According to an announcement from Digitimes, United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) has teamed up with Integrated Technology Express (ITE), Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) and King Yuan Electronics (KYEC) to jointly propose a MEMS product development project, asking for financial support from Taiwan's ministry of economic affairs (MOEA), according to industry sources

It is the first time that the Taiwan government has seen its semiconductor companies apply for funding for MEMS development, the sources remarked.

Each of the four companies may receive subsidies of up to NT$30 million (US$0.94 million), the sources said, adding the funding can be used only in product R&D but not in equipment procurement.

According to the proposal, ITE will design the MEMS products, UMC will be in charge of the front-end manufacturing, and SPIL and KYEC will handle packaging and testing respectively, the sources said. The team will initially focus on 3-axis accelerometer (g-sensor) production, followed by gyroscopes, and they may develop MEMS single chips combining the two in the future, the sources added.