Sony, TSMC to Jointly Develop Next-Gen Image Sensors

Tokyo, May 8 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Sony Group Corp. said Friday that it has reached a basic agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the world's largest chip foundry, to form a strategic partnership for the joint development and production of next-generation image sensors.

The companies will consider establishing a joint venture in which Sony Group will have a majority stake and adding development and production lines at Sony Group's semiconductor plant in Koshi, Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp., the group's chip unit, and TSMC signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding on the strategic partnership.

The alliance aims to combine Sony Group's sensor-design expertise with TSMC's chipmaking techniques to expand into growing fields including autonomous driving systems and robots controlled by artificial intelligence.

"It is part of efforts to cement our position as the global leader in image sensors," Sony Group President and CEO Hiroki Totoki told an earnings briefing the same day.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]