HLMC to break ground for new 12-inch fab in early December

Shanghai Huali Microelectronics (HLMC) is scheduled to hold a groundbreaking ceremony in early December for its second 12-inch fab in Shanghai, according to the China-based pure-play foundry. MediaTek's vice chairman Ching-Jiang Hsieh is expected to attend the event.

HLMC's new 12-inch fab will directly enter 28nm production, with volume production scheduled for the second half of 2018, the foundry said. Monthly production capacity at the fab is set at 40,000 units.

HLMC reiterated MediaTek will be among the initial customers of HLMC's 28nm technology. At the end of 2015, HLMC disclosed it had completed the tape-out of a 28nm mobile chip design for the Taiwan-based fabless customer.

Since 28nm will be a long-lasting node, HLMC believes the supply of 28nm chips will continue to be short of demand, the foundry indicated. HLMC will enhance its 28nm offerings gradually to include HKMG.

HLMC already has a 12-inch fab in Shanghai for the manufacture of chips using 65/55nm and 40nm process technologies. The fab, with monthly capacity of about 35,000 units, has secured orders from MediaTek for logic chips, and Winbond Electronics and GigaDevice Semiconductor for NOR flash memory.

Founded in 2010, HLMC is a 12-inch foundry majority owned by the Shanghai government.