United Microelectronics Corporation's (UMC) 8-inch wafer plant in Chiba Prefecture has not been affected by the latest aftershocks that struck Japan, continuing to run at normal capacity, according to the foundry chipmaker.
A magnitude 7.1 aftershock hit northeast Japan, the area devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, on April 7, followed by two aftershocks of similar intensity on April 12.
Dubbed UMCJ, the fabrication fab focuses on serving clients in Japan. The facility now has a monthly capacity of about 220,000 8-inch wafers, which represent 3-5% of UMC's total capacity.
In other news, Shunzo Mori, CEO of silicon wafer supplier Shin-Etsu Chemical, recently paid a visit to customers in Taiwan, the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) has reported. Citing unnamed sources, the paper said Shin-Etsu has promised to give priority support to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and UMC.
According to Shin-Etsu's latest update, operations at Shin-Etsu Handotai's Shirakawa plant, Fukushima Prefecture, remain closed. "We are implementing inspection procedures and restoration work of the facilities and equipment so that we can initiate the resumption of operations within a short period of time. In addition, we have started shipments of the inventories that were produced before the occurrence of the earthquake," according to a company statement issued on April 11.
Shin-Etsu ships 12-inch blank wafers to TSMC and UMC, and DRAM manufacturers including Elpida Memory and Powerchip Technology.