June 8, 2012 - PRNewswire-Asia -- Singapore’s A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME) and semiconductor foundry United Microelectronics Corporation (NYSE:UMC; TWSE:2303) will collaborate on through-silicon via (TSV) technology for backside illuminated (BSI) CMOS image sensors (CIS), aiming for better performance, lower costs, and smaller form factors for multi-megapixel mobile image sensors.

Leveraging IME's 300mm TSV line, which features advanced capabilities in TSV wafer thinning, bonding, redistribution layer (RDL) and bumping, this project will develop a TSV process for integration with the CIS device. The evolution of CIS technology is driven by the need to maintain performance for ever-shrinking pixels, and Backside Illumination (BSI) is widely anticipated to be the enabling technology to achieve exceptional performance at micron-level pixel sizes. The project targets an improvement in sensitivity for smaller pixel image sensors capable of supporting higher performance applications, including next generation high resolution digital single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras and digital video recorders.

Po Wen Yen, Senior Vice President at UMC, said, "We are delighted to expand our relationship with IME for BSI technology using TSV. IME's capabilities and expertise in TSV integration will complement UMC's successful efforts for via-middle and via-last TSV on standard 28nm CMOS."

UMC (NYSE: UMC, TWSE: 2303) is a global semiconductor foundry that provides advanced technology and manufacturing services for applications spanning every major sector of the IC industry. The company employs over 13,000 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 Institute of Microelectronics (IME) is a research institute of the Science and Engineering Research Council of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). IME's mission is to add value to Singapore's semiconductor industry by developing strategic competencies, innovative technologies and intellectual property; enabling enterprises to be technologically competitive; and cultivating a technology talent pool to inject new knowledge to the industry. Its key research areas are in integrated circuits design, advanced packaging, bioelectronics and medical devices, MEMS, nanoelectronics, and photonics. For more information about IME, please visit www.ime.a-star.edu.sg or learn about A*STAR at www.a-star.edu.sg.

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