Japanese tech giant Sony has denied any discussions with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) regarding the latter's plan to build a second factory in Japan. TSMC and Sony are currently building a semiconductor factory in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, which is expected to open in December 2024. The plant is being operated by Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), a subsidiary of Kumamoto Prefecture, Sony's semiconductor solutions company, Toyota Motor Group and Denso, who have all invested in the project.
No discussion on TSMC's "Second Factory in Japan"
TSMC's Wei Zhejia had earlier announced at a law conference in January that he was considering building a second factory in Japan. However, Sony has denied that any discussions had taken place regarding TSMC's "Second Factory in Japan". The company's President, Teruji Shimizu, stated in an interview with Reuters that the two sides have not discussed the matter at this stage and have not grasped TSMC's "Japan Second Factory" plan. He also added that TSMC should conduct a demand assessment and if it brings relevant benefits to Sony and TSMC, they are very welcome.
Sony's plans to increase global market share of image sensors
In addition to the above, Sony also stated that it aims to increase its global market share of image sensors (in terms of sales) to 60% by 2025, up from 53% in 2019. Shimizu stated that progress towards this goal is going well.
Impact of U.S. ban
Shimizu also commented on the impact of the U.S. ban, stating that export control began in October 2020, and sensors for monitors were included in the target. However, the impact on performance was only in the billions of yen, accounting for less than 1% of revenue.
Details on the Kumamoto plant
The Kumamoto plant, which is currently under construction in Kikuyo, Kumamoto Prefecture, is expected to be responsible for the production of 22/28nm and 12/16nm process chips, with a monthly production capacity of 55,000 pieces.
TSMC's plans for a second fab in Japan
TSMC President Wei Zhejia had stated at the legal conference on January 12 that he is considering building a second fab in Japan, as long as customer demand and government support levels are reasonable. However, no further details on this plan have been announced yet.
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