益給我們的客戶。我們很高興以領先之姿，率先成為第一個加入 X Initiative 組織的純晶圓專工公司，並準備接受使用 X Architecture 架構的 IC 設計，量產其產品。

X Initiative 組織在 2002 年所宣佈 X Architecture 設計架構，從試產設計到製作的製程藍圖近乎完整；同時並發佈包含功能性晶片的結果聲明 (請參照 2003 年 10 月 8 日新聞 - 東芝製造出全球第一個採用 X Architecture 技術的功能性晶片)。現在 X Initiative 組織的協同供應鍊準備工作重點在：於今日製程 (130 / 90 奈米) 與未來製程 (65 / 45 奈米含以下) 上，可廣泛採用 X Architecture 架構設計。預計首批量產晶片將於 2004 年上市。

益華電腦所領導的新商業育成計劃技術長暨半導體供應鍊 X Initiative 指導會員 Aki Fujimura 先生表示：純晶圓專工公司支援 X Architecture 架構設計是一個關鍵性里程碑，並使商業上能廣泛應用 X Architecture 設計。聯電成為 X initiative 組織之第一家純晶圓專工會員公司，在 X Architecture 架構設計的商業製程藍圖上具有舉足輕重的領先地位。

UMC (NYSE: UMC, TSE: 2303) is a leading global semiconductor foundry that manufactures advanced process ICs for applications spanning every major sector of the semiconductor industry. UMC delivers cutting-edge foundry technologies that enable sophisticated system-on-chip (SOC) designs, including 90nm copper, 0.13um copper, embedded DRAM, and mixed signal/RFCMOS. UMC is also a leader in 300mm manufacturing; Fab 12A in Taiwan is currently in volume production for a variety of customer products, while Singapore-based UMCi is now in pilot production. UMC employs over 8,500 people worldwide and has offices in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Europe, and the United States. UMC can be found on the web at http://www.umc.com.

The X Architecture, the first production-worthy approach to the pervasive use of diagonal interconnect, reduces the total interconnect, or wiring, on a chip by more than 20 percent and via-counts by more than 30 percent, resulting in simultaneous improvements in chip performance, power and cost. For the past 20 years, chip design has been primarily based on the de facto industry standard "Manhattan" architecture, named for its right-angle interconnects resembling a city-street grid. The X Architecture rotates the primary direction of the interconnect in the fourth and fifth metal layers by 45 degrees from a Manhattan architecture. The new architecture maintains compatibility with existing cell libraries, memory cells, compilers and IP cores by preserving the Manhattan geometry of metal layers one through three.

The X Initiative, a group of leading companies from throughout the semiconductor industry, is chartered with accelerating the availability and fabrication of the X Architecture, a revolutionary interconnect architecture based on the pervasive use of diagonal routing. The X Initiative's five-year mission is to provide an independent source of education about the X Architecture, to facilitate support and fabrication of the X Architecture through the semiconductor industry supply chain, and to survey usage of the X Architecture to track its adoption. Representing leaders spanning the entire design-to-silicon supply chain, X Initiative members include: Applied Materials, Inc.; ARM; Artisan Components, Inc.; ASML Netherlands B.V.; Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NYSE: CDN); Dai Nippon Printing (DNP); DuPont Photomasks, Inc.; Etec Systems, Inc., an Applied Materials, Inc. company; GDA Technologies, Inc.; HPL Technologies, Inc.; Hoya Corporation; IN2FAB Technology Ltd.; JEOL, Ltd.; KLA-Tencor Corporation; Leica Microsystems AG; Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.; MicroArk Co. Ltd.; Monterey Design Systems, Inc.; Nikon Corporation; NuFlare Technology Inc.; PDF Solutions, Inc.; Photronics, Inc.; Prolific Inc.; RUBICAD Corporation; Sagantec; Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.; Silicon Logic Engineering, Inc.; SiliconMap, LLC.; Silicon Valley Research Inc.; STMicroelectronics; Sycon Design, Inc.; Tensilica, Inc.; Toppan Printing Co.; Toshiba Corporation; Trecenti Technologies, Inc.; UMC; Virage Logic, Inc.; Virtual Silicon Technology, Inc.; and Zygo Corporation. Membership is open to all companies throughout the semiconductor supply chain. Materials can be found at www.xinitiative.org

This release contains forward-looking statements (including, without limitation, information regarding semiconductor design, production and performance improvements resulting from the X Architecture, the compatibility of the X Architecture with current technology, the future success of X Architecture technology and the ability of certain of the X Initiative members' to support the X Architecture) that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the results of X Initiative members and other events to differ materially from managements' current expectations. Actual results and events may differ materially due to a number of factors including, among others: future strategic decisions made by the X Initiative members; failure of the X Architecture to enable the production of designs that are feasible and competitive with current designs or future alternatives; future strategic decisions made by X Initiative members or others that inhibit the development of the X Architecture; demand for advanced semiconductors that are developed using the X Architecture; cost feasibility of the production of semiconductors designed using the X Architecture; and the rapid pace of technological change in the semiconductor industry. The matters discussed in this press release also involve risks and uncertainties described in the most recent filings of the X Initiative members with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The X Initiative members, individually or collectively, assume no obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this release.