Sony increases production capacity for stacked CMOS image sensors
Press release, July 23; Alex Wolfgram, DIGITIMES [Thursday 24 July 2014]
Sony has announced that it plans to invest in Sony Semiconductor Corporation's Nagasaki Technology Center (Nagasaki TEC) and Kumamoto Technology Center (Kumamoto TEC) from the second half of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2015 through the first half of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016, to increase its production capacity for stacked CMOS image sensors.
This investment is primarily intended to reinforce Nagasaki TEC's layering process production capabilities, as well as Kumamoto TEC's mastering process facilities.
On January 29, 2014, Sony announced its plans to establish and invest in Yamagata Technology Center (Yamagata TEC) as a facility mainly conducting the mastering process. The current investment is expected to enable Sony to complete subsequent stages of production, including the layering process, at Nagasaki TEC on semiconductor chips that have undergone the mastering process at Yamagata TEC, providing Sony with a fully integrated production system for stacked CMOS image sensors.
This investment forms part of Sony's mid- to long-term plan to increase its total production capacity for image sensors to approximately 75,000 wafers per month, and is expected to increase the current capacity of approximately 60,000 wafers per month to approximately 68,000 wafers per month in August 2015, the company said.
Stacked CMOS image sensors deliver superior image quality and advanced functionality, together with compact size. Demand for these image sensors is anticipated to further increase, particularly within the expanding market for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Sony said it intends to bolster its manufacturing capacity for stacked CMOS image sensors, and further strengthen its integrated supply operations, and to thereby reinforce its leading market position.
The total investment amount is expected to be approximately JPY35 billion (US$344.9 million), comprising approximately JPY9 billion (Nagasaki TEC: approximately JPY3 billion, Kumamoto TEC: approximately JPY6 billion) to be carried out in fiscal year 2014, and approximately JPY26 billion (Nagasaki TEC) to be carried out in fiscal year 2015. Of this, the amount to be invested in fiscal year 2014 (approximately JPY9 billion) was included in the forecast of capital expenditure for semiconductors in the current fiscal year (approximately JPY65 billion) announced on May 14, 2014, added Sony.
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