[News] UNT Unveiled Plans to Expand Wafer Production with CNY 3B, Partly for Optical Interconnect Applications
On June 11, Chinese foundry company UNT (United Nova Technology) announced plans to cooperate with the Management Committee of the Shaoxing Section of the Hangzhou–Shaoxing Airport Economic Integration Demonstration Zone to advance a capital increase for UNT Advance (Shaoxing), which will serve as the implementation entity for the company’s Phase IV project—a 12-inch automotive-grade mixed-signal semiconductor manufacturing facility.
The project will involve a total investment of approximately CNY 20 billion, with registered capital of CNY 12 billion. UNT plans to contribute CNY 3.012 billion using its own funds. Upon completion, the facility is expected to provide a monthly production capacity of 50,000 12-inch wafers.
From a technology perspective, the Phase IV project will focus on automotive-grade mixed-signal chips, covering MCU and DSP products at the 40nm–28nm nodes, as well as analog devices such as BCD and DrMOS at the 90nm–55nm nodes.
Notably, the project identifies 55nm silicon photonics chips and laser driver ICs as key development areas, directly aligning with growing demand for optical interconnect technologies in AI computing infrastructure. UNT stated that the investment will help the company capitalize on emerging opportunities in AI servers and optical interconnect applications.
Founded as a comprehensive semiconductor foundry, UNT was listed on China’s STAR Market in 2023. Its business portfolio spans MEMS devices, power semiconductors, analog ICs, and MCUs, providing customers with one-stop services ranging from design support and wafer fabrication to module packaging.
In 2025, the company reported revenue of CNY 8.18 billion, up 25.67% year-on-year. Gross margin improved to 5.51%, while net losses attributable to shareholders narrowed by 38.17% compared with the previous year. The recovery trend continued into the first quarter of 2026, with revenue reaching CNY 1.962 billion and gross margin rising further to 5.69%, alongside a continued reduction in losses.
Previously, UNT’s OCS switching chip, developed on a MEMS micromirror optical sensor process platform, has completed customer validation, while its VCSEL communication chips have entered mass production. It has also been exploring the use of Micro LED in data-center optical communications and related applications. The addition of silicon photonics manufacturing capabilities is expected to strengthen its position in the optical interconnect supply chain and enable system-level foundry services spanning chips, modules, and advanced packaging for AI data centers and intelligent driving applications.
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