TSMC Taiwan, Sony Group Team Up for $6.3 Billion Image Sensor Production Initiative

TSMC Taiwan, Sony Group Team Up for $6.3 Billion Image Sensor Production Initiative

TOKYO, Aug 10 (Reuters) – Sony Group and Taiwan’s TSMC plan to spend around 1 trillion ​yen ($6.32 billion) to jointly make next-generation ‌microchips used in image sensors, the Nikkei business daily said on Monday.

A joint venture owned ​about 60% by Sony and 40% ​by TSMC will start commercial production ⁠as early as 2029 in southern Japan’s ​Kumamoto prefecture, the paper said.

The two tech ​giants said in May they planned to form a joint venture in Japan to develop and manufacture ​next-generation image sensors, combining Sony’s sensor ​design expertise with TSMC’s manufacturing and process technology ‌strengths.

Sony ⁠and TSMC also said then that the partnership will explore opportunities in physical artificial intelligence applications such as automotive and ​robotics.

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Sony is ​the world’s ⁠largest maker of image sensors widely used in smartphones and ​autos, while TSMC is the world’s ​largest ⁠contract chipmaker.

Sony declined to comment on the Nikkei report, while there was no immediate ⁠response ​from TSMC to Reuters’ ​request for comment.

($1 = 158.2700 yen)