Japan’s Sony and Taiwan’s TSMC, the world’s largest chipmaker, plan to start mass production of next-generation image sensor semiconductors in Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan as early as 2029.
A joint venture will manufacture the chips, 60% owned by Sony and 40% by TSMC.
The total investment will be about 1 trillion yen (US$6.3 billion).
Sony and TSMC are expected to reach an agreement on mass production investment in the near future and establish a joint venture. The joint venture will supply high-performance camera sensors for Apple’s iPhone.
In the future, companies are looking to improve sensor performance so that AI-based systems can recognize objects with greater accuracy, focusing on applications in the new field of “physical AI,” in which AI controls robots and vehicles.