For a while there, the only competitive foundries that we've been hearing about have been TSMC and GlobalFoundries (Intel's foundries are such a well-known fact that they sometimes - and paradoxically - fade into obscurity). However, according to UMC's CEO, the company is poised to become another option in the 14 nm field this year.

This represents a general acceleration of UMC's plans to bring the manufacturing process to market, where it would supposedly only be ready for primetime on Q2 2017. However, following intensive engineering activities, UMC's 14-nanometer transistor performance has delivered speed and leakage results which are comparable with the industry's 14-nanometer standards. Initial 14nm manufacturing capacity should be 2,000 wafers per month, and the company already has numerous customers running test chips.